Bridge Farm, Lytham St Annes, Lancashire. Archaeological Watching Brief.

The construction of a new farmstead at Bridge Farm, Ballam Road, Lytham-St- Anne’s, Lancashire (NGR SD 3619 3084) by Messrs Laycock required them to approach Lancashire County Council Archaeology Service (LCCAS) regarding the
planning application. The proposed development area lies adjacent to an area of known late Mesolithic/early Neolithic flint scatters, with one flint previously located
within the development area.
In February 2004 Oxford Archaeology North, in accordance with a brief from LCCAS, carried out an archaeological fieldwalking survey of the site, to assess the potential of the development area for archaeological remains and provide supporting documentation for the proposed development. The results of this fieldwalking survey were presented in a separate report (OA North 2004). Following on from the results of the fieldwalking, in May 2005 an archaeological evaluation was carried out on the proposed development site comprising six trenches totalling 180m in length. The
evaluation trenches were characterised for the most part by features relating to drainage - nineteen modern field drains were observed across the six trenches, together with a further five linear features, which were interpreted as drainage gullies of indeterminate date. Aside from the drainage, five discrete features in the form of pits or small pits and four linear features, interpreted as field boundaries, were also noted during the trenching programme. One possible posthole feature and a small spread of charcoal were also recorded. Two tree-boles and two areas of animal
burrowing, which initially gave the appearance of archaeological features, were found to be otherwise.