Low Crosby, Scaleby, Cumbria. Archaeological Watching Brief.

In 2009 the Environment Agency (EA) implemented a series of investigations into possible improvements to the flood defences within and around Low Crosby, Scaleby, Cumbria (NGR NY 446 593). The development area is located within an
area of archaeological potential, with Hadrian’s Wall less than 1 mile to the north and the route of the Roman Stanegate road believed to traverse the village itself.
Accordingly, the Environment Agency Archaeologist requested that an archaeological watching brief be maintained during any ground disturbance activities.
OA North was commissioned by the Environment Agency to undertake the watching brief which took place on the 19th, 20th and 25th of March 2009. The monitored
groundworks consisted of nine hand-dug inspection pits located at various points around the village. Each pit measured 0.3m by 0.3m and was 1.2m deep, but revealed
no archaeological features or finds.
Excavation of the test pits was followed by percussion boreholes within the same locations. Given the low impact and limited capacity for interpretation of archaeological deposits associated with boreholes, there was no requirement for archaeological monitoring of that element of the investigation. However, the programme of works meant that it was feasible for the drilling of one such core to be observed, which revealed a sequence of alluvial deposits, but no archaeological remains.
The absence of identified archaeological remains is likely to pertain to the limited works.