Monument record 435/0/6 - Roman deposits, Wilderspool House/White House, Warrington

An evaluation was carried out in 1992, as a result of proposals to construct an extension to the rear of Wilderspool House/White House. 4 trial trenches revealed Roman occupation depostis including, post holes thought to be the remains of timber buildings. Roman pottery was recovered. Roman features survive from a depth of around 90cm below the present ground level, in isolated pockets. The Roman settlement at Wilderspool, was probably a purely civilian settlement, housing a largely industrial community. It though to have been possibly occupied from the end of the first century AD to the third century AD. The settlement grew up around the area where the river Mersey was at its lowest allowing the crossing of river by ford. It would also have been the best place for ships to offload their cargoes and is believed to have become a port and an industrial town. The area has been under archaeological investigation since the 18th century when the building of Wilderspool house and the later brewery revealed a number of roman finds. 19th century quarrying for sand produced a large amount of roman finds and the cutting of the Manchester Ship canal in 1887-94 revealed more of the archaeology of this site, establishing that the area was a centre for roman industrial production of pottery, glass, iron and bronze work. In the 1980’s a series of trial excavations were carried in advance of further building work but few objects were recovered, the 19th century quarrying having disturbed the topsoil.