Archaeological Fieldwalking Survey at Sheepwalk Lane (Site 1), Upton, West Yorkshire

In advance of proposed development ARCUS were commissioned by PPG Land Ltd, through Under Construction Archaeology Ltd, to conduct a fieldwalking survey over an area of land to the east of Sheepwalk Lane (Site 1), Upton, West Yorkshire. The proposed application area measures approximately 12.34 hectares in size (centred upon grid reference SE 4982 1376). The survey was carried out to gather sufficient information to establish the presence/absence, character, extent, and date of any archaeological and historic features and deposits likely to survive within the development area. Relatively few finds were recovered from the proposed development site during fieldwalking. Two worked flints are likely to reflect a low level of prehistoric activity on the site probably during the Neolithic period. Geophysical survey, carried out immediately prior to and during the fieldwalking, indicated the presence of an essentially rural landscape of late prehistoric/Romano-British trackways and fields. However no artefacts recovered from the fieldwalking could be attributed to this activity. Other categories of material recovered included ceramics, ceramic building material, glass and miscellaneous items. The earliest ceramics recovered were 17th to 18th century in date. Larger quantities of later 19th-century and early 20th century ceramics were also recovered in small concentrations, particularly towards the south-eastern extent of the site. Of note was a clay pipe fragment stem/bowl fragment marked Doncaster and Ward, probably made by the workshops of George Ward, a known clay pipe maker operating in Doncaster between c.1867 and 1892.