Monument record 2425 - Romano-British Saltworking Site

<1> Engineering Archaeological Services Ltd, 1992, Warburton to Audley Gas Pipeline 1992. Archaeological Report., p.3 (Client Report). SCH3667.

Two pits: One, 2.55m wide and 0.95m deep, contained 12 fragments of briquetage and a few sherds of Romano-British pottery. The other pit was 0. 55m wide and 0.3m deep, and contained eight sherds of very coarse pottery (VCP) similar to that recovered from Iron Age contexts at a number of sites in the region.

<2> Cheshire County Council, 1992-1995, Cheshire Past, Issue 3, p.4 (Newsletter). SCH870.

During pipeline construction in July 1992, two pits were found close to the railway line between Crewe and Sandbach. The first pit contained miscellaneous pieces of fired clay and a small quantity of briquetage - coarse, organically-tempered fire clay bricks normally associated with Roman salt-working and similar to that from Middlewich dating from the late 1st to the 4th century. The Cheshire material appears to be mostly kiln furniture, comprising fragments of flat plates and a fire bar; the brick fragments are probably part of the hearth. The second smaller pit, located 70 west of the firest, contained a few fragments of VCP (very coarse pottery). This material is similar to that found in Iron Age contexts at several sites in NW England (including Beeston Castle) and North Wales. This type of pottery represents fragments of a type of coarse, porous vessels in which it is believed salt was dried and traded.