Community Centre, Camps Road, Haverhill HVH 052
Application No. SE/04/2910/P TL 6705 4558
Oasis Reference: suffolkc1-4276 Report No. 2004/128
Summary
An archaeological monitoring of footing trenches for an extension at the Community Centre, Camps Road, Haverhill, located a possible pit, pre-dating the post-medieval period.
Introduction
A single visit was made to the site (Fig. 1), on 19th October 2004, to monitor the excavation of footing trenches for the construction of a small extension. The work was carried out to a Brief and Specification issued by Keith Wade (Suffolk County Council Archaeological Service, Conservation Team � appendix 1) to fulfil a planning condition on application SE/04/2910/P. The work was funded by the developer, Suffolk County Council (Property)
Interest in the site was based upon its location within the towns Anglo-Saxon and medieval Area of Archaeological Interest as defined in the County Sites and Monument Record. Therefore there was potential for evidence of these periods to be disturbed by the groundworks.
Methodology and Results
The footing trench, which measured up to 0.6m wide and 1.2m deep was observed while fully open. This showed a 0.6m thick layer of modern material overlying the natural subsoil of fine silt and gravel. The northern part of the trench contained modern disturbance.
A single feature, 0002, was observed within the footing trench, sealed beneath the modern layer and truncated by the modern disturbance to the north (Fig. 2). It was a large pit, measuring at least 1.2m deep and 1.4m wide. In section (Fig. 3) it had a steep sided cut but the base was not seen. The fill, 0003, was a grey/brown loam which contained fragments of oyster shell.
Discussion
The footing trenches showed a single pit, lying beneath a layer of modern topsoil and debris that probably dates from the 19th century. The feature itself is undated but may relate to Anglo-Saxon or medieval occupation in the area.
John Craven, November 2004
� Crown Copyright. All rights reserved. Suffolk County Council
Licence No. 100023395 2004.
� Crown Copyright. All rights reserved. Suffolk County Council The Stables
Licence No. 100023395 2004.
Library
P
Downs Chapel
Chapel
0 15 30
metres ROAD
66.6m
CAMPS
Figure 1. Site location plan
Modern disturbance
Pit 0002
0 2.5 5
metres
� Crown Copyright. All rights reserved. Suffolk County Council
Licence No. 100023395 2004.
Figure 2. Trench plan
Figure 3. Pit 0002
Appendix 1
SUFFOLK COUNTY COUNCIL
ARCHAEOLOGICAL SERVICE - CONSERVATION TEAM
Brief and Specification for Archaeological Monitoring
COMMUNITY CENTRE, CAMPS ROAD, HAVERHILL
1. Background
1.1 Planning permission to extend Haverhill Community Centre, Camps Road, has been granted conditional upon an acceptable programme of archaeological work being carried out (SE/04/2910/P). Assessment of the available archaeological evidence and the proposed foundation methods indicates that the area affected by new building can be adequately recorded by archaeological monitoring.
1.2 The proposal lies within the Area of Archaeological Interest defined for Haverhill town in the County Sites and Monuments Record and will involve significant ground disturbance.
1.3 As strip foundations are proposed there will only be limited damage to any archaeological deposits, which can be recorded by a trained archaeologist during excavation of the trenches by the building contractor.
2. Brief for Archaeological Monitoring
2.1 To provide a record of archaeological deposits which would be damaged or removed by any development [including services and landscaping] permitted by the current planning consent.
2.2 The main academic objective will centre upon the potential of this development to produce evidence for the medieval occupation of the site.
2.3 The significant archaeologically damaging activity in this proposal is the excavation of building footing trenches. These, and the upcast soil, are to be observed during and after they have been excavated by the building contractor.
3. Arrangements for Monitoring
3.1 The developer or his archaeologist will give the County Archaeologist (Keith Wade, Archaeological Service, Shire Hall, Bury St Edmunds IP33 2AR. Telephone: 01284 352440; Fax: 01284 352443) 48 hours notice of the commencement of site works.
