Coldwell and Trawden Raw Water Transfer Pipeline to Laneshaw WwTW, Lancashire, Archaeological Desk-Based Assessment

Oxford Archaeology North was commissioned by United Utilities to carry out a deskbased assessment and walkover survey of the route of two proposed raw water transfer pipelines between Laneshaw wastewater treatment works (SD 90016 36376) and Coldwell reservoir (94961 41232), and the Brierclife Service Reservoir (SD 88576 35348) and Haggate (SD 85994 34921). The archaeological programme of work was requested by the Lancashire County Archaeological Service (LCAS) in order to identify areas of archaeological interest that might be affected by the proposed scheme. The desk-based assessment was carried out in January 2005 with the walkover survey completed in August 2005.

The proposed pipeline is situated to the east of Colne and Trawden, on an area of high ground dominated by moorland. The archaeological assessment identified a total of 151 sites of archaeological interest, of which 58 were already recorded in the Lancashire Sites and Monuments Record, including ten Listed Buildings ( Sites 17, 19, 20, 41, 42, 59, 76, 78, 80,103), and one Scheduled Monument (Site 113; SM LA 190). The majority of these were post-medieval in date, although a single site of prehistoric date (Site 111), two sites of Roman date (Sites 23 and 77) and other possible prehistoric sites were also present (Sites 13 and 49).

Large areas of ridge and furrow, thought to date to a short period of agricultural expansion that took place during the late eighteenth to early nineteenth Sites 05-6, 11- 12, 15, 24, 26-7, 28, 34-35, 37, 39-40, 75, 48, 54, 89, 62, 64, 69, 71, 85, 88, 92, 94, 95, 99, 100, 101, 106, 118-120, 122, 124-125, 133 and 149) were recorded. Industrial sites, some of which relate to limestone hushing (Sites 01, 03, 50, 74, 79, 81, 105 and 151), were also identified. Other standing buildings include mills (Sites 45, 112-113, 114-115 and 150), although a variety of other types including farms, churches and houses, were also identified (17-20, 41-42, 44, 51, 53, 56, 59, 65, 72, 76, 78, 86, 96, 102-103, 130, 137 and 138). A number of potential sites shown on early maps were also identified. Many of the archaeological sites identified were considered to be of some significance, particularly those relating to the lime industry.

Following an assessment of the significance of the remains it was recommended that of the sites likely to be affected twenty-one should be avoided if at all possible (Sites 04, 46, 83, 97, 112, 115, 116, 123, 127, 130, 135, 146, 147 and 150). Further to these recommendations, if this proves impossible a total of thirty-five sites require topographic survey (Sites 04, 11, 12,25-6, 33-35, 39, 64-5, 69, 83, 92, 95, 97, 101, 106, 118-120, 122-23, 124-127, 130, 139, 142-144, 146, 149 and 150), seven sites require evaluation (Sites 04, 65, 112, 116, 130, 145 and 150), five sites require photographic survey (Sites 25, 97, 123, 135, 139), and the entire pipeline route should be subject to a
watching brief.