THE MEDIEVAL CULTURAL QUARTER, MANCHESTER VOL 1: THE MAIN REPORT PART 1: THE TEXT AN ARCHAEOLOGICAL DESK-BASED ASSESSMENT - 2011 A REPORT FOR CHETHAM‟S SCHOOL OF MUSIC, MANCHESTER CATHEDRAL AND MANCHESTER CITY COUNCIL BY DR PETER ARROWSMITH, ARCHAEOLOGICAL CONSULTANT [email protected] - 0161 292 1425 Contents Vol 1: The Main Report Part 1: The Text Summary 4 1. Introduction 5 2. Methodology 6 3. The Setting 8 3.1 Location 3.2 Geology 3.3 Designated Sites 4. Historical and Archaeological Background 1: Prehistoric and Roman 10 4.1 Prehistoric 4.2 Roman 5. Historical and Archaeological Background 2: Anglo-Saxon, c 410-1070 13 5.1 The Archaeological Evidence 5.2 The Anglo-Saxon Burh and the Early Church 5.3 Conclusion 6. Historical and Archaeological Background 3: Early Medieval, 1070-1421 17 6.1 The Manor 6.2 The Castle 6.3 The Manor House 6.4 Hanging Ditch and Other Ditches 6.5 The Castle, Manor House and Hanging Ditch: A Possible Reconstruction 6.6 The Town 6.7 The Parish Church 6.8 Cateaton Street, Hanging Bridge and the Hanging Ditch Thoroughfare 6.9 Toad Lane and Fennel Street 6.10 Long Millgate, the Mills and the Bakehouse 6.11 Hunt‟s Bank and the Irk Bridge 6.12 Salford Bridge and the Ford 7. Historical and Archaeological Background 4: Late Medieval and 39 Post-Medieval, 1421- c 1780 7.1 Introduction 7.2 The Collegiate College and Chetham‟s Hospital 7.3 The Location of the College‟s Lost Buildings 7.4 The Churchyard 7.5 Hanging Bridge and Hanging Ditch 7.6 Housing 7.7 The Workhouse and House of Correction 7.8 The Grammar School 7.9 Hyde‟s Cross and the Apple Market 1 8. Historical and Archaeological Background 5: Industrial and Modern, 61 c 1780 Onwards 8.1 The „Old Town‟ 8.2 The Hunt‟s Bank Improvement: Victoria Street and the Victoria Arches 8.3 The Churchyard 8.4 Chetham‟s School 9. Archaeological Recording within the Study Area 68 9.1 Introduction 9.2 Chetham‟s School 9.3 Long Millgate (Former NCP Car Park/Urbis Site) 9.4 Fennel Street 9.5 Manchester Cathedral 9.6 Cathedral Yard 9.7 Hanging Ditch and Hanging Bridge 9.8 Exchange Square 10. Gazetteer of Sites 77 11. Significance and Potential of the Archaeological Resource 87 11.1 Heritage Assets 11.2 Below-ground Archaeological Potential 11.3 Summary of the Resource 12. Recommendations 99 12.1 Future Development and Public Realm Works 12.2 Outstanding Post-Excavation Work Sources 101 Part 2: The Illustrations 2 Vol 2: Appendices Appendix A: Archaeological Excavations at Cathedral Yard, 1997 4 A1 Introduction A2 Location A3 Geology and Ground Conditions A4 The Evaluation A5 The Excavation A6 Discussion A7 The Finds Appendix B: Archaeological Recording at the Cathedral Visitor Centre, 2001-2 22 B1 Introduction B2 Location B3 Geology and Ground Conditions B4 Previous Recording of Hanging Bridge B5 Recording Methodology and Programme B6 Hanging Bridge B7 The Eastern Projecting Wall (the „Cutwater‟) B8 Below-ground Archaeology B9 The Finds B10 Conclusions Sources 42 Illustrations End pages 3 Summary This report presents the results of an archaeological desk-based assessment of the Medieval Manchester Cultural Quarter, carried out on behalf of Chetham‟s School of Music, Manchester Cathedral and Manchester City Council. The Quarter was the core of the medieval town and is distinguished by three late medieval buildings of national importance, namely the collegiate church, now the Cathedral, the buildings erected to house the college of priests who served the church, later adopted for Chetham‟s Hospital and Library, and Hanging Bridge which provided access to the church across the natural obstacle of Hanging Ditch. In addition to these important buildings, the Quarter retains elements of the medieval street pattern, principally in the form of Long Millgate, Fennel Street and the curving sweep of Cateaton Street and the Hanging Ditch thoroughfare, now part of Exchange Square. Important below-ground remains are known to survive in the form of the Hanging Ditch channel and a rock-cut ditch at Chetham‟s School. The school as a whole is an area of great, and largely untapped, archaeological potential. Possible below-ground archaeology here includes remains of the medieval castle and manor house, the lost buildings of the college, and the post-medieval House of Correction. The Quarter has also produced prehistoric and Roman finds and is believed to be crossed by the line of a Roman road. It also retains significant remains from the industrial era, which include a 19th-century corn mill as well as the Victoria (or Cathedral) Arches. The report draws together archaeological and historical evidence for the development of the Medieval Quarter, assesses its archaeological significance and potential, and makes recommendations for future work. It also includes, as appendices, reports on major modern archaeological investigations and recording carried out at Hanging Ditch and Hanging Bridge. 