Former Sunlight Laundry Premises, Penrith, Cumbria. Archaeological Desk-Based Assessment and Standing Building Assessment Report.

Manning Elliott, acting on behalf of their client Lowther Manelli, commissioned Oxford Archaeology North (OA North) to undertake a programme of archaeological assessment at the former Sunlight Laundry Premises, Princes Street, Penrith, Cumbria (NGR NY 5161 3001) in advance of a proposed mixed use retail and residential redevelopment at the site. A planning application has been submitted (planning
reference 3/05/0957) to demolish the former laundry premises as part of a wider redevelopment scheme at Southend Road (planning reference 3/05/0954). This main scheme includes a superstore and associated car parking as the central feature, together with housing and other retail units. By demolishing the former laundry premises this would aim to provide the main pedestrian access and link between the
proposed scheme and Penrith’s retail core. However, the laundry premises lie within Penrith’s Conservation Area and a previous desk-based assessment undertaken for the whole of the proposed development (OA North 2005) showed at least three of the buildings, the whitewashed or rendered buildings (numbers 9-11 Princes Street), to possibly date back to the late medieval or early post-medieval period. Consequently, Cumbria County Council’s Historic Environment Service (CCCHES) requested that a supplementary desk-based assessment and a standing building assessment be
undertaken. The work was carried out in February and March 2006.