Land at Barden High School, Heald Road, Burnley, Lancashire. Archaeological Evaluation and Buildings Assessment.

A planning application (ref 12/06/0355) has been submitted by Catalyst Education Ltd, acting on behalf of Lancashire County Council, for the demolition of Barden High School, Heald Road, Burnley, Lancashire (NGR SD 843 344; Fig 1). The proposals are to construct a sixth form college and primary school, together with a Generic Learning Difficulty (GLD) Primary Special School, public library and other works. The proposed development includes the construction of a turning circle and drop-off zone, together with a rainwater pumping station that will be situated on the site of a nineteenth century ‘Hoffman’ kiln and its associated structures. Proposals also include the demolition of a nineteenth century Board School known as Abel Street School. Consequently, a condition of the planning consent was that an archaeological investigation be undertaken prior to development in order that a suitable mitigation strategy can be adopted concerning the Hoffman kiln, and that a visual inspection be made of Abel Street School to assess the level of building recording required. An archaeological brief was issued by Lancashire County Archaeological Services (LCAS) for the work, including a visit to the Historic Environment Record (HER) in Preston to obtain background information.
Oxford Archaeology North (OA North) was contracted by Bovis Lend Lease, acting on behalf of Catalyst Education Ltd, to excavate a single excavation trench measuring 10m x 2m and provide recommendations concerning the school buildings.
Preliminary background research, including examination of historic maps of the area, concluded that the site of the Hoffman kiln had been demolished before the 1912 Ordnance Survey (OS) map, and any remains will have been quarried away before the OS map of 1932. The quarry was subsequently used as a landfill. Therefore, the proposed excavation was cancelled as no remains of the Hoffman kiln exist. Changes to the proposed archaeological investigation were agreed with LCAS.