Site Event/Activity record ECH6949 - Archaeological Evaluation and Mitigation Report for Land at Bowe's Gate Road, Bunbury

In 2021, an archaeological evaluation and mitigation work was carried out on land at Bowe’s Gate Road, Bunbury, in advance of a residential development. The site lies just outside an Area of Archaeological Potential, identified by Cheshire East Borough Council, which covers the historic core of Higher Bunbury. It comprises un-developed land, circa 80m to the east of Bunbury parish church, which lay at the heart of one of Cheshire’s most extensive and significant medieval parishes. Prehistoric activity was demonstrated by the recovery of a worked flint flake from Trench 1. A cup-marked stone used in the construction of stone surface in Trench 6 may represent a piece of portable prehistoric rock art of Late Neolithic/Early Bronze Age date. No Roman activity was identified within the site. Nearly all of the identified archaeological features encountered within the evaluation and subsequent mitigation works were Early Medieval in date. This represented the intensive use of an area within an artificial terrace or hollow cut in to the slope of the natural hill. The activity consisted of the construction of at least three successive clay ovens with associated stone and clay surfaces and post-holes. The earliest phase of activity has been radiocarbon dated to 668 – 776 cal AD (73.9%). The remains from this phase included burnt animal remains which suggests the preparation of food associated with high status dining. Subsequent phases of activity were also related to the preparation of food but this seems to have been dominated by cereals and pulses as opposed to animal products. This could partly be an accident of preservation as the rotary quern stones in the phase 2 oven base must have been in use prior to being broken and discarded. Charred grains and charcoal from these later phases of activity have been radiocarbon dated to 770 - 896 cal AD (87.9%). The whole complex is interpreted as a kitchen/bakery. (1)