Hurst Reservoir, Glossop, Derbyshire

United Utilities commissioned Oxford Archaeology North (OA North) to conduct awatching brief during site investigation (SI) works ahead of the groundworks associated with the decommissioning of the nineteenth century Hurst impounding
reservoir and restoration of Hurst Brook to the east of Glossop, Derbyshire (NGR centred SK 057 937). An Environmental Statement (ES) was prepared and submitted
with the planning application (ref NP/HPK/1212/1230), which included an assessment of the impact upon archaeology and cultural heritage. The assessment found there to
be a potential for the survival of previously unknown below ground archaeological remains that may be adversely affected during the proposed work, as well as a
requirement to record the standing structures. OA North has recently completed an assessment and mitigation recording of above ground remains by means of an English Heritage Level 2 building survey of the reservoir structures, and a visual inspection, consisting of a walkover and Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) survey of the drained reservoir basin, to identify and record any exposed previously submerged remains.
However, the undertaking of the SI works for geotechnical purposes provided OA North with an opportunity to examine the extracted cores and soil samples to assess the potential for below ground archaeological remains. The watching brief of the excavation of five cable percussion boreholes (BH06-10) within the reservoir basin sediments took place over five days, between 1st and 8th May 2013, although this was only the latter phase of SI works, an earlier phase having been undertaken in late winter/early spring prior to OA North’s involvement.