Ashnott Lead Mine Ribble Valley Lancashire

Author : Richard Heawood
Publisher : Oxford Archaeological Unit
ISBN 13 : 9780904220346
Total Pages : 192 pages
Book Rating : 4.2/5 (23 download)

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Download or read book Old Abbey Farm, Risley written by Richard Heawood and published by Oxford Archaeological Unit. This book was released on 2004 with total page 192 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: During the 1990s, Oxford Archaeology North (then Lancaster University Archaeological Unit) conducted a programme of evaluation, building recording, excavation and documentary research at Old Abbey Farm, Risley, on behalf of UK Waste Management Limited (now Biffa Waste Services Limited), in advance of the extension of the adjacent landfill site. This small moated site, now in Warrington Borough, was probably constructed after the sub-division of the manor of Culcheth in 1246; timbers dated by dendrochronology have suggested that a late thirteenth or possibly early fourteenth century aisled hall formerly stood on the moated platform. In the late medieval period the aisles were removed and new timber framing was built below the arcade-plates; the renovated hall was accessed by a substantial fifteenth century timber bridge. A crossing was added to the hall in the mid sixteenth century and the bridge across the moat was rebuilt in stone. From the seventeenth century, the house was subject to piecemeal underpinning and rebuilding in brick, and was extended in the mid eighteenth century; a brick Lancashire-type barn was also built then. The project provided a rare opportunity to record a building during demolition and subsequently excavate below it, thereby maximising the information retrieval. The project was a runner-up in the British Archaeological Awards for 1996. Mick Krupa and Denise Drury directed the bulk of the survey and excavation work, with Nigel Neil undertaking the initial evaluation of the site and the documentary research. When all moved on to new employment, Richard Heawood undertook the analysis and report writing, with Christine Howard-Davis undertaking much of the finds work. The project has been generously supported by UK Waste Management Limited (Biffa Waste Services Limited) throughout.