Monument record 15829 - Three stone built wells, Warrington Youth Zone, Dallam Lane

<1> University of Salford (Centre for Applied Archaeology), 2022, Archaeological Watching Brief: Warrington Youth Zone, Dallam Lane, Warrington, R4677 (Client Report). SCH9402.

An archaeological watching brief was undertaken between November 2021 to January 2022 during the redevelopment of land at Foundry Street and Dallam Lane in Warrington. It was targeted primarily on the footprint of an iron foundry (CHER 4244/50/0) known to have been established in the late 18th century. It monitored the excavation of eight trial pits, followed by ground-reduction works to a depth of up to 1.40m across the majority of the site. Although very little survived of the iron foundry, three stone-built wells, of probable late 18th/19th century date, were uncovered just to the south of the site of the foundry.

Wells 1 and 2 were of the same construction and size, composed of unmortared sandstone blocks measuring c. 0.19m x 0.35m with a diameter measuring 0.70m internally and 1.10m externally. These wells lay 0.70m apart and appeared to be of similar depths of around 7.00m, although well 2 contained more demolition debris. Well 1 also retained three lead pipes in-situ and had been capped by an iron plate. A third well, of similar size and form to the others, was identified 10.00m further south; it was excavated to a depth of c.3.50m below the current ground surface.