| Abstract: |
Prior to the submission of a planning application for the redevelopment of the Old Brewery, Brewery Street/Hart Street, Ulverston, Cumbria, as a residential site, Greenlane Archaeology was commissioned to carry out a heritage impact assessment. This was intended to provide an understanding of the archaeological and historical development of the site, taking into account the previous pieces of work carried out in relation to an earlier development scheme, and determine the likely impact of the current proposals on the site. The current report details the result of an archaeological watching brief carried out during the course of groundworks associated with the development in May 2022. There is plentiful evidence for prehistoric activity in the wider area; however, this is generally limited to stray finds within Ulverston, including a flint artefact of Neolithic or Bronze Age date found in a garden close to the Old Brewery, on the opposite side of Hart Street. Ulverston is primarily of medieval origin, with well-established burgage plots and numerous finds of medieval date known, and the site is on the edge of the medieval core of the town. In the post-medieval period the site is dominated by the development of the brewery, which was established in the mid-18th century and continued in use until the 1990s, seeing several phases of change and expansion. The watching brief monitored the groundworks comprising the levelling of the site prior to the excavation of footings for the new buildings. The demolition of the existing buildings and removal of concrete floors, carried out prior to the watching brief, had revealed that the natural drift geology was close to the surface on the north-west side, against Hart Street. However, the excavation still exposed some structural remains of late 19th or early 20th century date, and on the south-east side of the site deeper deposits were still present, comprising an upper layer of relatively modern dumped material on top of an early soil horizon. Finds recovered from the latter suggest that it developed in the 19th century, and it probably represents the gardens or similar shown on the earliest maps of the site. Below this a stone-built well was uncovered, which was open and still had water in the base. While this could not be directly dated it is likely to be no earlier than 18th century in date based on its stratigraphic position and condition. It perhaps served the brewery when it was first built. Although the watching brief did not find any remains of great archaeological significance, it did demonstrate that areas of preserved deposits are present and that earlier structural remains, such as the well, can survive. |
