Tameside Wellness Centre, Denton, Greater Manchester Archaeological Evaluation and Excavation Report

Oxford Archaeology (OA) North were commissioned by The Environment
Partnership Ltd (TEP) to undertake a trial trench evaluation of the proposed
development of Tameside Wellness Centre, Denton, Greater Manchester
(NGR SJ 9256 9566). The evaluation fieldwork, comprising six trenches, was
carried out between 29th October and 2nd November 2018. The evaluation was
rapidly followed by excavation of three parts of the site, with the fieldwork
being undertaken between 8th and 21st November 2018.
The evaluation trenching aimed to establish the state of preservation of
archaeological remains of interest within the Proposed Development Area
(PDA) and, therefore, informed both the need for, and scope of, the
subsequent excavation. The evaluation confirmed the presence of structural
remains relating to the former hat factory and terrace housing, with floor
surfaces and walls being identified in Trenches 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5. There was no
archaeology identified in Trench 6, suggesting that the structures identified on
the historic mapping had been truncated.
As significant structural remains were identified during the evaluation, a
mitigation strategy was put in place which involved the exposure and
recording of the remains of the hat factory and two of the terrace houses, to
mitigate their loss or damage during subsequent development of the PDA. The
excavation revealed that the structures on the site were fairly well preserved
throughout the PDA. These structures also correlated well with the historic
mapping and documentary evidence.