Monument record 1109/4 - Sandbach Market

<1> British Library, 1756-Present, Additional Manuscripts (Addit. MS.), Harl Mss 2074 fo.195 (Paper Archive). SCH122.

On 4th April 1579 a grant was made to Sir John Radcliffe, knight, of Ordsall, for the right to hold a market every Thursday in his manor of Sandbach and two fairs in each year, one to be held on the Thursday & Friday before the Feast of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary (8th Sept) and the other on the Tuesday and Wednesday in Easter week (1)

<2> Matrix Archaeology, 2006, Market Place, Sandbach, Cheshire: Archaeological Evaluation (Client Report). SCH5135.

An archaeological desk based assessment and topographic survey of the cobbled Market Square in Sandbach took place in 2006 in advance of proposed enhancement of the square. The evaluation extended across an area of circa 1,260 square metres of the old Market Square, which was wholly cobbled, and contains the pre-Conquest Sandbach Crosses at the northern end; and the 1920's War Memorial at the southern end. The Square had been used for informal car parking but at the time of the survey it had been closed off to vehicular traffic,. Previous archaeological works had been undertaken in immediate town centre, but no archaeological investigations had ever occurred within the Square itself.

Plans of the cobbled surfaces were made and although the actual fabric is probably of 19th century date, road lines in the cobbled surface probably represent early highways through the town, which existed during the medieval period, and probably much earlier.

The location of the Market Square, which occupies the slight saddle or 'col' defining the western limit of the natural mound upon which the church is located, is almost certainly that of the medieval market. Early post-medieval buildings which define the extent of the Market Square include the 'Black Bear Inn' ( 1634) and 'The Crown', which is also of 17th century origin.

<3> Wardell Armstrong LLP, 2007, The Market Square, Sandbach, Cheshire (Client Report). SCH4893.

Archaeological trial trenches in the Market Square at Sandbach established the presence of archaeological features immediately below the bedding layer for the current cobbling. On present evidence it appears that archaeological deposits are concentrated in the eastern half of the square and that in this area there is the potential for a dense distribution of features with possible evidence of multi-phase activity. The archaeological remains in this part of the Square may represent evidence of activity relating to the pre-Conquest and/or medieval use of the market.

<4> Earthworks Archaeological Services, 2009, Improvements to the environment of the historic Market Square, Sandbach, Cheshire; a programme of archaeological recording (Client Report). SCH5190.

Between October 2008 and February 2009 a programme of archaeological monitoring and recording was carried out intermittently during improvements to the historic Market Square, Sandbach, Cheshire .

Across the area, no deep or complicated archaeological stratigraphy was encountered beneath the cobbled surface and its foundation material, but the investigations have confirmed the widespread survival of archaeological features at the level of the natural sands. Cut features, including pits, post holes and the remains of brick structures, were recorded. It has been speculated that several undated features represent the scant remains of activity relating to medieval, or even earlier, use of the market area. But in general, the dating evidence recovered indicates that the majority of the features date from the early seventeenth century through to the twentieth. Particularly noteworthy were the remains of the brick-built Town Hall, and one large pit; the latter may mark the location of the Saxon Crosses before they were removed in the seventeenth century.