Blackburn College, Blackburn, Lancashire: Archaeological Watching Brief Report

A planning application (10/06/0036) was submitted by DLA Architecture, on behalf of Blackburn College, for the construction of a Sixth Form and Computing Centre on land to the rear of Victoria Building, between Blakey Moor/St Paul’s Street and St Paul’s Avenue, Blackburn (NGR SD 6789 2819). The site lies within an area formerly occupied by late eighteenth- and early nineteenth-century weaver’s housing and a nineteenth-century foundry, and it was considered that extant remains of these could potentially have been be exposed during the groundworks. Accordingly, Lancaster County Archaeology Service (LCAS) recommended that an archaeological watching brief be undertaken on any intrusive groundworks across the site. Oxford Archaeology North (OA North) was commissioned to undertake the programme of works in accordance with the written scheme of investigation (WSI) produced by LCAS.