Watching Brief at St Helens Bus Interchange

The work involved the monitoring of the excavation of intrusive groundworks associated with the redevelopment works taking place on site. The areas monitored focussed on the backyards and privies of the 19th-century houses as shown on the 1892 Ordnance Survey Town Plan (Appendix 1, drawing G10807.005). All work was undertaken in accordance with accepted professional standards and guidelines (Historic England 2008; CIfA 2023), in accordance with the ASWYAS site recording manual (ASWYAS 2020) and in compliance with the WSI (Appendix 1). The areas were opened in a controlled manner using a 30 tonne 360-excavator using a flat-bladed ditching bucket under direct archaeological supervision. All upper deposits were removed in level spits (not more than 0.20m) until the required depth was reached. Groundwork was not undertaken within the area without the presence of the site archaeologist. Representative sections of the site stratigraphy were accurately recorded at a scale of 1:20. All sections include spot heights that relate to Ordnance Datum in metres. Due to site health and safety restrictions, the excavated areas had to be recorded from above. Access into areas deeper than 1.20m was prohibited. The excavated areas were backfilled immediately after recording had taken place. A full written, drawn and photographic record was made of all archaeological work undertaken. An inventory of the primary archive is presented in Appendix 2 and ASWYAS currently hold the site archive in a stable and secure location. Nothing significant found