Digital Archive from an Archaeological Strip, Investigation and Sample at Harthill Reservoir, Harthill, South Yorkshire, October 2022 - January 2023

This collection comprises images, site records, specialist reports and site drawing from an archaeological evaluation at Harthill Reservoir, Harthill, South Yorkshire. Work was carried out by York Archaeology from October 2022 to January 2023. Harthill Reservoir is located to the west of Harthill, a village within the parish of Harthill with Woodall, close to the border with Derbyshire, in the metropolitan Borough of Rotherham, South Yorkshire. The reservoir was constructed between 1771 and 1796 as part of a series of reservoirs to supply water to the Chesterfield Canal which, it still continuously provides water to. The site was excavated to a level at which archaeological deposits were present. Through the first stage of investigation two drove way ditches were uncovered, likely to be late medieval in date. Five large drainage ditches to the north of the drove way suggest a temporary field system set up between Harthill and the village of Woodall. Two outlying linears suggest boundary ditches. A large pit seems likely to be a quarrying pit to extract limestone potentially to repair the drove way. Finally, several interconnecting smaller linear are perhaps part of the field drainage system. Through the second phase of investigations a continuation of one of the drove way ditches was uncovered. Two large east to west ditches were exposed perhaps used as field boundaries. Seven east to west drainage ditches suggest a continuation of the field systems present in the first stage of excavation.