4 1. Introduction 1.1 This report presents the results of an archaeological desk-based assessment of the Medieval Manchester Cultural Quarter, carried out on behalf of Manchester City Council, Chetham‟s School of Music and Manchester Cathedral.1 1.2 The present survey draws together historical and archaeological data on the Medieval Quarter to produce a single coherent account of its development, and its archaeological significance and potential. This document is intended not only to inform the treatment and recording of remains where these will be adversely affected by development works, but also to be a foundation document for future interpretation, presentation and public engagement. As such, it aims to: . provide a basis for an interpretive strategy for the Medieval Quarter, and for the interpretation of Chetham‟s School and Library, the Cathedral and their environs; . to inform any public realm developments; . and to inform the potential archaeological implications of any future developments. 1.3 The report is primarily concerned with the below-ground archaeological resource and structural remains. The standing buildings of Manchester Cathedral and Chetham‟s School of Music have been expertly described in recent years by Clare Hartwell, to whose works the reader is referred (Hartwell 2001, 2002, 2004; Hartwell et al 2004). 1. Thanks are due to Norman Redhead, County Archaeologist, Greater Manchester Archaeological Unit; Moira Stevenson, Head of Manchester City Galleries; Anthony O‟Connor, Director of Development, Manchester Cathedral; Canon David Howe; Peter Mellor, Manchester Cathedral Visitor Centre; John Prichard, Cathedral Architect; Michael Oglesby, Chair of Chetham‟s School of Music; Sarah Newman, Bursar of Chetham‟s; Michael Powell and Fergus Wilde, Chetham‟s Library; Pat McCartney for access to Chetham‟s School of Music; Katherine Carter, Archivist, Greater Manchester County Record Office; Barry Johnson, Thomas Worthington Design; David Shimwell, formerly of the University of Manchester Department of Geology, and Graham Mottershead, David Power and Richard Gregory, formerly of the University of Manchester Archaeological Unit, for providing information relating to the excavation at Cathedral Yard/Cateaton Street; and Mark Fletcher (Matrix Archaeology) and Clare Hartwell for kindly providing material and for discussion on the development of the Chetham‟s site. Images held by Manchester Archives and Local Studies, the Greater Manchester County Record Office, Chetham's Library and the Greater Manchester Archaeological Unit are reproduced with kind permission. 5 2. Methodology 2.1 The assessment has comprised a desk-top study and a site inspection. 2.2 Sources examined for the desk-top study include: . Greater Manchester Historic Environment Record (HER), formerly the Sites and Monuments Record (SMR), held by the Greater Manchester Archaeological Unit. Previous archaeological investigations. Reports are held by GMAU. There is no report on the University of Manchester Archaeological Unit‟s (UMAU) excavation of Hanging Ditch at Cathedral Yard/Cateaton Street on the present site of the Wellington Inn and Sinclair‟ Oyster Bar nor is there a final report on the recording carried out at Hanging Bridge and Hanging Ditch within the Cathedral Visitor Centre. The present assessment has included the compilation of reports for these sites using the UMAU archive deposited at the Cathedral. This work has drawn on and includes the finds assessment carried out for the Cathedral Yard/Cateaton Street site but has not included specialist analysis of those finds for which separate funding would need to be sought in the future. Antiquarian sources. These have partly been published but some primary material is held in local archives. Published and unpublished documentary sources. Much primary documentary evidence on the development of the Cultural Quarter in the medieval and post-medieval periods is summarized in GMAU‟s Medieval Manchester (Morris 1983). As part of the assessment, local archives have been consulted for primary material which adds to the information presented in this and other published sources. Historic mapping. The assessment has compiled a scaled historic map sequence for the Cultural Quarter (Ills 2-15). Consultation has also been made of unpublished plans, held in local archives. Historic illustrations and photographs, published or held in local archives. Geotechnical data. Some older data is summarized in GMAU‟s Medieval Manchester. There is also a significant body of data relating to Hanging Bridge Gardens which is held in the UMAU archive deposited at the Cathedral. Archives and collections consulted have included: . Chetham‟s Library, Manchester . John Ryland‟s University Library of Manchester . Lancashire Record Office . Manchester Archives/Greater Manchester County Record Office . Manchester Cathedral Archive . Manchester City Library 2.3 A site inspection has been carried out, subject to availability of access and considerations of Health and Safety. This has included an internal inspection of Chetham‟s School. 6 2.4 The assessment has been carried out in accordance with Planning Policy Statement 5: Planning for the Historic Environment (2010).