Holbeck Proposed Development Area, Leece Lane, Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria: Archaeological Desk-Based Assessment

Prior to the potential development of an area of land at Holbeck, off Leece Lane, Barrow-in-Furness, Greenlane Archaeology carried out an archaeological desk-based assessment of the site. The area comprises open fields to the east of the centre of Barrow-in-Furness, adjoining a recent housing development to the west, Leece Lane to the south, and the line of a former mineral railway leading to Stank. The HER records a total of nine sites of archaeological interest nearby, including a possible Neolithic settlement recorded during an archaeological evaluation carried out in advance of the construction of the new housing estate, a Bronze Age axe, a net sinker of uncertain age, and a number of remains of post-medieval date. In addition, a crop mark of uncertain date and a potentially interesting place-name were revealed in documentary sources during the desk-based assessment and two small areas of probable quarrying were revealed during the site visit. It is considered that, although the two sites of known archaeological interest identified within the proposed development area are of low significance, the site has some potential for previously unknown archaeological remains to be present. More specifically the work carried out in the adjoining field, which identified finds and features of Neolithic and possibly Mesolithic date, and other evidence of prehistoric and perhaps early medieval activity from the wider area demonstrate that there is potential for remains from these periods to be present within the proposed development area.

The full report will be made available on the Archaeology Data Service website.