LAND AT QUAKERS WALK DEVIZES WILTSHIRE · 2014. 10. 29. · Site Name: Quakers Walk Location:...

LAND AT QUAKERS WALK DEVIZES

WILTSHIRE

ARCHAEOLOGICAL EVALUATION

For

CARTER JONAS LLP

CA REPORT: 05122

JULY 2005

LAND AT QUAKERS WALK DEVIZES

WILTSHIRE

ARCHAEOLOGICAL EVALUATION

CA PROJECT: 1991 CA REPORT: 05122

Author: Mark Brett

Approved:

Signed:

Cliff Bateman

…………………………………………………………….

Issue: 01 Date: 22 July 2005

This report is confidential to the client. Cotswold Archaeology accepts no responsibility or liability to any third party to whom this report, or any part of it, is made known. Any such party relies upon this report entirely at their own risk. No part of this report may be reproduced by any means without permission.

© Cotswold Archaeology

Building 11, Kemble Enterprise Park, Kemble, Cirencester, Gloucestershire, GL7 6BQ Tel. 01285 771022 Fax. 01285 771033 E-mail: [email protected]

Land at Quakers Walk, Devizes, Wiltshire: Archaeological Evaluation © Cotswold Archaeology

CONTENTS

SUMMARY........................................................................................................................2

1. INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................. 3

The site ................................................................................................................ 3 Archaeological background.................................................................................. 4 Archaeological objectives .................................................................................... 4 Methodology ........................................................................................................ 4

2. RESULTS ............................................................................................................ 5

The Finds ............................................................................................................. 7 The Biological Evidence....................................................................................... 7

3. DISCUSSION....................................................................................................... 7

4. CA PROJECT TEAM ........................................................................................... 8

5. REFERENCES .................................................................................................... 8

APPENDIX 1: CONTEXT DESCRIPTIONS...................................................................... 10 APPENDIX 2: FINDS ........................................................................................................ 12

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

Fig. 1: Site location plan (1: 25,000)

Fig. 2: Trench location plan, showing archaeological features and cropmarks (1: 2500)

Fig. 3: Sections (1:50)

1


SUMMARY

Site Name: Quakers Walk

Location: Devizes, Wiltshire

NGR: SU 0100 6220

Type: Evaluation

Date: 11-14 July 2005

Location of Archive: Wiltshire Heritage Museum, Devizes

Site Code: QWD 05

An archaeological evaluation was undertaken by Cotswold Archaeology in July 2005 at the

request of Carter Jonas LLP on land at Quakers Walk, Devizes, Wiltshire. In compliance with

an approved Written Scheme of Investigation (CA 2005), nine trenches were excavated

within the proposed development area.

The evaluation identified a number of ditches, one of which contained a residual blade-like

flint of possible Mesolithic date. In addition, a large post-medieval ditch extended through

two of the evaluation trenches within the western part of the site. This latter feature

correlates well with one of a series of cropmarks that had previously been identified within

the proposed development area and plotted from aerial photographs. However, it is

noteworthy that physical evidence for the majority of the cropmarks was not observed during

the current works despite being targeted by evaluation trenches.

The evaluation has characterised the archaeological potential of the study area, and has

indicated that two ditches pre-dating the post-medieval period survive at a depth of

approximately 0.6m to 0.7m below the modern ground surface. It has also shown that post-

medieval ditches survive at depths of between 0.4m and 0.5m below the present ground

level. The paucity of archaeological features identified during the current works contrasts

markedly with the aerial photographic evidence suggesting that truncation of archaeological

deposits is a modern phenomenon and in all likelihood due to modern ploughing regimes.

2


1. INTRODUCTION

1.1 In July 2005 Cotswold Archaeology (CA) carried out an archaeological evaluation for

Carter Jonas LLP on land at Quakers Walk, Devizes, Wiltshire (centred on NGR: SU

0100 6220; Fig. 1). The evaluation was undertaken at the request of Wiltshire

County Council prior to the determination of an outline planning application for the

construction of approximately 230 new homes and a primary school.

