Monument record 177/0/12 - Roman Ditch and Posthole

Hilton Jolley Partnership, 1997, Trial pit investigation report: Land off Riverside, Nantwich, Cheshire (Unpublished Report). SCH7359.

<1> Earthworks Archaeological Services, 1997, Land Adjacent to Riverside, Nantwich, Cheshire., R2217 (Client Report). SCH4019.

Evaluation by Earthworks Archaeology on land adjacent to Riverside, Nantwich, 19 & 27 August 1997. 7 trenches excavated, mainly in N part of site. Trench 2 was located c.12m from N boundary of site and revealed a ditch over 1.5m wide and c.1m deep, with clearing out slot at base. Finds from fills suggest 2nd C AD date. Possible sub-square posthole c. 260mm wide x 200mm deep was cut into top fill of ditch containing a sherd of 2nd-4th C Roman pottery. Roman pottery also recovered from trench 6. Pottery suggests ditch was filling up during 2nd C. Samian, mortaria, Severn Valley, black burnished, orange & greyware found & med & postmed pottery. Ditch may mark extent of Roman occupn found on site to N (RN: 177/ 1). Salt glaze adhering to frags of fired clay found in ditch indicate nearby salt production.

<2> Earthworks Archaeological Services, 1998, An Archaeological Watching Brief During Redevelopment on Land adjacent to Riverside, Nantwich, Cheshire, R2216 (Client Report). SCH4020.

A further archaeological watching brief was undertaken between October 1997 and January 1998 during the housing development on land adjacent to Riverside, Nantwich. Seven trenches were excavated prior to the commencement of the development. The groundworks resulted in the partial truncation of Roman deposits on the west side of the site. Also the line of a deeply-cut, Roman ditch, orientated east-west and of second century AD date, was recorded in the central, northern part of the site. This remained largely undamaged during the development and is preserved beneath the site. The ditch may be a continuation of that recorded in the 1997 archaeological investigations (see source 1).