Monument record 844/1/4 - Roman Road, Oakmere (Chester - Manchester Margary Route 7a)

<1> Lancashire & Cheshire Antiquarian Society, 1883 -, Transactions of the Lancashire & Cheshire Antiquarian Society, 3/111-133 Kirk E 1885 (Journal/Periodical). SCH3293.

Roman road, Chester to Manchester. The existence of a junction in Oakmere, originally described by Kirk in the 2nd field W of Crabtree Green Lane.

<2> Society for the Promotion of Roman Studies, 1970-Present, Britannia, 14/ Waddelove A C & E 1983 (Journal/Periodical). SCH445.

The existence of a junction in Oakmere, originally described by Kirk, has been confirmed by aerial photographs

<3> Lancashire & Cheshire Antiquarian Society, 1883 -, Transactions of the Lancashire & Cheshire Antiquarian Society, 83/175+plate VI Waddelove A C & E 1985 (Journal/Periodical). SCH3293.

The junction is near the W edge of the field and a few yards SE of the Plague Hole. The cropmarks show a straight alignment for c.2,500 yards from the vicinity of Lodge Farm to the abandoned railway. The meeting point apparently spread over c.347m as though the inside of the angle had been cut across over a long period.

<4> Lancaster University Archaeological Unit, 1991, Crown Farm, Oakmere, Sand Extraction Site. Archaeological Evaluation. (Client Report). SCH4192.

In 1991 an archaeological evaluation was undertaken in advance of the extension of a sand extraction site at Crown Farm. The Roman Road Route 7a and a northerly branch was a particular focus of investigation comprising desk-based research, field survey, geophysical survey and trial trenching.

The line of a potential road to the west of Kirk's junction, also the northerly diversion of Route 7a to the east of Kirk's junction, is visible as cropmarks on vertical air photography dating to 1973. To the west of Kirk's junction, two areas of geophysical survey were undertaken. In area 1, to the east of Lodge Farm (SJ 56977 69730), a single linear, high resistance anomaly was detected which was thought to possibly represent a metalled/compacted surface. Flanking this on its southern side was a low resistance anomaly interpreted as a possible road-side ditch. A trench 29m in length by 0.9m wide was located across this anomaly. A layer of orange brown sand overlying a sand layer containing 20% small gravel was recorded, both of these overlay what appeared to be a turf layer. This is thought to represent the remains of a road and had evidence of infilled flanking ditches to its northern and southern sides. The approximate width of this feature was 12.5m which corresponds to Kirk's description of the road as about 36 feet.

Area 2 of geophysical survey was undertaken just to the west of the 'Plague Hole' (SJ 357686 370041), a small depression recorded on OS historic mapping. Four distinct anomalies were detected including two high resistance anomalies thought to be significant. The most northerly anomaly was thought to possibly represent a road and, again on its southern side it was flanked by a low resistance anomaly (ditch?). Directly to the south of these was a second high resistance spread (possibly representing a road-side structure?). At the southern most edge of the surveyed area was another low resistance anomaly thought to represent another ditch. A north-south trench 64m in length was excavated across the northern extent of Area 2. Layers of sand and small gravel were detected, and although less distinct than in trench 1, were also thought to represent the remains of a road. A southerly road-side ditch was also recorded. No dateable finds were recovered.

A further three trenches were excavated in locations between Areas 1 and 2 but on the projected line of the road. In trench 4, 23m in length, no evidence of a road surface was found. Trench 5 was positioned parallel to trench 4 but was 36m in length and did detect the sand/gravel layers indicating a potential road surface. This was 13m in width and, 1m from its southern extent, a second sand/gravel surface, 6m in width, was encountered although at a slightly higher stratigraphic layer than the first. Some other features, which may possibly indicate the presence of structures, were observed in the northern part of the trench, including a possible post hole and potential ditches/cut features. Trench 6, to the east of trench 5, also recorded a sand/gravel deposit interpreted as the road surface. Again no dateable finds were recovered.