The Old Vicarage, Hornby, Lancashire: Archaeological Evaluation Report

Oxford Archaeology North (OA North) was commissioned by Forrester Retirement Homes to undertake an evaluation in the grounds of The Old Vicarage, Hornby, Lancashire (NGR SD 5809 68529), in advance of a development comprising the construction of a 15 bedroom extension to the original Vicarage, the construction of a boundary wall, and a change of access. The work comprised the excavation of the first of three archaeological trial trenches, in order that the access alterations could be undertaken prior to the main construction works; the two remaining trenches will be undertaken in a separate evaluation phase in due course. The first phase of trenching was excavated on June 26th 2012.
The village of Hornby dates back to the medieval period, and Hornby Castle, situated to the north-east of the Old Vicarage, may date to the mid-thirteenth century. The site is, therefore, in an area of high archaeological potential. As a result, planning permission (ref 10/00610/FUL) was granted on condition that an archaeological evaluation was carried out across the proposed development site, to understand the impact of the development on any potential surviving archaeological remains.