Fibre Optic Cable Trench. Lyme Park, Disley, Cheshire

The National Trust commissioned Oxford Archaeology North (OA North) to
undertake an archaeological watching brief during groundworks from the park
entrance to the timber yard at Lyme Park, Disley, Cheshire (NGR SJ 9661 8428 to SJ
9622 8258). The groundworks comprised the excavation of a pipe trench associated
with the laying of fibre optic cables. The pipe trench was a total of 2000m in length,
but it was agreed with the National Trust that only two sections of the trenching would
be subject to a watching brief.
Lyme Park dates to the fourteenth century, and the proposed groundworks were likely
to impact on several known archaeological features. The original medieval park pale
and driveway were situated to the north of the scheme, and there were two major postmedieval
carriage driveways, which extended north/south through the park, known as
Green Drive and Hawthorn Drive, in this central section. To the south of the scheme,
towards the timber yard, earthworks had been observed. As a result, an archaeological
watching brief was required in order to identify, investigate and record any
archaeological remains encountered during the groundworks; the watching brief took
place on various dates in April, May and June 2013.