Askham Fell, Haweswater Pipeline, Cumbria. Rapid Archaeological Assessment

Oxford Archaeology North have been requested by United Utilities to examine the archaeological implications of two alternative pipeline routes (Option 1 and Option 2) which extend through the area of Moor Divok on Askham Fell, near Ullswater. Moor Divok is an extensive landscape containing a rich range od archaeological monuments extending from the Neolithic period through to the present, including a Neolithic stone circle, numerous Bronze Age funerary round cairns, ring and kerbed cairns, a stone avenue, a long section do extant Roman road, two Romano-British settlements and a medieval (and possibly even early medieval) settlement. The area is a natural col between the Ullswater and Lowther Valleys, in the upland area of the Lake District, which has been used as a communication route for a considerable period, extending possibly back to the Neolithic period. The construction of the pipeline would have considerable impact on these landscapes of great known and potentially unknown archaeological sites. Since the sites are scheduled they are in theory protected from ground disturbance and are deemed of national importance.