Scotch Corner 33kV Diversion: Archaeological Watching Brief Report

Due to the expected archaeological remains in zone 1 different methodologies were employed in Zone 1 then in Zones 2 and 3. Within Zone 1 the cable trench was excavated from trackway panels placed either side, which negated the requirement for a wider topsoil strip. Trenches in this area were excavated to a depth of 1.3m and were 0.6m wide. Any archaeological features were excavated by hand. Due to extensive previous archaeological excavations within Zone 2 it was determined that no further archaeological work was required in this zone. Within Zone 3 it was determined that there was a decreased potential for archaeological remains. This negated the use of trackway panels and allowed for the stripping of a 4m wide easement. This area was stripped down to the level of archaeology or the natural clay geology. The archaeological remains discovered during monitoring dated to the period of Roman conquest in northern England and represented elements of settlement and agricultural land focused around the junction of two major thoroughfares - the south-north road Dere Street and the trans-Pennine Stainmore Pass. Features recorded during the works included large agricultural boundary ditches, elements of rectilinear, nucleated enclosures, a double-ditched trackway, and remains associated with at least three roundhouses. The pottery assemblage contained a substantial proportion of imported Gallo-Belgic wares that intimated the importance of the settlement and flourishing trade relationships with the continent, which were already established by the 1st century AD. The assemblage also indicated that the settlement in the area of Zone 1 was relatively short-lived, between the 1st and 2nd centuries AD before activity in the area became more focused around other routeways, highlighted by the establishment of a north-east to south-west trackway running through both Horizontal Direct Drilling pits and the connector trench towards the end of the 1st century AD.