Stockton Heath Primary School - The Roman Archeological Dig Info & Pictures

Stockton Heath Primary School - Latest dig news

11/07/07 - Here are the links to all the latest "Earthworks" reports on the Roman dig to date from the official school website!.

Update Report 1 - http://www.stocktonheath.org/stock-arch-%20update%2001.pdf - Photos 1 - http://www.stocktonheath.org/stock-arch-photo01.pdf

Update Report 2 - http://www.stocktonheath.org/stock-arch-updqate02.pdf - Photos 2 - http://www.stocktonheath.org/stock-arch-photo02.pdf

Summary report Cheshire County Council - http://www.cheshire.gov.uk/Planning/NaturalHistoricEnvironment/Historic/NHE_HE_DL_Stocktonheath.htm

Update Report 3 - http://www.stocktonheath.org/stock-arch-update03.pdf

Update Report 4 - http://www.stocktonheath.org/stock-arch-update04.pdf

Update Report 6 - http://www.stocktonheath.org/stock-arch-update05.pdf - Intact Lined Roman Well found!

Here are the links to all the latest Videos recorded by Warrington Worldwide - Broadband recomended!

http://www.warrington.tv/movies/romantreasures.wmv

http://www.warrington.tv/movies/romantreasures2.wmv

http://www.warrington.tv/movies/romantreasures3.wmv

http://www.warrington.tv/movies/romantreasures4.wmv

http://www.warrington.tv/movies/romantreasures5.wmv - Intact Lined Roman Well found!

So one of the most significant Roman Sites in the North West!

24-06-07 - The Roman Archeological Dig Open Day Pictures - Click to see Larger Images!

East Side - Possible Buildings

West Side - Possible Buildings

East Side - Latest Dig Area

Possible Kiln or Bread Oven

Cicular Pit

Circular Pit - Close up

Roman Road West Side

Roman Road East Side - Stone Edging ??

An Air raid shelter base

Notice - The Sand Line sloping towards the School

The other side

Possible Ditch?

View West to East accross the Road

Some "Extraordinary Finds

Possible Cremation Urns in Situe

Possible Cremation Urns in Situe 2

Another Urn in Situe

Being dug up

Even the tarmac goes up over the Road!

The locally listed Stockton Heath Primary School & surroundings

The origins of Stockton Heath lie in the industrial settlement established in Roman times at Wilderspool, which lies just north of the Stockton Heath Primary School. Even today “Roman Road” is kept alive directly off Ellesmere Road, Stockton Heath. The line of this road runs straight through the centre of the school play ground and building and can be seen as a fine dotted line on early Ordinance Surveys Maps.

A statue of Minerva was discovered close by the school wall in Roman Road.

For much of its existence the “Heath” was just that; a large sweep of open land divided by two roads with the prominent peaks of Hill Cliffe in the distance.

The Land as it was

In Roman times the area of Stockton Heath was of high importance and the area with industry and a quay side for river and sea access.
There are many signs that the Romans were settled for a long period of time and many signs still exist in the area.
The below map kindly produced from Mark Olly's book "Celtic Warrington" and shows both Roman and Modern landmarks.

Stockton Heath Area - Roman Quayside with modern landmarks

Click on map to view full size

The below 2nd map shows all the possible buildings that were in the area and dock area.

Stockton Heath Area - Circ 150 AD Roman Quayside

Click on map to view full size

The School Site

The School site has long been recognised as a significant site with the road from the Roman settlement around Wilderspool passing through a central point of the school building and playground. This roman road travels south towards Hill Cliffe high point then turns east to follow the route followed by the A49 south.
Mark Olly, archaeologist, who recently had “Lost Treasures” featured on Granada TV has done previous digs on a property lying immediately east of the school and suggests that an earlier route of the Mersey flowed through the school grounds and could well have been the site of a Roman bridge. (picture below)
the following is from Mark Olly’s book
“It is yet another of Warrington’s spiritual mystifications that a Cheshire County Council School (Stockton Heath Junior School), opened on the 2nd May 1910, should now sit at the very precincts of the Roman Temple of Minerva. It was under Minerva’s special care that schools were placed two thousand years ago, with Roman school children having their holidays during her festivals!

