NOMA Plot L, Miller Street, Manchester Archaeological Desk
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NOMA Plot L, Miller Street, Manchester Archaeological Desk- based Assessment Oxford Archaeology North January 2014 The Co-operative Group Issue No: 2013-14/1446 OA North Job No: L10660 NGR: 384420 398960 NOMA Plot L, Miller Street, Manchester: Archaeological Desk-based Assessment 1 CONTENTS SUMMARY .....................................................................................................................2 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .................................................................................................3 1. INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................4 1.1 Circumstances of Project ..................................................................................4 1.2 Location, Topography and Geology.................................................................4 1.3 Statutory Sites...................................................................................................5 2. METHODOLOGY .......................................................................................................6 2.1 Desk-Based Assessment ...................................................................................6 2.2 Assessment Methodology.................................................................................7 2.3 Planning Background and Legislative Framework...........................................9 3. BACKGROUND ........................................................................................................11 3.1 Historical Background ....................................................................................11 3.2 Map Regression Analysis ...............................................................................18 3.3 Previous Archaeological Work.......................................................................22 3.4 Ground Investigations.....................................................................................23 4. G AZETTEER OF SITES ............................................................................................26 5. S IGNIFICANCE OF THE REMAINS ...........................................................................42 5.1 Introduction.....................................................................................................42 5.2 Criteria ............................................................................................................42 5.3 Significance.....................................................................................................44 6. L IKELY IMPACT OF DEVELOPMENT .....................................................................45 6.1 Introduction.....................................................................................................45 6.2 Impact .............................................................................................................45 6.3 Impact Assessment..........................................................................................45 7. R ECOMMENDATIONS .............................................................................................47 7.1 Introduction.....................................................................................................47 7.2 Recommendations...........................................................................................47 BIBLIOGRAPHY ...........................................................................................................49 ILLUSTRATIONS ..........................................................................................................52 Figures.........................................................................................................................52 For the use of the Co-operative Group © OA North January 2014 NOMA Plot L, Miller Street, Manchester: Archaeological Desk-based Assessment 2 SUMMARY The Co-operative Group is presently considering enabling the redevelopment of land situated in the Shudehill area of Manchester (centred at NGR 384420 398960). In order to facilitate the process, the Co-operative Group commissioned Oxford Archaeology North (OA North) to carry out an archaeological desk-based assessment of the Site Area. This was intended to establish, as far as possible, the nature and significance of the sub-surface archaeological resource within the area, and to establish the impact of any future development upon this resource. The data generated from the assessment is intended to provide an informed basis regarding the significance of any archaeological heritage assets within the site. This was coupled with the archaeological monitoring of six small trial pits that were excavated to inform an understanding of the ground conditions across the site, but also allowed some indication as to the survival of buried archaeological remains across the site. In total, 43 heritage assets have been identified in the wider study area, of which 11 lie either partially or wholly within the boundary of the Site Area. None of the known heritage assets identified within the Site Area are afforded statutory designation, and are thus not considered to be of national importance that would require preservation in-situ . However, any buried remains of Arkwright’s Mill, especially the original block, its waterwheel and the sequence of steam-power plant features, are of considerable archaeological and historical importance, and may merit preservation in- situ . Of the other non-designated heritage assets within the Site Area, several merit preservation by record, where these will be directly affected by development. In particular, any buried remains of the former Manchester Bath and Wash House are likely to be of regional or county importance. Other buried remains may include the foundations of ancillary building to Arkwright’s Mill, a mid-nineteenth-century foundry and small brewery, and workers’ housing on Miller Street dating to the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries could potentially be of borough importance. The scope and specification of an appropriate programme of archaeological recording would be devised in consultation with the archaeological curatorial service advising Manchester City Council, although it may be anticipated that all of these heritage assets would require intrusive archaeological investigation. In the first instance, this is likely to comprise targeted evaluation trenching to establish the extent of buried remains. Should significant remains be found which will be damaged or destroyed by the future development of the site, these may require further excavation work to ensure preservation by record. For the use of the Co-operative Group © OA North January 2014 NOMA Plot L, Miller Street, Manchester: Archaeological Desk-based Assessment 3 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Oxford Archaeology North (OA North) would like to thank John Luddington, Construction Project Manager for the Co-operative Group, for commissioning and supporting the project. Thanks are also due to Norman Redhead, the Heritage Management Director with the Greater Manchester Archaeological Advisory Service (GMAAS), for his support and advice. Further thanks are expressed to Damien Newell and Chris O’Hara of Buro Happold Ltd for logistical support during the ground investigation works. OA North is also grateful to the staff of the Local Studies Unit at Manchester Central Library, the Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester, and the Lancashire County Record Office, for their assistance with the historical research. The desk-based research and report was compiled by Ian Miller, the ground investigation works were monitored by Graham Mottershead, and the illustrations were produced by Mark Tidmarsh. For the use of the Co-operative Group © OA North January 2014 NOMA Plot L, Miller Street, Manchester: Archaeological Desk-based Assessment 4 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1 CIRCUMSTANCES OF PROJECT 1.1.1 The Co-operative Group is presently considering enabling the redevelopment of land situated in the Shudehill area of Manchester (referred to hereafter as the Site Area). In order to facilitate the process, the Co-operative Group commissioned Oxford Archaeology North (OA North) to carry out an archaeological desk-based assessment of the Site Area. This was intended to establish as far as possible, the nature and significance of the sub-surface archaeological resource within the area, and to establish the impact of any future development upon this resource. The data generated from the assessment is intended to provide an informed basis regarding the significance of any archaeological heritage assets within the site. This was coupled with the archaeological monitoring of six small trial pits that were excavated to inform an understanding of the ground conditions across the site. 1.2 LOCATION , T OPOGRAPHY AND GEOLOGY 1.2.1 The study area (centred on NGR 384420 398960) is situated on the northern fringe of the city centre (Fig 1). The site is bounded by Angel Street, Rochdale and Miller Street, with the Co-operative Group’s Headquarters Building forming the northern boundary (Plate 1). Plate 1: Recent aerial view of the Site Area and its environs prior to the development of the Co-operative Group’s Headquarters Building and the NOMA Regeneration For the use of the Co-operative Group © OA North January 2014 NOMA Plot L, Miller Street, Manchester: Archaeological Desk-based Assessment 5 1.2.2 Topography: topographically, the Manchester Conurbation as a region is within an undulating lowland basin, which is bounded by the