CONTENTS
List of Illustrations
Summary
Glossary
1 INTRODUCTION
2 PROJECT BACKGROUND
3 AIMS
4 METHODOLOGY
5 RESULTS
6 NATURE OF THE RECORD
7 CONCLUSIONS
8 BIBLIOGRAPHY
9 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
Figure 1: Site Location
Figure 2: Site Plan
Figure 3: Location of 1643 Battle
Figure 4: Plan and Section of Foundation Trenches
SUMMARY
In March 2004 Foundations Archaeology was commissioned to undertake an archaeological watching brief to monitor groundworks at Oak Tree Cottage, 4 Wheatlands Lane, Newbury, West Berkshire (NGR: SU 452 648).
The archaeological works comprised the monitoring of machine excavated foundation trenches for a new detached garage. As the study area was located at the site of the first Civil War battle of Newbury, it was also required that all spoil-tips were scanned by metal detector.
The monitoring works revealed a series of modern levelling layers associated with previous construction of the shed and driveway for the house. No other archaeological finds or features were present within the study area.
GLOSSARY OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL TERMS AND ABBREVIATIONS
Archaeology
For the purpose of this project, archaeology is taken to mean the study of past human societies through their material remains from prehistoric times to the modern era. No rigid upper date limit has been set, but AD 1900 is used as a general cut-off point.
CBM
Ceramic Building Material.
English Civil War
Two periods of conflict between the Royalists and the Parlimentarians, from 1642 to 1646 and 1648 to 1649.
Medieval
The period between the Norman Conquest (AD 1066) and circa AD 1500.
Natural
In archaeological terms this refers to the undisturbed natural geology of a site, in this case the natural is sands and gravels.
NGR
National Grid Reference from the Ordnance Survey Grid.
OD
Ordnance datum; used to express a given height above sea level.
OS
Ordnance Survey
1 INTRODUCTION
1.1 In March 2004 Foundations Archaeology undertook an archaeological watching brief to monitor groundworks at Oak Tree Cottage, 4 Wheatlands Lane, Newbury, West Berkshire (NGR: SU 452 648). The works were commisioned by the land owners Mr. Ilott and Ms Cockerill.
1.2 The watching brief was undertaken in response to a proposal to build a new detached garage at Oak Tree Cottage, 4 Wheatlands Lane, Newbury (Planning Application 03/02372/HOUSE).
1.3 The watching brief was undertaken in accordance with the Standard and Guidance for Archaeological Watching Briefs issued by the Institute of Field Archaeologists (1994, revised 2001), Archaeological Guidance Paper 4: Archaeological Watching Briefs: (guidelines) issued by English Heritage (London Region), the Project Design prepared by Foundations Archaeology (2004) and approved by West Berkshire Council.
1.4 This document presents the findings of the archaeological watching brief and conforms to the specification set out in Appendices 4 and 5 of The Management of Archaeological Projects (English Heritage 1991).
2 PROJECT BACKGROUND
2.1 The study area is bounded to the south by Wheatlands Lane and to the east by Enborne Street.
2.2 The site lies within the area of the First Battle of Newbury, which was fought on 20th September 1643, during the English Civil War (Figure 3).
2.3 The study area therefore has the potential for the preservation of archaeological features and deposits; particularly those associated with the Civil War battle. The watching brief remit, however, covered the possible discovery of finds and features of all periods.
3 AIMS
3.1 The aims of the watching brief were to gather high quality data from the direct observation of archaeological deposits in order to provide sufficient information to establish the nature, extent, preservation and potential of any surviving archaeological remains.
3.2 These aims were to be achieved by the pursuit of the following specific objectives as stated in the Project Design (Foundations Archaeology 2004).
i) to define, identify and record any archaeological deposits within the site area, and date these where possible.
ii) to attempt to characterise the nature of the archaeological sequence and recover as much information as possible about the spatial patterning of features present on the site.
iii) where possible to recover a well dated stratigraphic sequence and recover coherent artefact, ecofact and environmental samples.
