Monument record 177/2/4 - Late Roman occupation activity at Kingsley Fields, Nantwich

<1> Arrowsmith, P & Power D., 2012, Roman Nantwich: A Salt-Making Settlement, BAR British Series 557 (Monograph). SCH7339.

Archaeological investigations at Kingsley Fields, Nantwich between 2001 and 2002 uncovered the remains of a Roman settlement with industrial activity and a small cremation cemetery alongside a Roman road. The remains are the first clear evidence of Roman activity in Nantwich associated with the salt-making industry and provide evidence of a road linking the settlement with the main road to the northwest.

The investigations comprised the evaluation of 33 trial trenches and two test pits along with geophysical survey, metal detecting and fieldwalking surveys over a substantial area to the north of Welsh Row in 2001 followed by the more detailed excavation of several area that exhibited strong archaeological potential for Roman remains.

A Roman road encountered on a northwest to southeast alignment crossed the site leading from Nantwich to the road from Middlewich to Whitchurch survived throughout the Roman period, however it shifted position approximately 3.6m to the south in the latter half of the Roman period at which point several buildings were constructed over the original northern road boundary ditch.

Building 3 was identified as a series of postholes suggestive of a rectangular structure at right angles to the road and measuring 11m in length and 4.6m wide. Several of the postholes showed evidence of recutting suggesting the replacement or repair of the timber posts. Immediately south of the main building, an annex was encountered (Building 4). This structure measured perhaps 3m in width and 5m in length against the southern wall of Building 3. Traces of additional postholes to the south of Building 4 suggests the annex was extended by the addition of a lean-to. Dating evidence for these buildings was limited to a broadly second century date.

<2> Nevell, M & Fielding, A., 2005, Brine in Britannia: Recent archaeological work on the Roman salt industry in Cheshire (Monograph). SCH7341.