Ulverston (Rope Walk) Greenway, Cumbria. Desk-Based Study and Walk-Over Survey.

Furness Greenways, clients of Capita Symonds and Cumbria County Council, propose to re-surface and enhance a footpath between Dragley Beck and Rope Walk House, Ulverston, Cumbria (SD 29060 77638 to SD 30055 77732), thus creating a greenway; part of the route of the proposed greenway encompasses the line of a former rope walk.
Following the submission to Cumbria County Council of a project design, OA North was commissioned to undertake a desk-based assessment and identification survey. The deskbased assessment was carried out in January 2005 and sought to identify all archaeological sites within a 250m radius of the route of the proposed development that
might either be affected by the development, or might provide clues as to the nature of, as yet, undiscovered archaeology that could be impacted upon. A walk-over survey was alsoundertaken.
In total, 18 sites were identified in the wider study area representing a range of periods from the Neolithic onwards, and a variety of site types. Of these, five sites, all of postmedieval date, were deemed to lie within the route of the proposed development and may potentially be affected by it. These comprise cloughs (Site 05), the rope walk (Site 06) (Plate 3), a structure associated with the rope walk (Site 07), a kissing gate (Site 10) (Plate 1), and a set of gate posts (Site 11) (Plate 2). Other remaining sites, although not directly affected by the route of the development, provide clues as to the nature of
archaeology that may be encountered should groundworks take place. These comprised the findspot of a butt-end of a Neolithic polished stone axe from the back garden of Sir
John Barrow Cottage (Site 01), the findspot of a polished stone axe and flint tool, again of Neolithic date (Site 02), and a bloomery (Site 17). These sites were assessed for their archaeological significance by using the criteria outlined in Annex 4 of Planning Policy Guidance 16 (PPG 16, DoE 1990).