Wennington Hall School, Wennington, Lancashire- Watching Brief

A watching brief was undertaken by Oxford Archaeology North between 2nd and 14th August 2006 at Wennington Hall School, Wennington, Lancashire (centred on SD 61530 70470). Lancashire County Council propose to construct a new drainage system to separate surface water from foul water. The groundworks were conducted within three areas of recognised archaeological potential associated with the medieval Wennington Hall, which was rebuilt in 1856 and is now a Grade II Listed Building. Following a request by Thomas Consulting on behalf of Lancashire County Council, Oxford Archaeology North were commissioned to undertake a watching brief during specified excavation within the grounds of the school.

During the watching brief, it was possible to determine from the extensive groundworks in this area that the southern frontage of the present hall had been built-up by a series of levelling layers to a depth of about 1.2m below the modern ground level. These sealed a buried soil horizon, in places truncated, from which a single sherd of thirteenth- to fourteenth-century pottery was recovered, representing the only identifiable medieval activity. Two stone-lined culverts and a stone soakaway were also encountered which, together with a number of make-up layers containing a high proportion of brick demolition debris, were interpreted as being related to the construction of the present hall and associated landscaping in 1856. Also encountered was a brick wall, perhaps relating to earlier horticultural features or ancillary structures, the demolition of which may have contributed to the volume of ceramic building material within the later make-up layers. Observations of the more limited groundworks within the West Courtyard suggested that deposits within this area had been truncated down to the level of the natural drift geology, again, probably as part of the landscaping and construction of the present, larger, hall into the slope to the north of the site.