Keer Bridge, Near Carnforth, Lancashire. Archaeological Assessment Report

An archaeological assessment was carried out in advance of submission of a planning application on land adjacent to the A6 at Carnforth in Lancashire (centred on NGR SD 5152 7155). The assessment area comprises a rough pasture field bounded to the north by a disused Highways depot, to the east by the A6, to the south by the River Keer and to the west by the west coast main railway line. The work was carried out by the Lancaster University Archaeological Unit on behalf of Nicol Thomas Ltd, and comprised a desk-based study, compiling data from the Lancashire Sites and Monuments Record and the Lancashire Record Office in Preston, as well as a rapid field inspection.
The Sites and Monuments Record contained two sites located in the vicinity of the study area: railway sheds to the south (Site 2) and 15 inhumation burials, of unknown date, within or close to the study area (Site 1). The field inspection showed that the site was fairly low-lying and wet, but that there were no visible archaeological remains.
There is the potential for further burials to be uncovered within the study area, and also for possible peat deposits and palaeoenvironmental remains. It is therefore recommended that a programme of trial trenching be undertaken to explore the subterranean potential of the area.