Bridge Road, Maidenhead,
Berkshire
An Archaeological Evaluation, phase 1
for Miller Homes Ltd
by Andy Taylor
Thames Valley Archaeological Services Ltd
Site Code BRM 04/56
January 2006
Summary
Site name: Bridge Road, Maidenhead, Berkshire
Grid reference: SU 8965 8120
Site activity: Evaluation, phase 1
Date and duration of project: 18th-25th January 2006
Project manager: Steve Ford
Site supervisor: Andy Taylor
Site code: BRM 04/56
Area of site: c.3.03ha
Summary of results: No deposits or finds of an archaeological nature were identified
Monuments identified: None
Location and reference of archive: The archive is presently held at Thames Valley Archaeological Services, Reading and will be deposited at Reading Museum in due course.
This report may be copied for bona fide research or planning purposes without the explicit permission of the copyright holder
Report edited/checked by: Steve Ford? 31.01.06
Steve Preston? 31.01.06
Bridge Road, Maidenhead, Berkshire
An Archaeological Evaluation, phase 1
by Andy Taylor
Report 04/56b
Introduction
This report documents the results of an archaeological field evaluation carried out at Bridge Road, Maidenhead, Berkshire (SU 8965 8120) (Fig. 1). The work was commissioned by Mr Kevin Miller of Miller Homes Limited, Spinacre House, Lime Tree Way, Hampshire International Business Park, Chineham, Basingstoke, Hampshire, RG24 8WF.
Planning permission (app no 04/41269), one of several recent applications, has been granted by The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead for the redevelopment of the site for 242 residential units and 4200 sq m of light industrial units. This consent is subject to a condition requiring a programme of archaeological work in the form of an evaluation. The phase one development which is the subject of the evaluation documented here comprises the area of the proposed residential development which occupies the northern portion of the site (Figs 1 and 2).
This is in accordance with the Department of the Environment's Planning Policy Guidance, Archaeology and Planning (PPG16 1990), and the Borough's policies on archaeology. The field investigation was carried out to a specification approved by Ms Fiona Macdonald, Principal Archaeologist with Berkshire Archaeology, advisers to the Royal Borough. The fieldwork was undertaken by Andy Taylor and Jenny Ryder between the 18th and 25th January 2006 and the site code is BRM 04/56. The archive is presently held at Thames Valley Archaeological Services, Reading and will be deposited at Reading Museum in due course.
A desk-top survey (Ford 2004) highlighted the archaeological potential of the site. In summary the site lies on the periphery of what is thought to be the historic medieval core of Maidenhead but is adjacent to the main (medieval and later) road from the major bridge crossing the Thames.
Location, topography and geology
The site is located to the east of Maidenhead town centre, at the junction of Bridge Road (to the north) and Oldfield Road (to the east). Beyond the western and southern boundaries are various industrial units and some residential properties and a public house on Oldfield Road. The site is currently wasteland with spoilheaps of concrete rubble across the site. The underlying geology is floodplain gravel (BGS 1974) and site lies at a height of approximately 25m above Ordnance Datum.
Archaeological background
The archaeological background of the site was highlighted in an earlier desk-based assessment (Ford 2004). Much of the site's potential stems from its location in the archaeologically rich Thames Valley. A number of sites have been identified from both field survey (Ford 1987) and the air (Gates 1975). At the time of Domesday Book (AD1086) Maidenhead was recorded as the small settlement of South Ellintone (Elentone or Aylington) and is of late Saxon origin. The name Maydenheth is first recorded in 1296 (VCH 1972) and its prosperity seems to have been related to the construction of a new bridge c. 1280. The northern boundary of the site lies on Bridge Street which leads from the town to the bridge.
Few prehistoric finds have been found from the area, mostly from the Thames. These comprise possible Mesolithic and Neolithic flint and stone axeheads, a Bronze Age bronze sword, dagger and spearheads. Human and animal bone has been found in the vicinity suggesting the presence of a burial site. Topographically the site occupies a gravel 'island' on the floodplain of the Thames with former river channels to the west and the Thames to the east. Such a location would have been a preferred location for settlement in prehistoric times. Several medieval sites and finds are recorded for the area, including a spoon dredged from the Thames and a late medieval structure, now a public house, which is a Grade II Listed Building. Several post-medieval listed buildings are also located within the vicinity of the site. A watching brief was carried out at 3 High Street, Maidenhead (Cass and Pine 2005), which revealed two pits, layers and a possible chalk surface.
Objectives and methodology
The purpose of the evaluation was to determine the presence/absence, extent, condition, character, quality and date of any archaeological deposits within the area of development.
