Lancaster Ford, St George's Quay, Lancaster- Archaeological Survey

The River Lune flows around, and defines, the northern edge of the historic core of the city of Lancaster, and has been intrinsically linked with its history and development since the Roman period. Despite the position of its southern bank being fixed by the construction of quays from the medieval period, its course, and the navigable channels within it, has shifted gradually over time. Following the opening of the Millennium Footbridge across the river in 2001, a new vantage-point to observe the river bed was created. The bridge was located in the approximate position of both a medieval bridge and a presumed fording point.
It was thus deemed of high potential significance when an apparent trackway, possibly in the position of the fording point, was observed within the river bed in 2006. Oxford Archaeology North (OA North) were commissioned by Lancashire County Archaeology Service (LCAS) to undertake an instrument survey of this feature in July 2006.
The survey revealed two tracks, delineated by rows of vertically-set timber posts, with infilling between, patches of which comprised a highly-indurated, concrete-like material. The survey also identified in situ remains of a cutwater, associated with a late-medieval bridge, the position of which had previously been somewhat conjectural, and is a discovery of significant local importance.
Following discussion with LCAS, timber samples from the trackway were taken, in January 2007, and subjected to both dendrochronological analysis and radiocarbon dating. The results of both analyses confirmed that the trackway was of post-medieval date. Given the constructional quality of the feature, and its position, it is conjectured that it related to the clearance of debris following the collapse of the late medieval bridge in the late eighteenth / early nineteenth centuries.