9-17 Queen Street, Lancaster- Watching Brief

In 2005 First Base Homes Ltd submitted a planning application (05/00347/FUL) for the redevelopment of land to the rear of 9-17 Queen Street, Lancaster, Lancashire (NGR SD 47750 61250). The proposed development comprised the demolition of an existing garage and joiner’s workshop and construction of five dwellings. The site lies within an area of recognised archaeological potential and, accordingly, Lancashire County Archaeology Service (LCAS), the body responsible for advising Lancashire’s local planning authorities on heritage matters, requested that a programme of archaeological works should be undertaken as a planning condition of the development. Following acceptance of a project design (Appendix 1) compiled to meet the requirements of a verbal communication from LCAS, Oxford Archaeology North (OA North) was commissioned by First Base Homes to conduct the programme of archaeological watching brief, which was undertaken between October 2006 and February 2007.
During the works, a single feature of archaeological interest was identified. The backfill of this small, square, pit-like feature contained fragments of charcoal and calcined bone (all of which was too small for positive identification). Considering the location of the site, close to the Penny Street Roman cemetery, it is possible that the feature represents a Roman cremation burial, within which a token sample of pyre debris had been placed. A sherd of medieval pottery was found close to the feature, and an alternative explanation may be that it represents the base of a small, truncated medieval pit.