Monument record 1080/6 - Westbury Homes Development

Watching brief and excavation on Westbury Homes development. Area 2 substantial rectangular or square timber structure aligned NW-SE, c.20m long and over 11m wide. Building consisted of 2 beam slots at right angles which contained large quantities of Roman pottery from the early 2nd century-early mid 4th century AD and briquetage. Additional slot ranclose to the south east wall- possibly provided extra support. Features inside the building consisted of a 6m long beam slot [13] possibly representing an internal subdivision or aisle. Line of this slot continued to NW by 2 shallow linear features [9 and 3]. These two features with feature [6] nearby form a group of similarly aligned, shallow, flat-bottomed grave-like features 1.40m -2m long x 400mm-600mm wide. 3 complete vessels were placed at the north end of feature 9 (black burnished tankard, orange ware beaker and samian cup) and at least 1 vessel in feature 3 dating to at the late 1st-2nd century AD. Stones used to weigh down Samian cup. Suggest inhumation burials with associatedgrave goods, but no trace of bones or teeth. Also sub-circular hearth c.1m in diameter [60] and three post holes. All form part of possible open structure with internal lean to structures. To east of building was a rectangular furnace/kiln c.1.6m x0.9m consisting of clay walls and floors. Timber structure may have formed part of a salt works - the large quantity of briquetage found had traces of salt glaze caused by spillage of brine (1).

<1> Earthworks Archaeological Services, 1997, Archaeological Investigations at Kinderton Manor, Middlewich, Cheshire., R2176 (Client Report). SCH4176.