3.2 To carry out the monitoring work the developer will appoint an archaeologist (the observing archaeologist) who must be approved by the Planning Authority�s archaeological adviser (the Suffolk County Council Archaeological Service).
3.3 Allowance must be made to cover archaeological costs incurred in monitoring the development works by the contract archaeologist. The size of the contingency should be estimated by the approved archaeological contractor, based upon the outline works in paragraph 2.3 of the Brief and Specification and the building contractor�s programme of works and timetable.
3.4 If unexpected remains are encountered, the County Archaeologist should be immediately informed so that any amendments deemed necessary to this specification to ensure adequate provision for recording, can be made without delay. This could include the need for archaeological excavation of parts of the site which would otherwise be damaged or destroyed.
4. Specification
4.1 The developer shall afford access at all reasonable times to both the County Archaeologist and
the �observing archaeologist� to allow archaeological observation of building and engineering operations which disturb the ground.
4.2 Opportunity should be given to the �observing archaeologist� to hand excavate any discrete archaeological features which appear during earth moving operations, retrieve finds and make measured records as necessary.
4.3 In the case of footing trenches unimpeded access at the rate of one and half hours per 10 metres
of trench must be allowed for archaeological recording before concreting or building begin. Where it is necessary to see archaeological detail one of the soil faces is to be trowelled clean.
4.4 All archaeological features exposed should be planned at a minimum scale of 1:50 on a plan showing the proposed layout of the development.
4.5 All contexts should be numbered and finds recorded by context as far as possible.
4.6 The data recording methods and conventions used must be consistent with, and approved by, the County Sites and Monuments Record.
5. Report Requirements
5.1 An archive of all records and finds is to be prepared consistent with the principles of Management of Archaeological Projects (MAP2), particularly Appendix 3.This must be deposited with the County Sites and Monuments Record within 3 months of the completion of work. It will then become publicly accessible.
5.2 Finds must be appropriately conserved and stored in accordance with UK Institute of Conservators Guidelines. The finds, as an indissoluble part of the site archive, should be deposited with the County SMR if the landowner can be persuaded to agree to this. If this is not possible for all or any part of the finds archive, then provision must be made for additional recording (e.g. photography, illustration, analysis) as appropriate.
5.3 A report on the fieldwork and archive, consistent with the principles of MAP2, particularly Appendix 4, must be provided. The report must summarise the methodology employed, the stratigraphic sequence, and give a period by period description of the contexts recorded, and an inventory of finds. The objective account of the archaeological evidence must be clearly distinguished from its interpretation. The Report must include a discussion and an assessment of the archaeological evidence. Its conclusions must include a clear statement of the archaeological value of the results, and their significance in the context of the Regional Research Framework (East Anglian Archaeology, Occasional Papers 3 & 8, 1997 and 2000).
5.4 A summary report, in the established format, suitable for inclusion in the annual �Archaeology in Suffolk� section of the Proceedings of the Suffolk Institute of Archaeology, should be prepared and included in the project report.
5.5 County Sites and Monuments Record sheets should be completed, as per the county SMR manual, for all sites where archaeological finds and/or features are located.
5.6 At the start of work (immediately before fieldwork commences) an OASIS online record http://ads.ahds.ac.uk/project/oasis/ must be initiated and key fields completed on Details, Location and Creators forms.
5.7 All parts of the OASIS online form must be completed for submission to the SMR. This should include an uploaded .pdf version of the entire report (a paper copy should also be included with the archive).
Specification by: Keith Wade
Suffolk County Council
Archaeological Service Conservation Team Environment and Transport Department
Shire Hall
Bury St Edmunds Suffolk IP33 2AR
Date: 4 October 2004 Reference: /Haverhill-CommunityCentre10
This brief and specification remains valid for 12 months from the above date. If work is not carried out in full within that time this document will lapse; the authority should be notified and a revised brief and specification may be issued.
If the work defined by this brief forms a part of a programme of archaeological work required by a Planning Condition, the results must be considered by the Conservation Team of the Archaeological Service of Suffolk County Council, who have the responsibility for advising the appropriate Planning Authority.