Victoria Hospital, Whinney Heys Road, Blackpool, Lancashire. Archaeological Watching Brief Report

ESE Project Management, on behalf of Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, requested a programme of archaeological watching brief during ground works to create a new main entrance and multi-storey car park to the north of the existing Women and Children’s Unit, on Whinney Heys Road, at the Victoria Hospital, Blackpool, Lancashire (NGR centred SD 33443 36483). The proposed development site lay over the position of the former Whinney Heys Hall that was in existence from 1575 until 1957. The planning approval (ref 10/0382) contained a condition (No 12) that a programme of archaeological work needed to be undertaken in consultation with Lancashire County Archaeology Service (LCAS). Consequently, with a potential for encountering cellars, foundations or other archaeological remains during any ground breaking works, Oxford Archaeology North (OA North) was commissioned to conduct the watching brief, which took place over 12 days between 6th and 22nd March 2013.