1.2 The evaluation was carried out in accordance with a brief for archaeological

evaluation (WCC 2005) prepared by Sue Farr, Assistant Archaeologist, Wiltshire

County Council, the archaeological advisor to the Local Planning Authority (LPA),

and with a subsequent detailed Written Scheme of Investigation (WSI) produced by

CA (2005) that was approved by Sue Farr. The fieldwork also followed the Standard

and Guidance for Archaeological Field Evaluation issued by the Institute of Field

Archaeologists (1999), the Standards for Archaeological Assessment and Field

Evaluation in Wiltshire and the Management of Archaeological Projects II (EH

1991). It was monitored by Sue Farr, including a site visit on 13 July 2005.

The site

1.3 The proposed development area is approximately 11ha and comprises agricultural

land currently under a crop of maize. It is bounded to the north by residential

development fronting Roundway Park, to the east by residential development and

Wiltshire Police Authority Headquarters along London Road, and to the south and

west by agricultural land (Fig. 2). The site lies at approximately 135mm AOD and

slopes very gradually from both the north-east and south-west to a dry combe close

to the centre of the site.

1.4 The underlying geology of the area is mapped as Upper Greensand of the

Cretaceous period (GS 1959). During the evaluation this was encountered

throughout the site, except in the most northerly part, where the natural substrate

comprised a white Marl.

3


Archaeological background

1.5 Archaeological interest in the site arises from cropmark evidence indicative of a

possible enclosure at the southern end of the proposed development area. Further

cropmarks throughout the site appear to represent an undated field system. To the

south of the current site a number of finds have been recovered by metal

detectorists, including a fragment of a Late Bronze Age sword (SU06SE156) and a

medieval strap end (SU06SE485). A Neolithic flint knife (SU06SW156) and medieval

pottery sherds (SU06SW491) have also been discovered in this area. A lead coffin

(SU06SW306) dating to the Romano-British period was discovered in 1852 to the

north-east of the proposed development area.

Archaeological objectives

1.6 The objectives of the evaluation are to provide data on the date, character, quality,

survival and extent of the archaeological deposits within the application area in order

that an informed decision on their importance in a local, regional or national context

can be made. This information will clarify whether any remains are of sufficient

importance to warrant consideration for preservation in situ, or alternatively form the

basis of mitigation measures that may seek to limit damage to significant remains.

Methodology

1.7 The fieldwork comprised the excavation of 9 trenches (1-9; Fig. 2). Trenches 1, 4, 5,

6, 7 and 8 were each 50m long and 1.9m wide. Trench 2 was 80m in length and

1.9m in width, Trench 3 was 20m long and 1.9m wide, and Trench 9 measured

100m in length and 1.9m in width. Trenches 2, 4, 6, 8 and 9 were targeted on

cropmarks; Trench 5 was positioned to explore the extent of a further cropmark; with

trenches 1, 3 and 7 all being located in seemingly blank areas.

1.8 All trenches were excavated by mechanical excavator equipped with a toothless

grading bucket. All machine excavation was undertaken under constant

archaeological supervision to the top of the first significant archaeological horizon or

the natural substrate, whichever was encountered first. Where archaeological

deposits were encountered they were excavated by hand in accordance with CA

Technical Manual 1: Excavation Recording Manual (1996).

4


1.9 Deposits were assessed for their palaeoenvironmental potential and, where

appropriate, sampled and processed in accordance with CA Technical Manual 2:

The Taking and Processing of Environmental and Other Samples from

Archaeological Sites (2003). All artefacts recovered were processed in accordance

with CA Technical Manual 3: Treatment of Finds Immediately After Excavation

(1995).

1.10 The archive and artefacts from the evaluation are currently held by CA at their

offices in Kemble. Subject to the agreement of the legal landowner the site archive

(including artefacts) will be deposited with Wiltshire Heritage Museum, Devizes.

2. RESULTS

2.1 This section provides an overview of the evaluation results; detailed summaries of

the recorded contexts are to be found in Appendix 1, together with details of the

relative heights of the principal deposits and features expressed as metres Above

Ordnance Datum (m AOD).

2.2 Trenches 2, 3, 5 and 6 contained no archaeological features or deposits.

Trench 1 (Figs 2 and 3). 2.3 Ditch 102 cut the natural marl substrate and was aligned north-east/south-west (Figs

2 and 3). It was 1.6m wide and 0.35m in depth, with a broad, concave profile. It was

filled by a single clay deposit, 103, which contained frequent mollusc shells but no

dating evidence. The ditch was sealed directly by modern ploughsoil 100.

