Preston Tithebarn Regeneration Area (PTRA), Preston, Lancashire- Evaluation

Oxford Archaeology North (OA North) undertook an archaeological evaluation at the behest of Soil Mechanics, acting on behalf of their client the Preston Tithebarn Partnership (PTP), on a site to the east of Preston City Centre, Lancashire (centred on NGR SD 541 294, Fig 1). The work was in advance of a proposed redevelopment for commercial, leisure and residential purposes. An archaeological desk-based assessment produced by OA North in November 2007 indicated that the site was within an area of high potential for medieval and post-medieval archaeology. Following consultation with Lancashire County Archaeology Service (LCAS), and in line with the recommended LCAS staged approach, it was agreed that a series of environmental and geotechnical trenches and test-pits that were to be excavated by Soil Mechanics, would be done so in an archaeological manner where they coincided with areas of archaeological potential. The project is currently at a pre-planning stage and an environmental assessment of the site, as part of the EIA process, is being undertaken, to which this evaluation will contribute.
Due to restrictions with access at this pre-determination stage, the number of trial pits and trenches has been limited to those on land belonging to Preston City Council (PCC) Estates, Lancashire County Council (LCC) Highways, and the client. Twelve test pits were excavated in total across the area. Three of the test pits were excavated as archaeological evaluation trenches: Test Pits (TP) 17 and 18 were situated to target the former Lord Street cotton mill, dating to 1841 (Site 04, OA North 2007); and TP 29 was located to target possible handloom weavers’ cottages, located to the west of similar houses still upstanding (Site 36 (ibid)). Both the sites are considered important to Preston’s early industrial heritage.