50 Church Street, Ribchester, Lancashire. Archaeological Watching Brief.

Following proposals by Mrs N Fry for an extension to the dwelling at 50 Church Street, Ribchester, Lancashire (SD 6510 3513), planning application 3/2004/064 and listed building consent application 3/2004/1026 were granted on the condition that a programme of archaeological recording be undertaken, as requested by Lancashire Archaeology Service (LCAS). Accordingly, Mrs N Fry requested that Oxford
Archaeology North (OA North) undertake an archaeological watching brief during the excavation of wall footings.
The development site measured 3m by 3m, and lay to the rear of 50 Church Street, Ribchester, within the Roman vicus, and situated between the Scheduled monuments of the Roman fort and the Legionary bathhouse (together designated LSM55). The
site is also located on a main thoroughfare through the village. Therefore, there was high potential for Roman, medieval and post-medieval remains being encountered
during groundworks at the site.
The watching brief was undertaken in September 2005 and identified two layers of made ground below a modern tarmac surface. No archaeological features were observed although it is possible that the made ground may have related to the surface of a haulage yard known to have occupied the area between the late Victorian period and the 1990s.