Source/Archive record SCH6439 - A desk-Based Assessment and Field Observations at the Barn at land to the Rear of Glen Lomond, Marsh Lane, Ince, Cheshire

A planning application (10/00775/FUL) for the conversion of a Barn to the rear of Glen Lomond, Marsh Lane, Ince, Cheshire has been approved by Cheshire West and Cheshire Council with conditions attached to the planning permission. Subsequently to the placing of the condition on the planning application, groundworks have taken placeat the site, which is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, before the archaeological condition was fulfilled and without Scheduled Monument Consent. Because of this, English Heritage advised that archaeological work in the form of a desk-based assessment and field observations was required to account for these initial interventions and to fully inform the later design of any further conversion works on the barn. The desk-based assesment has shown that the proposed re-development area of the Barn and the ground beneath it is a site of high significance, as the Barn is situated within the curtilage of the scheduled medieval Ince Manor. It is considered that there is a low potential for Prehistoric remain and a moderate potential for Romano-British remains. There is a high potential for buried medieval, post-medieval and Modern remains, and a known potential for extant remains of Post Medieval to Modern date (i.e. the barn and its foundations). The four holes that had already been dug within the interior of the Barn have exposed the natural degraded sandstone bedrock and appear to have contained no archaeological features earlier than those relating to the standing building of the Barn (i.e. Eighteenth to Ninteenth century). On this basis it is likely that the area of land subsequently built on by the Barn was peripheral to the main activity and building relating to the medieval manor. However, any sub-surface remains encountered during any further interventions may be of significance and, on the evidence of the 2000 evaluations at the manor (Adams, 2000), also have the potential to be shallow and also pre-date the medieval manor. It is recommended that the Scheduled Monument Consent by English Heritage be granted based upon the agreement of a scheme of development works which minimises impact where possible. For example, lines of existing services can be utilised for the laying of new services, and the concrete plinths in the barn interior should be removed in a careful manner. It is also recommended that any groundworks be subject to an archaeological watching brief in order that any subsurface remains be recorded. Cheshire West and Chester Council will still require the Barn itself to be recorded as a historic building in advance of the proposed re-development.