Lowther Deer Park, Cumbria. Archaeological Survey and Evaluation.

An archaeological evaluation and survey was undertaken by Oxford Archaeology North(OA North), on behalf of Lowther Estates in May and August 2003, in Lowther Park,
Cumbria, centred on NY 528 234. The area was evaluated in order to inform theproposed construction of a new Estate House and an associated access road. The landfor the house lies on the edge of the Decoy Pond, and is within a medieval deer park;cartographic evidence indicates that the eighteenth and early nineteenth century parkboundary extended through the area of the proposed estate house.
A trench measuring 50m by 15m was excavated. The trench revealed topsoil overlyingsandstone bedrock, but revealed no archaeological features. Although the trench did not
reveal the former park boundary there is a possibility that this survives as a sub-surfacefeature, just to the north of the trench.
In addition a topographic survey was undertaken to examine an area to the north of theproposed house, where it is intended to construct an access road. This revealed a wealth
of archaeological features, including parts of the Romano-British enclosed settlement.Most significantly, however, the survey identified a burnt mound, which is a mound of
burnt stone surrounding a trough and a hearth; they aretypically near a water source andthe survey also identified an adjacent palaeochannel which may have provided the watersource.