Salisbury Lawn Chatsworth House, Derbyshire. Archaeological Evaluation Report.

The Landscape Agency invited Oxford Archaeology North to submit proposals for a geophysical survey and evaluation at Salisbury Lawn, Chatsworth House (NGR SK 2614 7006) to inform the proposed installation of 86 Antony Gormley sculptures that will be installed across the lawn. It is proposed that these are either buried up to 1.8m depth, set on the surface or set on top of plinths in order to achieve a consistent height irrespective of the topography.
This report presents the results of the archaeological evaluation which was undertaken in accordance with a project brief, prepared by Peak District National Park Authority, and a project design, prepared by OA North. The geophysical survey was undertaken by Archaeophysica, and is the subject of a separate report (Archaeophysica 2008); however,
the results of the work served as the basis of the present archaeological investigation.
The programme of archaeological evaluation allowed for the excavation of ten trenches (Fig 2). Eight of the trenches (1-8) were positioned to the north of a central path, while
Trenches 9 and 10 were positioned to the south. The trenches, all of which measured 5m by 2m, were positioned so as to examine features that had been identified by the
geophysical survey or areas where parterre features might be located based on the Kip and Knyff engraving overlaid onto the present plan of the Salisbury Lawn. The geophysical
survey indicated the survival of the principal upper and lower terrace for the parterre gardens and this was confirmed by the evaluation which showed that these retaining walls survived partially intact. The more ephemeral features, however, such as the parterres
themselves, had been destroyed when Salisbury Lawn was landscaped in the 1730s.