Site Event/Activity record ECH7164 - Ledsham Road, Ellesmere Port, Cheshire West and Chester: Archaeological Strip, Map and Record

A strip, map and record was undertaken in 2022 at the site of a proposed residential development at Ledsham Road, Ellesmere Port. The area of interest lies to the north of the present farm complex, where earlier evaluation trenching (ECH6484, 2017) had suggested the presence of features pre-dating the present farm buildings. The work revealed a number of shallow ditches which do not appear to relate to anything on the historic mapping and are presumed to relate to an earlier phase of activity on the site. Unfortunately, the features were all severely eroded by ploughing and dating evidence was very sparse but a few fragments of Roman pottery and tile were recovered which may suggest a Roman date. If so, it is likely that the main focus of activity lies under the present farm complex (where it will be preserved within the wider housing development. There are 19th-century references (see CHER 13/1/2) to a subterranean chamber on the site of the present farmhouse which may relate to the Roman activity. (1)