2007 PROJECT SELECTION

Upper Brook Street, Ulverston, Cumbria: Archaeological Building Recording, Watching Brief, and Evaluation

Site showing environs, with warehouse on the right

As a result of proposals by Aquine Ltd to construct a group of domestic dwellings on the site of a former shop on Upper Brook Street, Ulverston a programme of archaeological recording was required as a condition of planning permission. This condition was set by South Lakeland District Council, following a recommendation by Cumbria County Council Historic Environment Service. This involved the recording of a warehouse on the site that was to be incorporated into the development and an evaluation of the rest of the plot. Due to the necessity to construct a new retaining wall prior to the commencement of any work on site a watching brief was also carried out during the excavation of its footings. The site is situated close to the centre of the medieval core of Ulverston and is known to have been occupied by the 'New Brewery', which was established shortly before 1802, and expanded to the east in the early 19th century.

Truss present within the warehouse

Remains of the winding mechanism within the warehouse

The warehouse does not appear to have initially formed part of the brewery, and cartographic sources show that it was constructed between 1832 and 1852. It was one of many that were present in the town during its industrial heyday, and it had evidently retained much of its original form. The building recording revealed several phases of alteration, many of which related to the alteration of adjoining buildings forming part of the brewery, and the need for repairs and modernisation. Many original features had survived, however, such as the truss and elements of the winding mechanism.

Slate-covered brick-built culvert and stone wall from the early 19th century brewery

The evaluation revealed brick and stone built walls and a brick culvert that closely matched buildings making up the brewery, as depicted on a detailed plan of the site dated c1854. Very few finds were recovered, although a coin, identified as a George III halfpenny dated 1806-1807 by its distinctive ribbed edge (a measure intended to confound counterfeiters) was discovered in the demolition rubble. It is evident that in order to construct the brewery the steeply sloping ground had been substantially terraced, removing any traces of earlier activity, although a stone culvert, perhaps constructed as part of the building of the brewery, was revealed at considerable depth during the watching brief.

Corroded halfpenny of George III dated 1806-1807 - the distinctive ribbed edge allowed easy identification