Pottal Pool, Staffordshire. Archaeological Evaluation

An archaeological evaluation and earthwork survey was carried out by Oxford Archaeology
North (formerly Lancaster University Archaeological Unit), at Pottal Pool, Cannock Chase
in Staffordshire (NGR SJ 976 152), in February 2002. The work was undertaken as
mitigation in advance of the extension of a sand and gravel quarry and involved the
investigation of a series of banks within the forested landscape. The work was
commissioned by Hanson Aggregates and followed an earlier archaeological assessment by
Lancaster University Archaeological Unit (LUAU 2000).
An earlier walk-over survey, undertaken as part of the assessment, identified a series of
linear banks, up to 2.5m wide, and 0.5m-1.0m high, which predate the present forestry
planting. They were probably of post-medieval date, but potentially had earlier origins,
although not necessarily in their present form. A provision was therefore made to assess the
archaeological significance of these banks in accordance with a verbal brief by the
Staffordshire County Archaeologist.