Specific aims of the project were;
a) To determine if archaeologically relevant levels have survived on this site.
b) To determine if archaeological deposits of any period are present.
c) To determine if there is any prehistoric occupation on the site.
d) To determine if any medieval deposits are present reflecting occupation along the street frontage.
A total of 15 trenches were excavated measuring between 5.00m and 20.90m in length. These were dug by a JCB-type machine fitted with a toothless ditching bucket 1.6m wide. Some trenches had to be moved slightly from their original intended positions due to the presence of large spoilheaps and Trench 3 was abandoned due to the trench collapsing at a depth c.3m with natural geology not yet reached. This was in consultation with the monitor. All spoilheaps were monitored for finds.
A complete list of trenches giving lengths, breadths, depths and a description of sections and geology is given in Appendix 1.
Results (Figs 3 and 4)
Trench 1
This trench was 20m long and aligned east-west and was dug to a depth of 1.83m. It consisted of made ground (brick rubble) overlying an orange/brown silty clay overlying a grey silty clay overlying a gravelly clay natural. Live electricity cables were noted in the middle of the trench.
Trench 2
This trench was 18.5m long and aligned approximately north-south and was dug to a depth of 1.70m. It consisted of made ground overlying an orange/brown silty clay overlying a gravelly clay natural.
Trench 3
Trench 3 was 5m long and consisted of two layers of made ground (brick rubble overlying scalpings). The trench was dug to a depth of 2.80m but natural geology had not been reached and the trench sides collapsed. This trench was abandoned.
Trench 4
This trench was 20.1m long and aligned approximately east-west and was dug to a depth of 1.15m. The stratigraphy consisted of made ground overlying a grey silty clay overlying an orange/brown silty clay overlying gravel natural. Grubbed out footings were observed at 3.30m from the western end of the trench to the east end. These contained modern concrete and brick rubble.
Trench 5
This trench was 20.2m long and aligned approximately NE-SW and dug to a depth of 0.90m. It contained made ground overlying an orange/brown silty clay overlying both a clayey sand natural and gravel natural at the eastern end of the trench. Live electricity cables were observed at the western end of the trench.
Trench 6
Trench 6 was 20.9m long and aligned approximately north-south and was dug to a depth of 0.95m. The stratigraphy contained made ground overlying an orange/brown silty clay overlying gravel natural.
Trench 7 (Plate 1)
This trench was 20.6m long and aligned east-west and was dug to a depth of 1.20m. It consisted of made ground overlying an orange/brown silty clay overlying gravel natural. Grubbed out footings were observed along the length of the trench. Again these were noted to contain modern concrete and brick rubble.
Trench 8
Trench 8 was 20.3m long and aligned NW-SE and was dug to a depth of 0.72m. The stratigraphy consisted of made ground overlying a grey silty clay overlying gravel natural.
Trench 9
This trench was 20.1m long and approximately aligned north-south parallel to Trench 6. It was dug to a depth of 1.00m. The stratigraphy of the trench contained made ground overlying a brown silty clay overlying gravel natural.
Trench 10 (Plate 2)
This trench was 20m long and aligned approximately north-south and was dug to a depth of 1.35m. It consisted of made ground overlying a grey silty clay overlying an orange/brown silty clay overlying gravel natural.
Trench 11
Trench 11 was 20.2m long and aligned approximately NE-SW and dug to a depth of 1.05m. It contained made ground overlying a grey silty clay overlying a brown silty clay overlying gravel natural.
Trench 12
Trench 12 was 20.8m long and aligned approximately NE-SW and was dug to a depth of 1.10m. The stratigraphy consisted of made ground overlying a brown silty clay overlying gravel natural.
Trench 13
This trench was 20.5m long and aligned approximately north-south and was dug to a depth of 1.50m at the southern end of the trench. This sloped up to 0.75m at the northern end of the trench. The stratigraphy consisted of made ground directly overlying gravel natural.
Trench 14
Trench 14 was 20.1m long and aligned approximately NE-SW and was dug to a depth of 1.35m. At the western end of Trench 14 was a dark grey made ground overlying brick rubble made ground overlying gravel natural. The eastern end of the trench consisted of a dark made ground overlying scalpins overlying gravel natural.
Trench 15
This trench was 20m long and aligned approximately east west and dug to a depth of 0.80m. It contained made ground overlying a brown silty clay overlying gravel natural. Natural geology was not reached in the middle of the trench with up to 1.60m of made ground present.
Finds
No finds of archaeological interest were retrieved.
