VICTORIA STREET, ALTRINCHAM
by Pat Faulkner

HOME

 In an endeavor to locate evidence for early medieval settlement in Altrincham a small excavation was carried out during the Spring and Summer of 1980 prior to redevelopment in Victoria Street (formerly Well Lane). This report outlines the results of the excavation.

 Background
       The founding of Altrincham is assumed to have taken place in the vicinity of the Old Market Place during the Anglo-Saxon period. Victoria Street is situated off the Old Market Place at its junction with Church Street. The area made available for excavation had once contained several old cottages, believed to have been over two hundred years old at the time of demolition in 1932. 

Phase I, Area B
       Having removed the demolition rubble an area of laid flags/bricks, part of a yard to a Victorian dwelling, was uncovered. To the south-east of the yard was a well constructed ash/midden pit. The eastern end of the area was badly disturbed, but a number of post-holes and post-pits in line suggested a large structure, now identified as a 19th century stable. 

Phase II, Area A 
     Area A was the site of a demolished Coach House the base of which comprised a 15cm layer of concrete overlying a rubble hard core, laid on sand. The former entrance to the Coach House consisted of stone setts overlaid by tarmac. Excavation revealed a series of post-holes and construction trenches, probably for the posts of 17/18th century wooden structures, i.e. storage sheds. 

Phase III, Area D
      Area D - a small slope running north/south and situated west of Area produced a large cobbled area cut by two brick walls. To the east of this cobbling was a pit below which was found three sherds of medieval pottery dating to l4th/15th century, though these were probably brought in with leveling up material from elsewhere, as was the piece of Spanish Roman amphora found beneath the cobbling. A yard, formerly situated behind two old cottages, (demolished in 1932) and containing two Victorian “tilt-pan” toilets and a domestic well, was uncovered. One of the toilets, dating to the mid 19th century, was lifted intact and subsequently donated to the Ordsall Hall museum. A large midden, situated between the two Position of domestic well in relation to toilet area. toilets and capped with a concrete slab, contained a rich dark loam and was devoid of artefacts. At the bottom of the pit, however, were two small drainage channels directed north. Immediately to the west of the toilets were a number of vertical stone flags forming a three-sided oblong feature. At the base of the feature was a brick and sett pathway. After clearing away rubble the outline of a well was exposed.

Well
     The well was c.5m deep and lm wide, lined with hand-made bricks with two broken stone flags laid on clay at the bottom. A wooden frame of unplaned oak and forming a square internal frame, supported the circular brick structure. The timber had been hewn to conform with the circumference of the brickwork forming the well shaft. There was no evidence of the well having contained a pump. When the well was back-filled is not known, but it was still open in the late 19th century, as can be attested by some of the recovered datable pottery fragments.

Pottery
      Nearly 6,500 sherds of pottery were recovered. Almost a third of this amount, covering the 14th/19th centuries, came from all levels of the domestic well.