Carrick Council Offices Site Pydar Street, Truro, Cornwall - Archaeological Desk-Based Assessment

Wessex Archaeology

The desk based assessment has demonstrated that there is a low potential for the survival of Palaeolithic, Mesolithic and Neolithic material on the Site. The likelihood for Iron Age, Roman and Post-Roman Dark Age material is considered to be moderate to low.

The greatest potential for archaeological remains on the Site lies in the medieval, Postmedieval and modern periods. The Site lay within the known extents of the medieval and Postmedieval town, and known developments include a 17th century almshouse, an 18th century prison and workhouse, a hospital and mortuary. There is also obviously a potential for other medieval and Post-medieval settlement in addition to these buildings, possibly dating as far back as the 12th or 13th centuries. There are significant questions, however, regarding how these archaeological remains may have been affected by modern truncation.

The likely survival of archaeological remains and deposits is likely to be strongly influenced by the depth of any truncation the Site has suffered, along with the potential protective benefits which may have occurred from material dumped on the Site in order to level certain areas or by alluviation. The level of this truncation is not only likely to influence the assessment of the archaeological potential for the Site, but also to influence any requirement for further archaeological investigation to mitigate the effects of the proposed development.