Mid Cheshire III Pipeline, Cheshire. Archaeological Desk-Based Assessment, Walkover and Topographic Surveys.

Following proposals by United Utilities for the construction of a new water main to the north of Elworth and Sandbach in Cheshire (NGR SJ 74004 61728 to SJ 76137 60653), the Cheshire County Council Historic Environment Officer recommended the completion of an archaeological desk-based assessment relating to the application area. Oxford Archaeology North (OA North) was subsequently commissioned by United Utilities to undertake this work.
In total, 39 sites of archaeological interest were identified within the study area during the desk-based assessment, of which 18 had been previously recorded in the Cheshire HER. The remaining 21 sites were identified by inspection of aerial photographs(Sites 17-18 and 20-31) and historic maps (Sites 19 and 32-37). Fifteen listed
buildings and two Scheduled Monuments were identified within the study area. The Scheduled Monuments comprised fragments of Saxon and early medieval sculpture(Site 01) and a medieval cross base and part of a shaft (Site 02).
The 39 identified sites comprised one prehistoric site, three Romano-British sites, two early medieval sites, four medieval sites, 18 post-medieval sites, 10 industrial period
sites and one modern site. Out of these sites, seven were deemed likely to be affected by works associated with the proposed pipeline. Recommendations were made for a walkover survey, in order to establish the existence of any currently unknown sites and visible features relating to sites that have been identified solely by the analysis of aerial photography and map regression. These specifically included six areas of ridge and furrow (Sites 17-8, 22, 26 and 29-30), two brick fields (Sites 15 and 34) and a sand pit (Site 37). The identification of features during the walkover survey then necessitated a programme of topographic survey.