DOVER LODGE FARM GOLF COURSE, CHAIN LANE, STAINING, BLACKPOOL, LANCASHIRE Archaeological Evaluation and Metal Detector Survey Oxford Archaeology North March 2010 Mr Wigglesworth Issue No: 2009-10/1048 OA North Job No: L9835 NGR: SD 35527 35825 Planning Application No: 05/0683 Dover Lodge Farm Golf Course, Chain Lane, Staining, Blackpool, Lancashire: Archaeological Evaluation and Metal Detector Survey 1 CONTENTS SUMMARY ................................................................................................................ 2 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ............................................................................................ 3 1 INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................... 4 1.1 Circumstances of the Project......................................................................... 4 2 BACKGROUND ...................................................................................................... 5 2.1 Location, Topography and Geology .............................................................. 5 2.2 Historical and Archaeological Background ................................................... 5 3 METHODOLOGY ................................................................................................... 8 3.1 Project Design............................................................................................... 8 3.2 Evaluation Trenching.................................................................................... 8 3.3 Metal Detector Survey .................................................................................. 9 3.4 Environmental Assessment ........................................................................... 9 3.5 Finds............................................................................................................. 9 3.6 Archive......................................................................................................... 9 4 RESULTS ............................................................................................................ 11 4.1 Evaluation Trenching.................................................................................. 11 4.2 Metal Detector Survey ................................................................................ 12 4.3 Finds Assessment........................................................................................ 12 4.4 Environmental Assessment ......................................................................... 12 5 DISCUSSION........................................................................................................ 14 5.1 Archaeological Remains ............................................................................. 14 5.2 Potential for Further Archaeological works................................................. 15 6 BIBLIOGRAPHY .................................................................................................. 17 6.1 Primary and Cartographic Sources .............................................................. 17 6.2 Secondary Sources...................................................................................... 17 7 ILLUSTRATIONS ................................................................................................. 19 7.1 Figures........................................................................................................ 19 7.2 Plates.......................................................................................................... 19 APPENDIX 1: PROJECT DESIGN.............................................................................. 20 APPENDIX 2: CONTEXT REGISTER......................................................................... 29 APPENDIX 3: METAL DETECTING SURVEY ............................................................ 31 APPENDIX 4: ARCHIVE INDEX................................................................................ 32 For the use of Mr Wigglesworth © OA North: March 2010 Dover Lodge Farm Golf Course, Chain Lane, Staining, Blackpool, Lancashire: Archaeological Evaluation and Metal Detector Survey 2 SUMMARY Oxford Archaeology North (OA North) was commissioned by Mr Wigglesworth to undertake an archaeological investigation at Dover Lodge Farm, Chain Lane, Staining, Blackpool, Lancashire (NGR: SD 35527 35825; Planning Reference 05/0683). This work was informed by an earlier OA North desk-based assessment and walkover survey and was undertaken in order to fulfil a Lancashire County Archaeology Service (LCAS)-imposed planning condition that a further programme of archaeological investigation should be undertaken within the proposed development area. The programme, undertaken in March 2007, comprised a trial- trench evaluation and a metal detecting survey as set out in an LCAS-approved OA North project design. Three potential sites of archaeological significance were targeted during the investigation targeted. The projected line of the Kirkham to Fleetwood Roman road (or Dane’s Pad, as it is locally known) was examined by Evaluation Trench 1 and, in two locations, the metal detecting survey. Despite previous finds of Roman coins, the latter technique produced no archaeologically significant results. No structural evidence for the Roman Road was identified on the exact course marked on the Ordnance Survey map. However, it is possible that part of an agger may be preserved by a pebble and clay field boundary here, or, that the very stony topsoil here represents the ploughed-out remains of an agger that had once run across the underlying peat beds supported on a bed of lain timbers. Pit Carr, recorded on the 1838 tithe award was examined by Evaluation Trench 2, and no remains of archaeological significance were discovered. Positive results were found within Trench 3 in Kiln Field (also recorded on the 1838 tithe award). Here was located the heavily truncated remains of a probable kiln, possibly even the post- medieval feature that had lent its name to the field, along with a number of closely juxtaposed small pits, or postholes, of unknown date or function. Environmental sampling of the kiln and two of the pits recovered quantities of charcoal, bone and plant remains. This sampling indicated that oak was probably the major source of fuel used in the kiln, but that the pits had not been used for the disposal of kiln waste. Rather, their contents appeared more akin to domestic refuse. The only finds comprised fragments of possible ochre and chipped volcanic tuff that were recovered from one of the pits, though it is not particularly clear if these represent artefacts or naturally occurring objects. Although the archaeological findings in Trench 3 were of some significance, they will not be further affected by the development of the golf course, and it is difficult to justify further investigation at this juncture. However, their presence should be considered during the formulation of planning conditions for any further developments on the site. For the use of Mr Wigglesworth © OA North: March 2010 Dover Lodge Farm Golf Course, Chain Lane, Staining, Blackpool, Lancashire: Archaeological Evaluation and Metal Detector Survey 3 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS OA North would like to thank Mr and Mrs Wigglesworth for commissioning and funding the work, and Doug Moir of Lancashire County Archaeology Service for his advice and liaison during the project. The archaeological evaluation was undertaken by Kelly Clapperton, Alex Bebben and Pascal Eloy, whilst Sandra Bonsall and Elizabeth Huckerby carried out the environmental assessment. The metal-detecting survey was undertaken by Stratascan. The report was compiled by Kelly Clapperton, Dr Richard Gregory and Stephen Rowland, and illustrated by Marie Rowland The project was managed by Stephen Rowland, who also edited the report. For the use of Mr Wigglesworth © OA North: March 2010 Dover Lodge Farm Golf Course, Chain Lane, Staining, Blackpool, Lancashire: Archaeological Evaluation and Metal Detector Survey 4 1 INTRODUCTION 1.1 CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE PROJECT 1.1.1 Mr Wigglesworth submitted proposals for the construction of a nine-hole golf course (Planning Reference 05/0683) at Dover Lodge Farm, Chain Lane, Staining, Blackpool, Lancashire (centred on NGR: SD 35527 35825). In order to understand better the archaeological context of the site and to inform planning decisions, Lancashire County Archaeology Service (LCAS) recommended that a desk-based assessment (DBA) and walkover survey should be undertaken prior to the undertaking of any groundworks on the site. This work was completed by Oxford Archaeology North (OA North) in 2006 and established that, although the majority of the proposed development site consisted of undeveloped agricultural land, prior to the advent of comprehensive post-medieval drainage schemes, it was mostly mossland, and of considerable archaeological potential (OA North 2006). A more detailed account of the archaeological potential and context of the site can be found in Section 2 of this document, but in outline, the DBA identified within the site the potential for the preservation of organic remains and stratified deposits dating from the prehistoric period onwards, several cropmarks, the putative line of a Roman Road, chance finds of Roman coins, and a number of post- medieval structures and indicative fieldnames. 1.1.2 Once LCAS had assimilated the results of the DBA and walkover survey, they informed the local planning authority that a condition of planning consent should be the undertaking,