Site Event/Activity record ECH7154 - Land at Crown Farm Quarry, Oakmere, Cheshire: Archaeological Excavation Report

An archaeological excavation was undertaken in 2022 at the land off Crown Farm Quarry, Northwich, Cheshire, CW8 2JL, centred at National Grid Reference (NGR) SJ 56592 69465. The archaeological excavation was required as part of the planning application to extend the quarry. The archaeological excavation included two targeted locations along the route of a 19th century mineral railway embankment which was thought to potentially seal the projected line of Watling Street Roman road. The excavation was undertaken over twelve days and involved the excavation of an area measuring 30m by 120m between 19th July and 3rd August 2022. The excavation revealed the limited survival of archaeological features, most of which are probably associated with post-medieval and modern agricultural activity. A large spread of gravel may represent the base of the Roman road, though the results of this phase of work are far from definitive. The investigation identified evidence of the groundworks associated with the mineral railway and survival of earlier remains including the road are likely to have been also affected by extensive ploughing in the area. A 30m trench was also excavated in a single day in August 2019 as part of the same phase of works, c.270m north-east of the excavation, which was devoid of archaeology. The area of archaeological investigation represented a 38% sample of the overall site, though a subsequent archaeological watching brief monitored the rest of the soil stripping of the area (see ECH7155). (1)