An Archaeological Watching Brief at Glasshouse Farm, New Whittington, Derbyshire

Longden Homes are undertaking the construction of a residential development on the site of Glasshouse Farm, Glasshouse Lane, Chesterfield. As a condition of planning consent a watching brief was carried out during excavation of foundation trenches for the ten houses to be constructed. ARCUS were employed to undertake this watching brief, The aims of the watching brief were to determine whether there were any structures underlying the demolished farm buildings that could be associated with early glass workings which are known to have occurred in the vicinity. This report documents the findings of the watching brief. The watching brief identified features in all areas that were excavated. Most of these features and the finds associated with them appeared to be nineteenth or twentieth century in date and related to the demolished farmhouse. These included drainage systems, dog burials and foundation walls. There was one feature that clearly predates the construction of the farmhouse and associated buildings. This was a truncated cylindrical cut made into the natural clay which included a substantial 13-15 century ceramic vessel. Environmental evaluation of organic silt from the fill of this cut supports the interpretation of this feature as a medieval field well.