Site Event/Activity record ECH7026 - Cheshire National Mapping Programme and Lidar Mapping Project: The Chester Environs

The project identified, interpreted and recorded all probable and possible archaeological features visible as earthworks, cropmarks, soilmarks, parchmarks and structures on air photographs, lidar and height-data derived surface models within the area selected for the project. The survey covered a total of 218 Ordnance Survey kilometre grid squares around the city of Chester. This includes the Cheshire Plain incorporating the Dee valley south of Chester and the northern extent of the Mid-Cheshire Ridge. These areas were chosen because of their archaeological significance, with evidence for continued human occupation stretching back to the Mesolithic period, and the risk posed to this resource by proposed development and changes in agricultural practice. Archaeological sites and features identified by the project were mapped to Historic England's National Mapping Programme (NMP) standards. The mapping and interpretation were based on the evidence of oblique and vertical aerial photographs held by the Historic England Archive, Cambridge University, Cheshire Archaeology Planning Advisory Service; lidar supplied by the Environment Agency via their online geostore; digital surface model derived from Next Perspectives™ height data; orthophotography provided by Next Perspectives™ through the APGB Agreement. Rectification of scanned photographs was undertaken using AERIAL 5.36 for accurate mapping. Control was derived from orthophotography. Height data provided by Next Perspectives™ through the APGB Agreement was used to create digital elevation models in AERIAL. These were used to give greater accuracy in areas of varying topography.