Conclusion
The evaluation did not reveal any deposits or finds of an archaeological nature on the site. Some of the site had already been severely truncated by previous building development and services and which had already removed any archaeology that may have been present. However, for other parts of the site the natural geology was in-situ though no archaeological deposits were revealed
References
BGS, 1974, British Geological Survey, 1:50000, Sheet 255, Solid and Drift Edition, Keyworth
Cass, S and Pine, J, 2005, 3 High Street, Maidenhead, Berkshire, Archaeological Watching Brief, Thames Valley Archaeological Services report 05/21, Reading
Ford, S, 1987, East Berkshire Archaeological Survey, Berkshire County Counc Dept Highways and Planning Occas Pap 1, Reading
Ford, S, 2004, Bridge Road, Maidenhead, Berkshire: An Archaeological Desk-Based Assessment, Thames Valley Archaeological Services report 04/56, Reading
Gates, T, 1975, The Thames Valley, An archaeological Survey of the River Gravels, Berkshire Archaeol Comm Pubn 1, Reading
PPG16, 1990, Archaeology and Planning, Dept of the Environment Planning Policy Guidance 16, HMSO
VCH, 1972, Victoria County History of Berkshire (reprint of 1923 edition) Vol 3, London
APPENDIX 1: Trench details
0m at S or W end
Trench No.
Length (m)
Breadth (m)
Depth (m)
Comment
1
20.00
1.80
1.83
0.00m-1.00m made ground (brick rubble); 1.00m-1.73m orangey brown silty clay; 1.73m-1.83m mid grey brown silty clay; 1.83m+ gravelley clay natural.
2
18.50
1.80
1.70
0.00m-0.90m made ground; 0.90m-1.65m orangey brown silty clay; 1.65m-1.70m + gravel natural.
3
5.00
1.80
2.80
0.00m-0.90m made ground; 0.90m-2.80m scalpings; Natural not reached.
4
20.10
1.80
1.15
0.00m-0.60m made ground; 0.60m-1.05m mid grey silty clay; 1.05m-1.15m orangey brown silty clay; 1.15m+ gravel natural.
5
20.20
1.80
0.90
0.00m-0.55m made ground; 0.55m-0.87m orangey brown silty clay; 0.87m-0.90m+ clayey sand and gravel at E end.
6
20.90
1.80
0.95
0.00m-0.55m made ground; 0.55m-0.85m orangey brown silty clay; 0.85m-0.95m+ gravel natural.
7
20.60
1.80
1.20
0.00m-0.30m made ground; 0.30m-1.18m orangey brown silty clay; 1.18m-1.20m+ gravel natural. [Plate 1]
8
20.30
1.80
0.72
0.00m-0.27m made ground; 0.27m-0.69m mid grey silty clay; 0.69m-0.72m+ gravel natural.
9
20.10
1.80
1.00
0.00m-0.63m made ground; 0.63m-0.97m mid brown silty clay; 0.97m-1.00m+ gravel natural.
10
20.00
1.80
1.35
0.00m-0.50m made ground; 0.50m-0.80m mid grey silty clay; 0.80m-1.35m orangey brown silty clay; 1.35m+ gravel natural. [Plate 2]
11
20.20
1.80
1.05
0.00m-0.70m made ground; 0.70m-0.82m dark grey silty clay; 0.82m-1.05m mid brown silty clay; 1.05m+ gravel natural.
12
20.80
1.80
1.10
0.00m-0.70m made ground; 0.70m-1.00m mid brown silty clay; 1.00m-1.10m gravel natural.
13
20.50
1.80
1.50 (S)
0.75 (N)
S End- 0.00m-1.45m made ground; 1.45m-1.50m+ gravel natural.
N End- 0.00m-0.72m made ground; 0.72m-0.75m+ gravel natural.
14
20.10
1.80
1.35
W End- 0.00m-0.35m dark grey made ground; 0.35m-1.30m brick rubble made ground; 1.30m-1.35m+ gravel natural.
E End- 0.00m-0.80m dark grey made ground; 0.80m-1.35m scalpings; 1.35m+ gravel natural.
15
20.00
1.80
0.80
1.60 (middle of trench)
0.00m-0.60m made ground; 0.60m-0.77m mid brown silty clay; 0.77m-0.80m+ gravel natural.
Middle of trench- 0.00m-1.60m made ground-natural not reached.
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Thames Valley Archaeological Services Ltd, 47-49 De Beauvoir Road, Reading RG1 5NR
Tel. (0118) 926 0552; Fax (0118) 926 0553; email tvas@tvas.co.uk; website : www.tvas.co.uk
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