This site was discovered by Phase 1 of the HLF funded Sunderland's Forgotten Stones project conducted by Castletown Action Group and overseen by Wardell Armstrong LLP. The excavation area measured 19 x 5m. Excavations revealed a late medieval stone built quayside 14.40m in length and c.1.4m width adjacent to the south-east bank of the River Wear in addition to a post medieval slipway. The quayside was formed by a quantity of large sub-rectangular worked and unworked stones.

Potential early medieval palaeoenvironmental remains were recovered in addition to evidence of medieval or post-medieval plough furrows.

Undated pits and gullies and two post-medieval drainage ditches. Linear 1 had a maximum width of 7m and depth of 0.26m, a heavily truncated east-west aligned gully with a length of c. 3.7m, 0.5m in width and depth of 0.18m, small pit 0.72m diameter and 0.3m deep, linear 2 was 1.9m wide and 0.3m deep and linear 31.6m wide and 0.32m in depth. The fill of linear 3 contained a sherd of redware pot which dates between the 17th and 18th century.

Probable prehistoric features were recorded during an evaluation in 2016 and subsequent excavations in 2018-19.

Three gullies were found during the evaluation in 2016. The first gully was orientated NW-SE and measured 0.7m wide and 0.1m deep. It had irregular sides and evidence of roots in the base suggesting that it was a robbed-out hedgerow. Its fill contained charred heather twigs and tuber rhizomes. The second was orientated NW-SE and was 0.67m wide and 0.08m deep with irregular sides and concave base. The fill of the gully contained heath grass, suggesting a late prehistoric date. The third gully ran north-south and again measured 0.67m wide and 0.08m deep with irregular sides and concave base. The fill of the gully contained spelt wheat, suggesting an Iron Age date. Gully 6 was radiocarbon dated to 2387 +- 26 BP (or between 696 and 397 cal BC) - the Iron Age.

including small pits or postholes. A Neolithic end scraper was found in one of the holes.

Remains of naked barley were recovered from the fill of a ditch terminus, a cereal crop normally associated with the Bronze Age or earlier).

A linear gully was recorded, 2.3m long, 0.72m wide and 0.07m deep. It had gently sloping sides and a rounded base. It was filled with loose friable clayey sandy silt with inclusions of gravel and lenses of yellow-brown silty clay. The gully was radiocarbon dated to the Iron Age.

A ring gully contained a limited amount of hammerscale and evidence of animal dung being burned as fuel. Two flint tools were recovered from the ring gully - a probable Mesolithic or early Neolithic broken blade and part of a Neolithic or Bronze Age fabricator tool. These are likely to be residual (i.e. not in-situ).

Environmental remains are suggestive of an Iron Age or Romano-British date.

In January 2019 a further area was excavated. The intersection of two previously-identified gullies was exposed.

Small blocks of possible medieval ridge and furrow are visible as earthworks in the small fields adjacent to the inn known as Clark’s Houses (Beehive Inn). Some parts have now been levelled.

Post medieval narrow ridge and furrow is visible as earthwork on historical air photos. These remains were located on the banks of Brierdene Burn. The course of the burn has been altered in this location and some of these ridges have need destroyed.

Extensive ridge and furrow is visible as earthworks and cropmarks in the fields to the north and west of Earsdon. Most of these plough ridges are broad and are likely to be of medieval origin, but some of the narrower ridge may be of post medieval origin. Areas relating to this HER number have now been levelled.

Cropmarks that may indicate the northern edge and corners of a small rectilinear enclosure are visible on air photos. The southern portion of this enclosure is obscured or truncated by disturbances associated with the East Hollywell Colliery. The enclosure is approximately 40m wide and of unknown length. This enclosure lies approximately 490m north of Brierdene Burn. The date of this feature is not known.

Two blocks of possible medieval ridge and furrow are visible as cropmarks on historical air photos. These remains are located in the fields to the south and east of Holywell Grange Farm.

A loose arrangement of ditches is visible as cropmarks on air photos. These features are located in the fields to the north, south and east of Holywell Grange Farm. The ditch at NZ3113 7338 appears to be a continuation of the extant boundary on the west of the road, however the date of these ditches is not known.