Source/Archive record SCH5342 - Gas Main Renewal at Churchyardside, Nantwich, Cheshire: Archaeological Watching Brief

The excavation of the test pits to locate the existing gas main along Churchyardside has allowed a brief but useful glimpse of the below-ground archaeological features and deposits in this part of the town. 5.2 Where deeper excavation was undertaken soil layers containing organic material were recorded. Of particular note were the organic-rich soil layers observed in test pits 1, 3 and 14. The presence of such layers in separate locations along the c.150m route of the gas main betrays the greater expanse of these archaeologically rich and potentially bountiful deposits throughout this part of the town. 5.3 Additionally, organic preservation in the form of in situ timbers was confirmed within test pits 1 and 6. The timber planks recorded in test pit 1 lay at a shallow depth of only 0.70m below current ground level. On the basis of the pottery recovered from the layer (106) sealing these planks, it is suggested that they date to no later than the middle of the eighteenth century. Within test pit 6 there was a rare opportunity to examine a complete sequence of archaeological layers, down the natural sands and boulder clay. Here an in situ timber post and possible flooring plank were recorded at a depth of c.1m below current ground level; their preservation is doubtless due to the saturated natural sands and perched water-table over the glacial clay. 5.4 Also encountered within test pit 6 were possible traces of a former cobblestone surface at a depth of c.0.80m. Trenching in Churchyardside in 2005, during the laying of new electricity cables, exposed traces of a cobblestone surface just north of St. Mary’s church at a depth of c.1m (Earthworks 2005, 6, Pl. 10); examined together these separate observations may suggest the presence of a more widespread surface area, perhaps a precursor to the existing road. 5.5 Despite the securing of a licence to remove human remains, the change in the method of excavation (from open trenching to test pits) meant that no human remains were exposed during the project. However, this is still surprising considering the numbers of shallow burials encountered just metres away during excavation of the aforementioned electricity cable trench during 2005. But, similar caution should be taken during any future works in this area, as the current programme of test pitting was particularly limited in scope, unlike the previous linear trenching. 5.6 Overall, the findings from the watching brief will contribute to the general characterisation of Nantwich’s below-ground archaeological deposits and, in particular, will provide supplementary information to the recent study which has attempted to map the surviving organic deposits across the town (Malim & Panter 2008, 36–7). Furthermore, the results will assist in the future management of archaeology in this area of the town.