Images from an Archaeological Watching Brief at Main Road, Norton-in-Hales, Shropshire 2021

This collection comprises images from an archaeological watching brief by Groundworks Archaeology at land off Main Road, Norton-in-Hales, Shropshire.The watching brief was carried out between 29th and 30th September 2021, as part of a planning condition.
The watching brief identified a single stone lined drain which appears to have been constructed from re-used limestone blocks. The pottery associated with the construction is late 17th to early 18th century, while pottery associated with the later brick repair is early 19th century possibly suggesting a construction date in the early 18th century. However, the church which lies opposite the site was subject to an extensive rebuild in 1865 and measurements of the largest stones from the drain are comparable to the surviving Medieval stonework in the chancel and tower. It is entirely possible that the drain was constructed at the same time as this rebuild using surplus material with the associated pottery being residual.
A study of the historic maps does not shed any light on the origin or purpose of this substantial drain and no structures are shown in its immediate vicinity. No other archaeological features were identified during the monitoring. However, due to the shallow nature of the overall reduction and the presence of masking deposits of subsoil across the site it is unknown whether further features were present or not. If so then they have been preserved in situ.