Monument record 14007 - Probable Roman Pits, Post Holes and a Gully, Tattenhall Primary School

<1> Mark Leah, Cheshire Archaeology Planning Advisory Service, 2017, Archaeological Watching Brief at Tattenhall Park Primary School, Chester Road, August 2017 (Written Communication). SCH8303.

An archaeological watching brief was undertaken at Tattenhall Park Primary School, Chester Road, during groundworks associated with the construction of an extension measuring circa 20m by 20m on the eastern side of the existing main building. A number of scattered features cut into the natural boulder clay were recorded. All of the features were relatively shallow, with a maximum depth of circa 0.4m, and had clearly been subject to significant truncation during the formation of the ridge and furrow which is clearly visible on the aerial photographs dating to the 1940s and 1970s. The features, which included two post holes, three shallow pits, and a gully measuring 0.6m across and up to 0.4m deep, were filled with a grey clay which, in some instances, contained significant amounts of charcoal. Dating evidence was not abundant but one of the pits contained an assemblage of locally-manufactured Roman pottery which has been dated to the second century AD.

A Roman presence has been known at Tattenhall for many years and is thought to have been centred on the parish church, where material of this date has been recorded on a number of occasions. However, the discovery of Roman features at the primary school is significant as work on several developments in recent years in the area between the school and church has not revealed any evidence of Roman activity. The present results may suggest a more extensive, if intermittent, area of settlement in and around the village at this time.