Monument record 1083/0/26 - Excavated features, probably Roman, OS Fields 2981 and 2672, Harbutt's Field south

<1> Gifford and Partners, 1993, Report on an Archaeological Evaluation Carried Out on Land Between the River Croco and King Street, Middlewich, Cheshire., R2103 (Client Report). SCH4183.

A programme of archaeological evaluation was undertaken for Harbutt's field and the field to the south (OS field 2981) in 1993 in advance of a residential development. Geophysical survey and trial-trenching located the remains of the Roman fort (1080/1/0) in Harbutt's Field. Five further trenches were excavated in field 2981. Trench 4 identified a pit which could not be dated but which produced some burnt bone, possibly a cremation burial or refuse pit. No archaeology was found in Trenches 5 and 6, although trench 6 did contain residual Roman pottery of late first/early second century AD date. Trenches 7 and 8 were located with an aim of tracing a road leading to the southern gateway of the fort; both trenches produced layers of cobble and gravel overlain with iron-panning (see record 1080/1/51), but these were interpreted as natural features. Like trench 6, Trench 7 also contained a considerable amount of residual Roman pottery. The lack of significant archaeological features in field 2981 suggests that it lay outwith the main area of settlement of Roman Middlewich evident further to the south.

<2> Gifford and Partners, 1994, King Street, Middlewich, Cheshire: Report on an Archaeological Evaluation (Stage 4), R2106 (Client Report). SCH4145.

Following on from the earlier archaeological evaluation work undertaken in 1993, a further 12 trenches were excavated in 1994 in fields 2981 and 2672 immediately to the south. The only features recorded were close to the border of the two fields, to the south of Trenches 6 and 7 of 1993. Trenches 13, 14 and 19 all contained evidence for ditches, those in Trench 14 contained Roman period pottery. Trench 19 also contained a large circular feature, 19m in diameter, interpreted as a pit or pond. The fill was gleyed and contained Roman pottery.