Trench 4 (Figs 2 and 3). 2.4 Ditch 402 was approximately 8m wide and contained a single deposit, 403,

representing general silting. Limited investigation of the feature recovered a single

residual sherd of mid 12th to 15th-century pottery alongside sherds of 17th to 19th-

century glazed red earthenware. The ditch represents a continuation of ditch 805

observed within Trench 8 (see section 2.7 below).

5


Trench 7 (Figs 2 and 3).

2.5 Ditch 704 lay on a north-west/south-east alignment and was at least 1.3m wide and

0.5m deep with a regular, broad V-shaped profile. It contained single fill 705 from

which a blade-like flint was recovered. This artefact possibly dates to the Mesolithic

period, although it is likely that it is a residual item deposited in a later feature. The

ditch and the natural substrate were sealed by subsoil 702 which in turn was

overlain by modern ploughsoil 701.

Trench 8 (Figs 2 and 3). 2.6 Ditch 803 was similar in character to ditch 704. It survived to a width of 1.25m and a

depth of 0.3m and had a similar broad V-shaped profile. It contained single fill 804

which was similar in colour and composition to that identified within ditch 704,

however it contained no dating evidence. As with ditch 704, ditch 803 was sealed by

subsoil 801 and the modern ploughsoil 800.

2.7 Ditch 805, revealed towards the western end of Trench 8, cut subsoil layer 801 (Fig.

3). It measured 7.4m in width and at least 0.6m in depth, and was aligned

approximately north/south. It had gently sloping sides and a rounded base, and

contained a single deposit, 806, representing general silting. A small assemblage of

finds, including sherds of 17th to 19th-century glazed red earthenware, was

recovered from the fill.

2.8 Ditch 805 was sealed by sandy silts 802 which had a distinctive red colour. This

material appeared to fill a localised hollow which the trench cut across at its western

end. Deposit 802 was 8m in length and approximately 0.5m thick and was cut at its

western extent by ditch 807. This latter feature was 2.9m wide and 0.95m deep and

had a slightly rounded V-shaped profile. It contained single fill 808 which again

appears to represent general silting, and from which finds including a fragment of a

19th-century glass bottle and a single residual flint flake were recovered. This

sequence of later features in Trench 8 was sealed directly by modern ploughsoil, up

to 0.65m thick.

Trench 9 2.9 A small isolated dump of material, including fragments of brick, clay pipe, glass and

animal bone, of probable Victorian date was revealed sealed directly by the modern

ploughsoil.

6


The Finds

2.10 Small quantities of pottery, animal bone, glass, clay tobacco pipe, flint, ceramic

building material and metal artefacts were recovered. A single sherd of medieval

Minety ware was recovered from ditch fill 403, but it is residual alongside sherds of

17th to 19th-century glazed red earthenware. Sherds of similar glazed red

earthenware were also recovered from fill 806. A base of a glass bottle recovered

from fill 808 is of likely 18th-century date.

2.11 Worked flint was recovered from ditch fills 705 and 808 with a further unstratified

example also retrieved. A patinated blade-like removal from fill 705 may be of

Mesolithic date. The remaining pieces consist of unpatinated flakes, which are most

likely to date to the Late Neolithic to Bronze Age periods. All the worked flint is

clearly re-deposited and all has suffered post-depositional damage to varying

degrees.

The Biological Evidence

2.12 Although assessed for their palaeoarchaeological potential, no deposits were

sampled during the course of this evaluation.

3. DISCUSSION

3.1 The earliest features identified, by virtue of their position in the stratigraphic

sequence sealed beneath the subsoil, were ditches 704 and 803. Although the

features are separated by a distance of over 100m and appear to lie on different

alignments, the similarity of their fills may suggest a degree of contemporaneity.

Ditch 704 contained a blade-like flint which may be Mesolithic in date, however it

has clearly become re-deposited into a later feature. The presence of these ditches

may indicate the earliest organisation of the landscape in this area, although it

remains unclear exactly when this may have been undertaken.

3.2 The only evidence of medieval activity within the proposed development area

comprises a single sherd of residual Minety ware pottery recovered alongside post-

medieval material in ditch 402.

