William St Car Park, Botchergate, Carlisle, Cumbria - Evaluation

Cumbria County Council proposes to develop a new office in Carlisle on the site of the present William Street car park, on the north-east side of Botchergate. Following an initial scoping study undertaken by WYG in 2012, OA North was commissioned in December 2013 to prepare a more detailed desk-based assessment, to further inform the planning process.

The study indicated that stratified and extremely sensitive archaeological deposits of most historic periods, from (potentially) prehistoric times to the later post-medieval period, may well survive over all or most of the proposed development site. However, the most complex and important deposits are likely to be found on the street frontage where, on the evidence of earlier work in the vicinity, Roman remains of regional and (potentially) national significance could occur, particularly since the buildings presently occupying the relevant part of the frontage are not thought to be cellared.