Monument record 435 - Wilderspool Roman Site

<1> Grealey S, 1976, The Archaeology of Warrington's Past, /27 (Book). SCH3046.

Roman settlement at Wilderspool, was probably a purely civilian settlement, housing a largely industrial community. Possibly occupied from the end of the first century AD to the third century AD. Foundations of buildings with bases, shafts & capitals of columns found, especially in 'Stony Loont' field, near the windmill. Also much pottery & numerous coins. Streets also located. 1823 - A row of cottages was built parallel with the river & produced finds of Roman coins & pottery. 'Big Cress Brook Field' & 'Long Bank Field' (plan p.260 ref 1) produced vast amounts of pottery, base & capital of a column, circular well (stones removed & re- erected in Warrington Park), iron objects, including a fire dog, knives, keys, nails & bronze brooches & pins, bracelets & rings. Frags of querns, glass bottle frags, beads, much pottery including samian, mortaria, a lamp, & a terra cotta life-size mask & coins dating from Mark Anthony to Constantine the Great. 1787 - Large number of finds, including coins recovered during the building of Wilderspool House for Mr Greenall.

<2> Ordnance Survey, 1870-1982, Ordnance Survey Archaeological Record Card, 1980 SJ68NW5 (Index). SCH2487.

Probably established as a mansio at the ford, then a customs-town & port. Finally became an industrial town. History of finds recovery & excavation from c.1770 to 1976. From 1801-03 the Mersey & Irwell Canal (Old Quay Canal) was cut through a corner of the site & extensive building foundations were found. 1831 - W.Beamont & Dr Robson dug in a field near Wilderspool House.Found potsherds. Between 1867-72 large part of area was quarried for sand. From 1887-94 the construction of the Manchester Ship Canal further mutilated the site. Castor ware pot found during construction. Finds include a coin of Domitian but no details. Grid ref c.SJ 612866. Later in 18th century, the building of a brewery led to more finds.

<3> Harris, B.E. (ed), 1987, Victoria County History - A History of the County of Chester: Volume I, 1/194-8 Petch D F 1987 (Book). SCH3556.

General review of the evidence and discussion of the site. During past 150 years (c.1825-1975) many objects found - bow-shaped & ring- shaped bronze brooches, a triple vase (triune), several mortaria & many frags & a spindle whorl. Finds in Warrington Museum. 1816 - Excavations found mattocks, spade edges & a pick head.

<4> Cheshire County Council, 1974, County Treasures Record, 1/AR.128 17+18 (Index). SCH1000.

Various other finds - painted vase made of local clay. After shaping on the wheel, decorated with finger, thumb, needle & painted. Also colum (strainer) made of earthenware with very fine holes. May have been used for sieving milk or oil. Date found unknown.

<5> Thompson, F.H., 1964, A History of Cheshire. Volume Two: Roman Cheshire, 18-19+67-87 1965; 260-261 1886 (Book). SCH2862.

<6> May T, 1904, Warrington's Roman Remains (Book). SCH3693.

Grid ref c.SJ 612865. Site I - N.of Manchester Ship Canal - excavated between 1895 & 1905. Within his 'walled' area May revealed 3 insulae (Thompson's Buildings A-E fig 17 (8)) with a clay-floored glass making workshop, a shop or dwelling, 4 iron & glass furnaces overlain by iron smithing hearths & a bloomery, a bronze worker's or jeweller's furnace & wells. Also a walled enclosure with furnaces & a possible hypocaust,a corridor house with hypocaust & an iron working furnace. In an annex to the W. of the 'walled' town, formed by 3 parallel walls abutting the W. wall of the rampart was a glassmaker's workshop with 2 furnaces & refuse pits, a bronze smelting furnace 7 iron furnace associated with clay-floored workshop. Also uninscribed altar found. On either side of road going S.from the 'walled' town were 2 glass furnaces (c.SJ61178626) & clay-floored workshops & courtyards. At extreme S. end of Roman suburb were 3 pottery kilns (c.SJ 6128 8602).

<7> Society for the Promotion of Roman Studies, 1911-Present, Journal of Roman Studies, 21/223; 23/196 (Journal/Periodical). SCH1519.

<8> Grealey S, 1976, The Archaeology of Warrington's Past, /27-36 (Book). SCH3046.

<9> Ordnance Survey, 1870-1982, Ordnance Survey Archaeological Record Card, SJ68NW10/1961 (Index). SCH2487.

<10> Cheshire County Council, 1974, County Treasures Record, 1/AR.123 1-4 (Index). SCH1000.

<11> County Historic Environment Record, 1973-1985, Cheshire Archaeological Bulletin, 2/33-34 Pierce T J 1972 (Journal/Periodical). SCH565.

<12> Samuels J, 1981, Stockton Heath, Warrington - Level 3 Archive (Unpublished Document). SCH2991.

A series of trial excavations was carried out by Liverpool University Rescue Archaeology Unit in advance of building development. Two areas were investigated: Area A (SJ61308627) was in the playground of the demolished St. Thomas' school, adjacent on the SW to the Church. Area B (SJ61478658) was in the triangle of land bounded by the Manchester Ship Canal, the Bridgewater Canal and the course of the Lumb brook, SW of the Roman building 435/0/1. None of the trial excavations located any Romano- British features. In several cases the subsoil had already been disturbed, probably by small-scale quarrying, which, in the 19th century had been partly responsible for the discovery of Romano British material in this locality (reference 1). Three body-sherds of Romano-British material were found in Area A, probably the products of local kilns. A flint leaf-shaped arrow-head and a flint flake came from unstratified contexts in Area B.

<13> Gifford and Partners, 1991, The Archaeological Implications of the Redevelopment of the Greenall Whitley Brewery Site at Wilderspool, Warrington., R2009 (Client Report). SCH4198.

Evaluation 1991 of the Greenall Whitley Brewery Site, Wilderspool. 17 trial pits were excavated. Trial pit 1, on the west side of a small lawned area between tennis courts and sandstone revetment wall, south of and parallel to Greenalls Avenue, revealed the possible surviving structural foundation for a Roman building in the form of a line of sandstone blocks (recorded separately in 435/0/5).

<14> Lancashire & Cheshire Antiquarian Society, 1883 -, Transactions of the Lancashire & Cheshire Antiquarian Society, 2/27 Hume A 1849 (Journal/Periodical). SCH3293.

<15> Kendrick J, 1872, Guide Book to Roman Remains from Wilderspool in Warrington Museum (Book). SCH1323.

<16> Gifford and Partners, 1992, First Report on Archaeological Evaluation Work at Wilderspool, Warrington., R2112 (Client Report). SCH4097.

Field evaluation undertaken to the rear (south) of Wilderspool House in advance of the construction of an extension. The site is one of known archaeological importance particulary in terms of Roman period remains. A total of 13 evaluation trenches were excavated and 8 trenches produced evidence of Roman finds or deposits in the form of beam slots, post/stake holes, a foundation slot and a large cut feature. The presence of worked flint indicates that earlier remains may also be present. (recorded separately in 435/0/7)

<17> Cheshire County Council, 2002, Cheshire Historic Towns Survey: Warrington District Part 1: Archaeological Assessments (Report). SCH6975.

COM 1 which outlines the approximate extent of Roman domestic and industrial activity at Wilderpool. It encompasses the areas of the Greenalls Brewery Site, Stockton Heath and Loushers Lane, where Roman remains have been found. GIS Polygon for this record taken from this source.