A34 Alderly Edge Bypass, Cheshire. Archaeological Assessment Recommendations

An archaeological assessment has been undertaken by the Lancaster University
Archaeological Unit, on behalf of the Consulting Engineers of Cheshire County
Council, in accordance with the Project brief and design, of a designated study area
along the proposed Alderley Edge A34 Bypass. The assessment included a desk-top
survey and a Level 1 survey (see Appendix 1) to identify surface archaeological
remains and establish the potential for sub-surface archaeological deposits.
The route passes between the southern end of the Wilmslow bypass (currently under
construction) and the A34 by Alderley Park, and continues to the west of Alderley
Edge. It extends through low lying land, some areas of which would have been marsh
and open water in antiquity. Many prehistoric finds are known from the surrounding
area, especially on the high ground of the Edge, which is about a mile to the east. The
Edge has a complex history of mining for non-ferrous metals thought to date from the
Bronze Age onwards.