Phase 2 North Western Extension, Peel Place Quarry, Holmrook, Cumbria: Archaeological Evaluation

Tarmac Ltd and Tendley Quarries Ltd have been granted planning consent to undertake the second element of the Phase 2 mineral extraction works, in an area immediately to the north-west of the site evaluated in 2008 (OA North 2008) at Peel Place Quarry, Holmrook, Cumbria (centred NY 0664 01234). This was subsequent to the submission of an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) (planning application reference 4/04/9011); at the request of the Cumbria County Council’s Historic Environment Service (CCCHES). Archaeological investigations had been carried out by Oxford Archaeology North (OA North) as part of the EIA investigations, and included a desk-based assessment, walkover survey, geophysical survey and four evaluation trenches (OA North 2004a; 2004b). The results from the EIA investigations suggested archaeological potential due to the number of prehistoric spot finds that were identified in the desk-based assessment. Consequentially, CCCHES advised an archaeological evaluation prior to the commencement of each phase of extraction, a condition imposed on the planning consent. To date, OA North have carried out the excavation of ten evaluation trenches, as part of the Phase 1 extraction (OA North 2005) and seventeen evaluation trenches as past of the first section of the Phase 2 extraction (OA North 2008). In May 2010, they were commissioned to undertake the required archaeological work for the second part of Phase 2 extraction, this being carried out in July 2010.