SWS UK LTD, Farleton Old Road, Claughton, Lancashire- Watching Brief

SWS UK Ltd propose to erect a sub-station gas meter store, covered walkways and undertake various other improvements at their offices on Farleton Old Road, Claughton, Lancashire (Planning reference 05/00806/FUL; SD 5636 6650). The site lies within an area of archaeological potential associated with the Lancaster to Overborrow Roman Road (Margary 705, 1973; Lancaster Sites and Monument Record PRN 550) and, accordingly, Lancashire County Archaeological Service (LCAS) requested that a programme of archaeological recording be undertaken during all groundworks associated with the development. Subsequently, Oxford Archaeology North (OA North) was commissioned by SWS UK Ltd to undertake an archaeological watching brief of the excavation of a trench measuring 60m in length, 0.8m in width and up to 1.5m in depth.
The watching brief was undertaken in September 2005 and identified a thin layer of made ground overlying natural clay, into which several post-medieval ceramic and stone-built field drains had been inserted. No archaeological other features were observed, including any associated with the Roman Road, and it is concluded that this feature runs outside of the present development area.