7


Post-medieval

3.3 Ditches 402 and 805 undoubtedly represent the same feature which extends

through the western part of the site. This wide ditch is perhaps the most distinctive

feature visible on the 1971 aerial photograph from which the cropmarks depicted on

Figure 2 were mainly plotted. It would appear from the pattern of the cropmarks that

this feature, and at least some of the remaining cropmark features within and

beyond the current site, may be broadly contemporary and formed an enclosed

landscape. The alignment of Quakers Walk suggests that it cuts across this field

system. However, the function and origins of Quakers Walk itself remain

undetermined, although it is depicted on Andrews and Dury’s 1773 map of Devizes

suggesting the field system was at least partially redundant by this date.

3.4 The aerial photograph from which the majority of the cropmarks were plotted dates

to 1971. On this photograph, a number of the cropmarks appear relatively distinct,

however some are a little more ambiguous. It is perhaps surprising that the

evaluation trenching failed to identify all but one of these possible features.

However, since the photograph was taken the field is likely to have been ploughed

almost annually and it is possible that the majority of the features, which may have

been partially truncated at the time they were photographed have now been

completely removed by such modern farming methods.

4. CA PROJECT TEAM

Fieldwork was undertaken by Mark Brett, assisted by Emily King, Andrew Loader,

Kelly Saunders and Franco Vartuca. The report was written by Mark Brett and the

illustrations were prepared by Liz Hargreaves. The archive has been compiled by

Mark Brett, and prepared for deposition by Sam Inder. The project was managed for

CA by Cliff Bateman.

5. REFERENCES

GS (Geological Survey) 1959 Geological Survey of Great Britain (England and Wales),

Sheet 282: Devizes

CA (Cotswold Archaeology) 2005 Land at Quakers Walk, Devizes, Wiltshire: Written

Scheme of Investigation for an Archaeological Evaluation

8


WCC (Wiltshire County Council) 2005 Land at Quakers Walk, Devizes, Wiltshire:

Archaeological Brief for Field Evaluation

9


APPENDIX 1: CONTEXT DESCRIPTIONS

Trench 1 Present ground level: 138.91m – 139.14m AOD Top of natural substrate: 138.72m – 138.86m AOD

Context No Description Depth/thickness (m) 100 Topsoil. Mid grey-brown silty clay. Firm. <0.3 101 Natural substrate. Light off-white marl. Compact. Sterile. - 102 Ditch cut. Aligned NE/SW. Concave profile. 1.6m wide. 0.37 103 Single fill of ditch 102. Light brown silty clay. Compact. 0.37


Context No Description Depth/thickness (m) 201 Topsoil. Dark brown-grey sandy silt. Friable. 0.2 202 Subsoil. Mid orange-brown sandy silt with occasional

lenses/flecks of red silty sand and white marl. Compact. 0.4

203 Natural substrate. Greensand with patches of off-white marl. Compact.

-


Context No Description Depth/thickness (m) 300 Topsoil. Dark brown-grey sandy silt. Friable. 0.3 301 Subsoil. Mid grey-brown clay silt. Contains occasional flecks

of limestone, sand and charcoal. Compact. 0.1

302 Interface layer. Light brown-grey clay sand with green and off-white mottles. Compact-friable.

0.35

303 Natural substrate. Greensand with patches of orange iron-staining. Compact.

-


Context No Description Depth/thickness (m) 400 Topsoil. Mid red-brown sandy silt. Friable. 0.25 401 Subsoil. Mid green-yellow sandy silt. Compact. 0.25 402 Ditch cut. Aligned NNW/SSE. Same as ditch 805. Not fully

excavated. 6.9m wide. >0.4

403 Single fill of ditch 402. Dark green-grey silty sand. Friable. >0.4 404 Natural greensand substrate. -


Context No Description Depth/thickness (m) 500 Topsoil. Mid grey-brown silty clay. Firm. 0.3 501 Subsoil. Mid grey-green clay sand. Compact. 0.3 502 Interface layer. . Mid grey-green clay sand. Graduates from

subsoil material to natural greensand. 0.2

503 Natural greensand substrate. - Trench 6 Present ground level: 135.47m – 136.26m AOD Top of natural substrate: 134.90m – 135.71m AOD