The Roman road vanishes under the foundations of the school, which Mark Olly believes also sits over the ancient course of the River Mersey, so far identified, and, therefore, indicates the location of the Roman Bridge, which brought the original A49 road to the port complex
This would be an amazing find if it could be located.

Stockton Heath Area - Roman Bridge 280AD

Click on Bridge to view full size

The statue of the Roman God Minerva was discovered almost on the boundary of the school in line with this early approach to the site where the school lines now. (See “Celtic Warrington” by Mark Olly).

Recently the Romans returned to Stockton Heath and paraded around the School and Village

See Their Website www.romantoursuk.com

The Romans at Stockton Heath Community Primary School 1

The Romans at Stockton Heath Community Primary School 2

The Romans at Stockton Heath Village

After the Romans

It was the Canal Age of the late eighteenth century, which was to provide both the stimulus for the hamlet to grow and the means of defining its eventual boundaries. To the north ran the Old Quay Canal (better known locally as the Black Bear Canal) linking Warrington with the Mersey estuary. To the south the Bridgewater Canal provided the boundary and with the quay established at London Bridge, a trans-shipment point for goods and passengers.

The Manchester Ship Canal cut through the village in the 1890’s like a great moat, separating, in those days, Lancashire from Cheshire, and isolating Stockton Heath from Wilderspool. It was this man-made barrier that encouraged the growth of the village as a suburb of Warrington. (During the cutting many artifacts and evidence supporting the Roman and earlier settlement were discovered).

As the village grew so did its needs and before long the Church School, St. Thomas’ became too small and was supplemented by a large new school, that which we now call the Stockton Heath Primary School. Back in its early days it catered for primary and secondary education. Juniors downstairs and Seniors upstairs.

The School

Architect: Joseph Holt ARIB

Contractors: Messrs C W Davenport & Sons
Building costs £9,000 to £10,000
School opened on 2nd May 1910.
Opening ceremony conducted by: Mr S Woodward, (this gent had represented the parish of Kingsley for many years on the Runcorn Board of Guardians and Rural District Council).
Mention was made at the opening ceremony by H J Westbrook, (Solicitor and writer of the early 20c history of Stockton Heath) on how he regarded the new schools as a very valuable addition to the architectural features of the parish.

Surrounding Area of School

The School has as its boundary “Brackley Street” to its west, Egerton to the east and West Avenue to the South. The photograph enclosed is the south view facing West Avenue. West Avenue runs east for a short distance and runs into the Conservation Area with the Grade II Listed Red Lion Public House having its side wall actually in West Avenue and its front in London Road the A49.

Directly on running into the Conservation Area from West Avenue you are facing another grade II listed building The Mulberry Tree Public House. A building designed at about the same time as the Stockton Heath Primary. Alongside the Mulberry Tree Public House is another Grade II listed building – The Police Station. All closely positioned to the West Avenue entrance on London Road. This is probably why H. J. Westbrook made mention of the school being a valuable addition to the architecture of the area.

Earthworks Archaeology have conducted preliminary work in August 05

here is the link Earthwork Archaeology site

Site
Stockton Heath Primary School, Warrington. 2005. Evaluation.

Project
The school lies on the former line of a Roman road that ran south from the important Roman settlement at Wilderspool. There are plans to either extend the school or rebuild on the same site and, accordingly, as part of the planning process, a programme of archaeological evaluation was deemed necessary.

Trial trenching confirmed that the Roman road survives virtually undisturbed either side of the existing school building. Roadside structures and outlying rubbish pits were also recorded. The management of the remains identified will be considered during any future development on the site.

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