4 METHODOLOGY
4.1 All significant groundworks within the study area were observed by an archaeologist. The groundworks consisted of mechanically excavated garage foundation trenches, equipped with a toothed ditching bucket. When features or deposits of potential archaeological significance were noted, they were closely examined, defined, manually excavated and recorded to appropriate standards.
4.2 All resulting spoil was then scanned with a metal detector.
5 RESULTS
5.1 The foundation trenches were cut to an average width of 0.60m and depth of 1.10m on to the undisturbed, load bearing geology. The natural sands and gravels were encountered at an average depth of circa 0.55m from the modern ground surface.
5.2 The natural deposits were overlaid by a mid to dark brown/grey sandy silt (104), up to 0.20m thick. No artefactual material was present within this context.
5.3 Present only at the northwest end of the site was a shallow, flat-based cut [107]. this was visible for a minimum length of 6m, depth of 0.27m and cut through layer (104). The cut contained two layers, modern hardcore layer (102), up to 0.15m thick, which consisted of a mix of crushed CBM, concrete and sand. Layer (102) was in turn overlaid by a layer of concrete hardstanding (101), up to 0.13m thick.
5.4 Present to the south of layers (102) and (101) was modern cut [106] for the oil and electricity service pipes. The feature was cut through both (104) and the natural substrates. The cut was 1.50m wide, 0.80m deep, with a mixed dark brown sandy silt fill (105), which contained frequent gravels and CBM fragments.
5.5 Directly south of and abutting layers (102) and (101) was layer (103). Context (103) was a compacted gravel layer, up to 0.13m thick. Layer (103) sealed [106] and (104).
5.6 No archaeological finds or features were present within the study area. The metal detecting scans of the spoil-tips yielded only modern metal artefacts.
6 NATURE OF THE RECORD
6.1 The stratigraphic archive for the site consists of the following elements:
Context Sheets
Plans
Sections
6.2 The on-site methodologies used to recover any evidence were set out in the Foundations Archaeology Project Design (2004). In summary, the following excavation methods were utilised: observation of all substantial groundworks associated with the construction of the new dwelling. The groundworks were undertaken by contractors both manually and by machine. All site recording was undertaken in accordance with the Project Design (2004) and Foundations Archaeology Technical Manual 3 (Excavation Manual). All site records are available in the site archive.
6.3 Following the completion of the Watching Brief an ordered, indexed, and internally consistent site archive has been complied in accordance with Appendix 3 of The Management of Archaeological Projects (English Heritage 1991).
7 CONCLUSIONS
7.1 In general, ground conditions were amenable to archaeological investigation and interpretation.
7.2 No archaeological features were present within the excavated areas.
7.3 Layers (102) and (101) were constructed to provide hardstanding for an extant shed. Layer (103) was constructed to provide a driveway.
7.3 With the exception of modern material, the site was completely devoid of artefactual evidence and charcoal. The metal detector scans of the excavated soils did not yield any evidence from the Civil War battle of 1643.
7.4 The watching brief was the most appropriate response to development due to the potential for archaeological deposits associated with the First Newbury Battle of 1643.
8 BIBLIOGRAPHY
Foundations Archaeology 2004 Oak Tree Cottage, Newbury: Archaeological Watching Brief :Project Design.
IFA 1994 (revised 2001) Standard and Guidance for Archaeological Watching Briefs. Institute of Field Archaeologists
9 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Foundations Archaeology would like to thank Sarah Orr and Mike Lang Hall at West Berkshire Archaeological Service and the landowners Mr. Ilott and Ms Cockerill for their co-operation and assistance during the underaking of the work.
Oak Tree Cottage, Newbury: Archaeological Watching Brief
(c) Foundations Archaeology
109 Albion Street, Swindon, Wilts SN1 5LP
Tel/Fax 01793 525993 Email admin@foundations.co.uk