Carlisle and Caldew FAS, Willow Holme, Carlisle, Cumbria: Archaeological Watching Brief

The Environment Agency has proposed the construction of a new embankment as part of the Carlisle Flooding Alleviation Scheme to the north of the Willowholme Industrial Estate, and immediately to the west of the West Coast Mainline Railway, at Willow Holme, Carlisle, Cumbria (NGR NY 39185 56590). Part of the scheme is situated within an area of extremely high archaeological potential, immediately to the south of the line of Hadrian’s Wall and within the boundary of the Hadrian’s Wall World Heritage Site (WHS), known as the Frontiers of the Roman Empire WHS. Consequently, Axis commissioned an archaeological watching brief on behalf of their client, the Environment Agency, to be undertaken during the preliminary phase of geotechnical groundworks to investigate the potential for archaeological remains.