Monument record 1080/0/18 - Roman Middlewich - Poolhead Farm (Bestwick site K)

Site K - Corner of Kinderton St & King St. Area 12m x 25m at Poolhead Farm. Earliest occupn c. AD70-80, was a rubbish pit, which may originally have been a brine pit 2.4m diam x 1.2m deep. In C2 a timber framed bldg on timber foundation beams was blt, at least 27m long x 6m wide. It had been reblt 3 times during C2 & floors were of trodden earth in Phase 1, crushed salt briquetage in Phase II & hard packed pebbles & broken amphoras in Phase III. In Phase I & II a large oval cooking oven was situated 1m inside doorway. Oven body was 60 x 50m diam, with 20cm thick walls remaining up to 10m high. Dome had collapsed into oven. A clay apron in front of open flue was used as an open hearth & was decorated with a large cross. The Phase III floor of late C2 covered the oven. Much pottery was assoc with this bldg. Only ind activity was briquetage floor in Phase II, which was prob brought from an area of salting to the W or N. In C3 & C4, a large ditch was cut across the site. To the W of the bldg were a number of Roman pits & many fragments of Roman salt briquetage & pottery, as well as a layer of briquetage up to 30m thick (1) & (2). Report of revetted timber baulks from this area (3).

<1> County Historic Environment Record, 1973-1985, Cheshire Archaeological Bulletin, 3/49-51 Bestwick J D 1975 (Journal/Periodical). SCH565.

<1> Council for British Archaeology, Various, CBA Group 5 Archaeological Newsletter, 20/8-9 Bestwick J D 1972 (Newsletter). SCH547.

<2> Bestwick J D, 1974, Romano-British Inland Salting at Middlewich (Salinae) Cheshire, /66-70 (Article in Journal). SCH2914.

<2> Council for British Archaeology, Various, CBA Group 5 Archaeological Newsletter, 24/10-11 Bestwick J D 1974 (Newsletter). SCH547.

<3> Council for British Archaeology, Various, CBA Group 5 Archaeological Newsletter, 16/8 Bestwick J D 1974 (Newsletter). SCH547.

<3> Various, Various, Oral communication to the HER, Stubbs D A 1986 (Oral Communication). SCH2330.

<4> Bestwick J D, 1974, Romano-British Inland Salting at Middlewich (Salinae) Cheshire, /66-70 (Article in Journal). SCH2914.

<4> Various, Various, Oral communication to the HER (Oral Communication). SCH2330.

<5> Council for British Archaeology, Various, CBA Group 5 Archaeological Newsletter, 18/7 Bestwick J D 1971 (Newsletter). SCH547.

<6> Longley D, 1977-1978, Longley Archive, /no.422 (Paper Archive). SCH2005.