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LATHOM PARK GARDENS, LATHOM Lancashire

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LATHOM PARK GARDENS, LATHOM Lancashire LATHOM PARK GARDENS, LATHOM Lancashire Archaeological Evaluation Report Oxford Archaeology North February 2011 Lathom Park Trust Issue No: 2010-11/1143 OA North Job No: L10169 NGR: SD 4602 0914 Lathom Park Gardens, West Lancashire: Archaeological Evaluation Report 1 CONTENTS SUMMARY .................................................................................................................. 3 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .............................................................................................. 5 1. INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................... 7 1.1 Circumstances of Project................................................................................. 7 1.2 Aims and Objectives ....................................................................................... 8 2. HISTORICAL AND ARCHAEOLOGICAL BACKGROUND........................................... 10 2.1 Location and Geology................................................................................... 10 2.2 Historical Background................................................................................... 10 2.3 Archaeological Background .......................................................................... 14 3. METHODOLOGY ................................................................................................... 17 3.1 Geophysical Survey ...................................................................................... 17 3.2 Trial Trenches............................................................................................... 17 3.3 Finds............................................................................................................. 18 3.4 Environmental Assessment ........................................................................... 19 3.5 Archive......................................................................................................... 19 4. TRIAL TRENCH EXCAVATION RESULTS .............................................................. 20 4.1 Introduction .................................................................................................. 20 4.2 Trench 7a...................................................................................................... 20 4.3 Trench 7b...................................................................................................... 20 4.4 Trench 8........................................................................................................ 22 4.5 Trench 9........................................................................................................ 23 4.6 Trench 10...................................................................................................... 24 4.7 Trench 14...................................................................................................... 25 4.8 Test Pit 1....................................................................................................... 26 4.9 Test Pit 2....................................................................................................... 26 5. POTTERY ASSESSMENT ........................................................................................ 27 5.1 Introduction .................................................................................................. 27 5.2 Roman Pottery .............................................................................................. 27 5.3 Medieval....................................................................................................... 28 5.4 Early Post-Medieval...................................................................................... 28 5.5 Post-Medieval............................................................................................... 29 5.6 Ceramic Tile ................................................................................................. 35 5.7 Condition of material .................................................................................... 37 5.8 Archaeological Significance.......................................................................... 37 6. OTHER FINDS ASSESSMENT ................................................................................. 39 6.1 Clay Tobacco Pipe ........................................................................................ 39 6.2 Vessel and Window Glass............................................................................. 39 6.3 Copper Alloy Objects.................................................................................... 40 6.4 Ironwork....................................................................................................... 40 For the use of: Lathom Park Trust © OA North: February 2011 Lathom Park Gardens, West Lancashire: Archaeological Evaluation Report 2 6.5 Lead Objects................................................................................................. 41 6.6 Other Materials ............................................................................................. 41 6.7 Ceramic and Other Building Materials .......................................................... 41 6.8 The Animal Bone.......................................................................................... 42 6.9 Marine Molluscs ........................................................................................... 44 6.10 Environmental Assessment Results ............................................................... 44 7. CONCLUSIONS...................................................................................................... 47 7.1 Discussion of the Evaluation Trenches.......................................................... 47 7.2 The Landscape Model................................................................................... 48 8. RECOMMENDATIONS............................................................................................ 50 8.1 Recommendations For Further Work ............................................................ 50 9. BIBLIOGRAPHY .................................................................................................... 52 9.1 Cartographic Sources .................................................................................... 52 9.2 Primary Sources............................................................................................ 52 9.3 Secondary Sources........................................................................................ 52 APPENDIX 1: PROJECT DESIGN ................................................................................ 57 APPENDIX 2: TRENCH DESCRIPTIONS...................................................................... 63 APPENDIX 3: FINDS CATALOGUE ............................................................................. 78 APPENDIX 4: SUMMARY CONCLUSIONS OF THE GEOPHYSICAL SURVEY (AFTER ARCHAEOPHYSICA 2009)......................................................................................... 80 ILLUSTRATIONS ....................................................................................................... 88 List of Figures .......................................................................................................... 88 List of Plates............................................................................................................. 88 For the use of: Lathom Park Trust © OA North: February 2011 Lathom Park Gardens, West Lancashire: Archaeological Evaluation Report 3 SUMMARY In July and August of 2009 a programme of archaeological evaluation excavation was undertaken within the Lathom Park gardens owned by NSG Group/Pilkingtons, near Ormskirk (NGR SD 4602 0914), West Lancashire (Fig 1). The Lathom Park Trust (LPT) and Oxford Archaeology North (OA North) conducted the works as Stage III of a multi- stage Heritage Lottery Funded (HLF) project. Stage I comprised a review of available documentary evidence relating to the site (S Baldwin pers comm; Lewis 1999), and Stage II was a geophysical survey of the area undertaken by ArchaeoPhysica (2009). Stage III comprised the excavation of six trial trenches and two test pits, within the extant gardens of the former Lathom House. They were located so as to identify, and record, the remains of the medieval Lathom House, a large castle, that was built in the 1490s and slighted in 1645. The site of Lathom House has been identified as having enormous potential to address research questions pertinent to the site itself and the medieval/early post-medieval period within the wider North West region (LUAU 1997; Baldwin 2010). The aim of the current phase of works was to investigate scientifically areas of archaeological potential, identified by the preceding geophysical survey and documentary research, within the pleasure garden and adjacent parkland. Electromagnetic induction (EMI) and GPR surveys were undertaken by ArchaeoPhysica Ltd, and the results were superimposed with high-resolution digital elevation model (DEM) LiDAR data. These revealed the location of the moat on the southern side of the castle, and a section of the outer defensive around the northern side. The Stage III field evaluation was designed as a community project, open to as wide a segment of the local community as possible. OA North and Lathom Park Trust supervisors worked closely with local volunteers to provide the professional supervision, guidance and the training required to complete the work to modern professional standards. This report sets
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