Walney School, Walney, Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria- Evaluation

Oxford Archaeology North was commissioned by Capita Symonds Ltd, on behalf of Cumbria County Council, to undertake an archaeological evaluation of an area of land for the proposed new sports hall (planning reference 06/05/9007) at Walney School, Walney, Barrow-in-Furness (NGR SD 1773 6835).
The site lies within an area of high archaeological potential due to numerous prehistoric lithic implements having been revealed during the construction of the school in 1957 (HER nos 2623 and 2378). Therefore, the intention of the archaeological investigation was to identify the impact of the proposed development on any surviving archaeological remains to inform the planning process.
The evaluation, conducted in accordance with a brief from Cumbria County Council’s Historic Environment (CCCHES), was undertaken in February 2006 and comprised a rapid desk-based assessment and the evaluation of three trenches, equivalent to a 5% sample of the development area.
The evaluation revealed no evidence of discrete archaeological features or deposits. It was clear that some disturbance of the area had already occurred, most likely related to the construction of the school and the later addition of the adjacent tennis courts. Three fragments of non-diagnostic flint and one piece of brown stoneware, of a style still currently in use, were recovered from unstratified contexts. Therefore, the proposed development is unlikely to have any impact on deposits of an archaeological significance.