Monument record 14029 - Potential Medieval Boundaries and Pits, North of Brook Street, Neston

<1> AOC Archaeology Group (Chester), 2008, Land Between Brook Street and Raby Road, Neston, Cheshire. An Archaeological Evaluation Report, R2874 (Client Report). SCH5128.

An Archaeological evaluation was undertaken on land, an area of some 1600 metres square, between Brook Street and Raby Road, Neston, prior to its re-development. The evaluation comprised the machine and hand excavation of four trenches. A pit was recorded in Trench 1 cut into the natural sandstone bedrock. It had a tapering profile, being 4.5m wide at the top, 1.2m wide at the bottom, and reaching a depth of 2m. The only finds recovered were a few animal teeth; this lack of dating evidence could indicate a date earlier than the post medieval period for which finds are more plentiful. Similarly, in Trench 4, a linear ditch was recorded cut into the natural. It was interpreted as a possible boundary ditch, and again, the lack of post medieval finds could indicate an early date. Potentially significantly, several medieval finds were retrieved from the excavations, although all were from post medieval contexts. They included 2 fragments of pottery in a pink/white fabric, possibly from Ewloe, North Wales, and five fragments of glazed roof tile, 3 of Ewloe fabric and 2 of an iron-rich fabric possibly produced locally.

<2> AOC Archaeology Group, 2009, Land Between Brook Street and Raby Road, Neston, Cheshire: A Post-Excavation Assessment Report, R4056 (Client Report). SCH8306.

Following on from the 2008 trial trenches, further excavation was undertaken in 2009 for the site between Brook Street and Raby Road. There is some evidence for activity from the medieval period with two east-west ditches located in the north of the site, together with a closely located unstratified pit and post hole. These features may have their origins in the medieval period, but finds evidence indicates that they were still open in the early post medieval period (see also MCH24386). They may form part of a pre-enclosure field system. Finds of 8 sherds of medieval pottery and fragments of ceramic building material are significant and indicate medieval occupation in the locality.