Site Event/Activity record ECH6700 - Archaeological Audit: Bradford Street, Handbridge

A desk-based assessment was undertaken in2019 for a site located behind 6A Bradford Street, Handbridge, prior to proposed re-development. The site is in the vicinity of two recorded monuments: the Handbridge Roman Cemetery (8385) which encompasses Watling Street Roman road exiting Handbridge; and the Civil War Royalist Outwork (12501) dating to 1643. The research has demonstrated that in 2016, L - P : Archaeology carried out an archaeological strip, map and excavation of an area c.1100m² within the site. The archaeological work undertaken conclusively demonstrated that cremation burials did not extend to within the site boundary. The archaeological features exposed within the limits of excavation were the remains of two east to west aligned ditches, interpreted as the remains of an eroded trackway. The fills of the ditches contained a pottery assemblage of predominantly early to mid 2nd century date. The evidence is broadly contemporary with other features in the wider area including: two rubbish pits excavated in Edgar's Field; and settlement evidence (enclosure ditch, pits and post-holes) at St Mary’s Church. A conjectured line for a Roman road running through Handbridge has been recorded and the surviving trackway may represent part of a side access route. Given the robust nature of ditch type features and that both ditches extended beyond the limits of excavation, it is likely that they survive to a greater or lesser extent beyond the current development site limits. (1)