Context No Description Depth/thickness (m) 601 Topsoil. Dark grey -brown sandy silt. Friable. 0.3 602 Subsoil. Mid orange-brown silty sand with frequent

lenses/flecks of red sand. Friable. 0.5

603 Natural greensand substrate. -

10



Context No Description Depth/thickness (m) 701 Topsoil. Mid red-brown sandy silt. Friable. 0.3 702 Subsoil. Dark yellow-brown sandy silt. Compact. 0.4 703 Natural greensand substrate. - 704 Ditch cut. Aligned E/W. Broad v-shaped profile. >1.3m wide. 0.45 705 Single fill of ditch 704. Dark red-grey sandy silt with orange

mottles. Compact. 0.45


Context No Description Depth/thickness (m) 800 Topsoil. Mid red-brown sandy silt. Friable. 0.3 801 Subsoil. Mid green-yellow sandy silt. Compact. 0.3 802 Deposit. Dark brown-red sandy silt with lenses of orange

sand. >8m wide. 0.5

803 Ditch cut. Aligned NNW/SSE. Shallow, concave profile. 1.2m wide.

0.3

804 Single fill of ditch 803. Mid orange-grey silty sand. Loose. 0.3 805 Ditch cut. Aligned NNW/SSE. Shallow sides dropping slightly

steeper towards centre of feature. 7.4m wide. 1.0

806 Single fill of ditch 805. Dark brown-grey silty sand. Loose. 1.0 807 Ditch cut. Aligned NNW/SSE. Broad v-shaped profile. 2.4m

wide. 0.95

808 Single fill of ditch 805. Dark green-grey silty sand. Loose. 0.95 809 Natural greensand substrate. -


Context No Description Depth/thickness (m) 901 Topsoil. Dark grey -brown sandy silt. Friable. 0.25 902 Subsoil. Mid orange-brown silty sand with frequent

lenses/flecks of red sand. Friable. 0.45

903 Natural greensand substrate. - 904 Deposit. Dump of modern (?Victorian) refuse below topsoil.

Contains animal bone, clay pipe, oyster shell and brick fragments.

<0.1

11


APPENDIX 2: FINDS

Context Description Count Wt (g) Spot-date

u/s Flint flake 1 3

403 Pottery; Minety ware, glazed red earthenware 3 10 Fe nail 2 6

C17-C19

705 Flint flake 1 6

806 Pottery; glazed red earthenware Animal bone Brick fragment Tile Plaster

3 1 1 1 1

21 18 25 97 34

Clay tobacco pipe 1 1

C17-C19

808 Bottle glass Flint flake Brick fragment Clay tobacco pipe

1 1 1 1

252 9

20 5

Plaster 1

10

C18

12

Wiltshire

SCALE PROJECT NO.

PROJECT TITLE

FIGURE TITLE

COTSWOLD ARCHAEOLOGY

N

FIGURE NO.

0 5km

Site

Land at Quakers Walk, Devizes,Wiltshire

Site location plan

1:25,000@A4 1991

Reproduced from the 1998 Ordnance Survey Explorer map with the permissionof Ordnance Survey on behalf of The Controller of Her Majesty's Stationery Office Crown copyright Cotswold Archaeological Trust AL50196A c

1

Tr 1

ditch 102

Tr 7

ditch 704

ditch 807

ditch 805ditch 803

Tr 8

Tr 4

ditch 402

Tr 2

Tr 3

Tr 5

Tr 6

Tr 9

622

623

624

625

011 012

SUSU

011 012

013 014

622

623

624

625

SCALE PROJECT NO.

PROJECT TITLE

FIGURE TITLE


N

FIGURE NO.

0 250m

site

evaluation trench showing archaeological features

cropmark


Trench location plan, showingarchaeological features and cropmarks

1:2500@A4 1991

Reproduced from the 2005 Ordnance Survey Superplan map with the permissionof Ordnance Survey on behalf of The Controller of Her Majesty's Stationery Office Crown copyright Cotswold Archaeological Trust AL50196A c

2

Trench 4; ditch 402

135mAOD

NE SW

topsoil 400

subsoil 401

403

ditch 402

139mAOD

NW SE

topsoil100

ditch 102

103

Trench 1; ditch 102

Trench 7; ditch 704

SW NE136mAOD

705

ditch 704

topsoil 800

subsoil 801

808

ditch 807

801

802

801

802

topsoil 800

806

ditch 805

subsoil 801

804

ditch 803

135.5mAOD

SW

NE

Trench 8; section

SCALE PROJECT NO.

PROJECT TITLE

FIGURE TITLE


FIGURE NO.0 5m


Sections

1: 50@A3 1991 3

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