Sewer Requisition For Oasis Development, Cumbria. Archaeological Evaluation Report

At the request of North West Water Ltd the Lancaster University Archaeological Unit undertook an archaeological evaluation of the proposed route of a sewerage pipeline to the east of Brougham in Cumbria (between NY 54652935 and NY 56502757). This involved a watching brief of boreholes, a landscape survey, and trial trenching of the sub-surface remains along the proposed pipeline. The watching brief was undertaken between 19th and 20th March 1996 and the landscape survey and trial trenching were undertaken between 24th April and 3rd Mary 1996.

The watching brief involved the examination of the sub-surface stratigraphy of boreholes excavated by Bechtel Water Technology Ltd and did not generate any definitive evidence of human activity. The landscape survey involved the systematic field walking if the route and the mapping of any features or artefacts identified. The survey revealed a limited survival of agricultural earthworks at the northern end, but for the most part the surface evidence has been lost as a result of intensive ploughing.

The trial trenching involved the excavation of 57 15m + 4m trenches, which were located at c50m intervals along the route of the pipeline. The topsoil was removed mechanically to a maximum depth of 0.5m and each trench was then manually cleaned and inspected for archaeological remains. Where any features were observed they were sampled and recorded.

Two areas of archaeological potential were discovered, one at the northern end of the route and the other at the southern end. The site identified at the northern end comprised two ditched, one of which was aligned north/south, and the second north-west/south-east. Two segments of the north/south ditch were excavated, which varied between c2.0-3.0m in width and 0.70 - 0.37m in depth; sherds of Roman pottery were recovered from these. The second ditch was 1.60m wide and 0.32m deep and produced no finds. During hand cleaning of the trench (1) containing part of the north/south ditch a lead cast plug was retrieved, and a small lead plug was recorded from Trench 2, 50m to the south. Nine sherds of Roman pottery were also recovered from Trench 5, which was 190m to the south of the ditches; however, no archaeological features could be observed in the limited area of this trench.

A line of postholes was exposed at the southern end of the pipeline (Trench 41) and the trench was expanded to 26m by 9m to test the existence of further postholes. This revealed the remains of a rectangular post-built structure, 7.5m long and 3.4m wide. Two pieces of possibly burnt flint, and a piece of flint-like stone, were recovered from the postholes, but no other finds were associated. The grouping of the postholes suggested that some of the posts had been replaced during the use of the building. To their east was a second cluster of postholes which continued beyond the edge of the trench, and these probably represent another structure. Trenches (1.5m wide) were excavated for c20m to the north, south, and east, from the original trench; no evidence of an enclosure ditch was identified but a pit was half exposed in the trench to the east.

The limited lithic finds retrieved from the postholes may suggest a prehistoric date, but it must be emphasised that only three pieces of flint were recovered, and that flint is a durable material with the capacity of being redeposited in later features. The dimensions of the building are similar to those of Building 5 at Fremington (Oliver et al 1996) which is only 1.5km to the west of Trench 41; the Fremington structure was dated by its association with post-Roman buildings, an extremely rare occurrence in the North West.

It is therefore recommended that a further programme of excavation is undertaken to investigate the two areas of archaeological potential and to mitigate their damage by the proposed sewer requisition by means of full excavation and recording.