Site Event/Activity record ECH6510 - Archaeological Desk Based Assessment: 127 Warmingham Lane, Middlewich

Archaeological desk-based assessment and site visit undertaken in August 2017 for land off Warmingham Lane, Middlewich, Cheshire, CW10 0HL, prior to proposed development. The site is an undeveloped, enclosed field, approximately 3.1 hectares in area and is centred at SJ 71030 64000. The site lies 2.3km south of the historic core of Middlewich, accordingly it is anticipated that the focus of settlement and potential archaeology lie to the north of the site. An historic hedgerow assessment done in 2015 just to the west of this site, illustrated that the hedgerows bordering Warmingham Lane have a pre-1600 date and form part of an historic parish boundary. This assessment also concludes that the site boundary forms part of a field system pre-dating the Enclosure Act of 1845. A pond is depicted on early Ordnance Survey mapping and survives as a wooded copse in the south-west of the site, this probably represents an old marl pit. An undulation in the western part of the field is visible on air photographs and also recorded on early OS map of 1874-1875 as a waterlogged area of osiers. Also, potential north/south linear features, possible plough marks, are visible on LiDAR data. (1)