BARROW SLAG BANK, Barrow-in-Furness, CUMBRIA Documentary Research and Photographic Survey

Oxford Archaeology North was commissioned by Capita Symonds to undertake a rapid desk-based assessment and photographic survey of the central portion of Barrow Slag Bank, Cumbria (SD 189 713), prior to the area being landscaped. The work was completed in accordance with a brief prepared by the Cumbria County Council Historic Environment Section (Appendix 1), and was undertaken in June and July 2006. The present scheme of works has fully recorded and assessed the history and morphology of the surface of the slag bank. It was evident that part of the slag bank has already been subject to considerable alteration by recent slag reduction and the corresponding removal of material. Therefore, the surface evidence of any meaningful relationship between phases of deposition, has probably been lost.
In the light of this it is recommended that there is no need for further recording of the sites morphology prior to the landscaping of the site. However, if a susbtantial section through the tips was exposed during their proposed landscaping, then there is the potential that an archaeological watching brief would be able to elucidate tip patterns and allow a reconstruction of the dumping patterns.