Medieval Origins Discovered in Lowton, Greater Manchester
Prior to the proposal of a new housing development at a site at Heath Lane Lowton in Greater Manchester, Wardell Armstrong was commissioned to undertake a series of archaeological investigations by Bloor Homes. Services included a geophysical survey, evaluation trenching and targeted excavation.
The archaeology investigations found a regionally important assemblage of medieval ceramics. The pottery fragments found suggested that the land was once used from the mid-13th century onwards. The earliest archaeological remains identified at the site may potentially date from the medieval period when the land was thought to be heathland. Three linear features were identified during the excavation which were heavily truncated, but the fill of a narrow linear feature produced a single shred of ceramic dated from the 12th-14th century. These features showed no evidence of re-cutting or deliberate backfilling, suggesting that they silted up following a period of abandonment. It is possible that this activity represents a short-lived period of agricultural activity in the medieval (post-medieval) period, with the land returning to heathland.
The full findings were published in Volume 113 of the Lancashire and Cheshire Antiquarian Society with final dissemination published on a local interpretation board at the finished site for the public to learn about and enjoy.
