Monument record 1969/3/7 - Duke's Drive Drainage Ditches, Eaton Hall

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

The eastern side of the carriage drive and the former extent of any associated avenue is marked by a drainage ditch, which is retained along the western side by a stone
wall (Plate 10). This ditch is 0.5m deep and 1m wide and, just to the north of Old Wrexham Road, a concrete culvert runs beneath the carriage drive and joins with the drainage ditch.

<2> Oxford Archaeology North, 2017, Archaeological Investigations Report. Heronbridge to Curzon Pipeline, R4061 (Client Report). SCH8313.

Topographic survey of a section of the drive to the South of the Gateway examined the two parallel drainage ditches that contain the drive where it crosses surrounding fields. Only the northern end of the eastern ditch was recorded during the present survey as heavy rain had flodded the ditches. The original construction of both drainage ditches consisted of a low sunken retaining wall consisting of coursed, small, rectangular dressed stones set on the internal side of a linear boundary ditch. Drainage ditches like this are reminiscent of ha-ha features, especially as the drive lay relatively level in height with the surrounding fields and originally was not apparently embanked above the surrounding countryside.