Land off King Edward Street, Ashbourne, Derbyshire. Trial Trenching Evaluation (OASIS ID: oxfordar2-321455)

Oxford Archaeology (OA) North were commissioned by Orion Heritage Ltd to initially undertake a trial trenching evaluation of Land off King Edward Street, Ashbourne, Derbyshire (NGR SK 1797 4647). The evaluation confirmed the presence of structural remains relating to the mill, with floor surfaces and walls being identified. As structural remains were identified during the evaluation, a mitigation strategy was put in place and involved the exposure and recording of the remains of the saw mill, to mitigate its loss or damage during subsequent development of the Proposed Development Area (PDA). Further aims of the excavation were to identify a power source for the mill, as none was recorded on any of the historic maps, as well as identify if any earlier structures survived. The excavation revealed that the mill structures were fairly well preserved throughout the eastern half of the PDA and the structures also correlated well with the historic mapping, which allowed a better understanding of the phasing of the saw mill, suggesting that the mill had been heavily modified prior to the Ordnance Survey map of 1922. A potential power source was also identified as being steam, this interpretation was suggested due to the presence of a possible boiler base, machine base, and several service conduits for cast-iron pipes. The identification of the power source of the mill is a significant discovery in the context of the mill, as it was not previously known.