Site Event/Activity record ECH6746 - Archaeological Watching Brief Report: Centre Park Link Road, Slutchers Lane, Warrington

An archaeological watching brief was undertaken during development groundworks associated with the construction of a new link road and bridge crossing the River Mersey and linking Chester Road and Slutchers Lane, Warrington. The site lies on the banks of a nineteenth century diversion of the River Mersey to the south of Warrington town centre. The archaeological watching brief was maintained in July 2019 during the groundreduction works on the land on either side of the River Mersey, which was required in advance of the construction of the abutments for the proposed new bridge. The ground-reduction works for the eastern abutment were conducted under close and constant archaeological supervision. The observations revealed that the majority of the area had been built up during the 20th century, as backfill containing modern rubbish was found across the site. This backfill deposit sealed a layer of silty clay, which yielded fragments of clay pipe tobacco pipe and a penny dating to 1908. No remains of archaeological interest were present. The simple stratigraphic sequence revealed on the eastern side of the river was mirrored in the area excavated for the western abutment of the new bridge. A thick layer of 20th-century backfill was revealed across the western part of the area, which overlay a modern service pipe. The eastern part of the area was similarly characterised by made ground, which contained numerous golf balls deriving from the recent use of the site as a driving range. A north/south-aligned linear feature was identified across the central part of the site, although limited excavation proved that this was of a 19th- or 20th-century date, probably associated with drainage. No remains of archaeological interest were present on the western side of the river. The results obtained from the watching brief have demonstrated the extent of disturbance to ground levels that was caused during redevelopment in the 19th and 20th centuries. (1)