Monument record 11439 - Medieval agricultural features at Eaton Road

<1> Oxford Archaeology North, 2013, Heronbridge to Curzon Park Pipeline, Chester, Cheshire Further Archaeological Investigation, Interim Report; Walkover Survey, R3539 (Client Report). SCH7249.

A field survey of the area to the east of Eaton Hall carriage drive recorded a number of earthwork features of note including probable medieval ridge and furrow (No 38 in the Report) and two boundary ditches (No's 39 & 41 in the Report).

The ridge and furrow was described as a series of parallel ridges approximately 5m in width and survives only as faint traces. It was overlain by a boundary ditch on a north-south alignment of a late medieval or post medieval date. This boundary ditch was recorded on early 20th century aerial photographs but is no longer present. A second boundary ditch was also recorded to the east of the ridge and furrow however this predates map and photographic evidence.

<2> Oxford Archaeology North, 2017, Archaeological Investigations Report. Heronbridge to Curzon Pipeline (Client Report). SCH8313.

Topographic survey of the relict field system and agricultural cultivation identified in the walkover survey in school playing fields. The cultivation (site 38) consists of areas of broad, slightly sinuous ridge and furrow cultivation (8-9m wide) lying on a NNW/SSE alignment that has in places been overlain by later and slightly narrower (7-8m wide), east west orientated ridge and furow cultivation. There are relict field boundaries where medieval open field cultivation has been enclosed into smaller field plots, these in many cases have kept a reverse s-pattern which is indicative of fossilised ox-ploughing. The surveyed boundaries in all cases survive as ditched features with little or no evidence for embankments. The prominent linear depression (site 45) in the south east of the school playing fields was excavated and revealed to be cut into sandstone bedrock. Post medieval pottery and clay tobabcco pipe was recovered from this feature.

<3> Oxford Archaeology North, 2017, Archaeological Investigations Report. Heronbridge to Curzon Pipeline (Client Report). SCH8313.

A watching brief during topsoil strip of the Catholic High school playing fields identified field drainage ditches and an plough furrow with single posthole adjacent.

The finds collected during the watching brief of the pipeline route revealed a wide range of date frm the Roman Period thhrought ot post Medieval, many of which are comonly found in agricultural contexts. The earliest find was a single fragment of roman Amphora dating from the first to third centuries AD. Most of the finds were recovered from the topsoil, however some of the finds were recovered form ditch fills, including ceramic building material most of which was post medieval in date.
Th most interesting finds were a late seventeeth cntey fragment of clay tobacco pipe, possible by a Chester pipe-maker (Thoman Orne?) and a singl;e copper alloy quatrefoil horse pendant. This is potentially of fourteenth century date and the arms are those of the Welsh/ Walsh family who originated in 12th century Ireland.