Site Event/Activity record ECH7098 - Utkinton - Tarvin Pipeline, Cheshire: Archaeological Desk-Based Assessment

An archaeological desk-based assessment was produced in 2022 in support of a proposal for the installation of a new waste water pipeline, approximately 7.4 km long, from Tarvin, Cheshire to Utkinton, Cheshire. The Scheme runs from National Grid Reference (NGR) 348889, 367597 in the west to NGR 354531, 365302 in the west. The assessment considers the baseline route (hereafter ‘Baseline Route’ of the Scheme) and two alternative routes (hereafter ‘Route 1’ and ‘Route 2’) which are under consideration for the course of the Scheme. The Baseline Route follows the course of Milton Brook, crossing the A54 at Tarvin before continuing through pasture fields to a waste water works on Willington Road, to the north of Duddon. The Baseline Route then continues in a south easterly direction through further agricultural land before turning east and crossing Willington Lane to the north of Clotton. The Baseline Route then runs in a north easterly route towards Utkinton. Route 1 and Route 2 diverge from the Baseline Route at Duddon. Route 1 traverses agricultural fields before meeting Wood Lane to the east of Oak Tree Farm. Route 2 follows the line of Willington Road and Wood Lane before meeting Route 2 to the east of Oak Tree Farm. Both Route 1 and Route 2 then traverse agricultural fields before terminating at Utkinton. The site contains no designated archaeological heritage assets and there will be no direct impact to any designated heritage assets. Based on historic mapping and data obtained from Cheshire Historic Environment Record, this assessment has concluded that the western portion of the Scheme is considered to have a higher archaeological potential, due to the presence of a known Roman road in the wider landscape and the proximity of the settlement of Tarvin, which is likely to have been established during the early medieval period. The remainder of the site is considered to have lower archaeological potential with any buried archaeological remains relating to agricultural activity of medieval to post-medieval date. These remains would be of low to negligible heritage significance. (1)