Land at Warleys Lane West Wick
Weston-Super-Mare North Somerset
Archaeological Evaluation
for
CgMs
on behalf of
Tand Advisory Corporation Ltd
CA Project: 6452
CA Report: 17669
November 2017
Land at Warleys Lane
West Wick Weston-Super-Mare
North Somerset
Archaeological Evaluation
CA Project: 6452 CA Report: 17669
Document Control Grid
Revision Date Author Checked by Status Reasons for revision
Approved by
A 29 November 2017
Christopher Leonard
Laurent Coleman
Client review
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
© Cotswold Archaeology
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Land at Warleys Lane, West Wick, Weston-Super-Mare, North Somerset: Archaeological Evaluation
CONTENTS
SUMMARY ..................................................................................................................... 2
1. INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................ 3
2. ARCHAEOLOGICAL BACKGROUND ................................................................ 3
3. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ................................................................................... 4
4. METHODOLOGY ............................................................................................... 5
5. RESULTS (FIGS 2–3) ........................................................................................ 5
6. DISCUSSION ..................................................................................................... 6
7. CA PROJECT TEAM .......................................................................................... 7
8. REFERENCES ................................................................................................... 8
APPENDIX A: CONTEXT DESCRIPTIONS .................................................................... 9
APPENDIX B: LEVELS OF PRINCIPAL DEPOSITS ....................................................... 9
APPENDIX C: OASIS REPORT FORM .......................................................................... 10
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
Fig. 1 Site location plan (1:25,000)
Fig. 2 Trench location plan (1:250)
Fig. 3 Trench 1, section (1:20) and photograph
Fig. 4 Trench 2, photograph
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Land at Warleys Lane, West Wick, Weston-Super-Mare, North Somerset: Archaeological Evaluation
SUMMARY
Project Name: Land at Warleys Lane
Location: West Wick, Weston-Super-Mare, North Somerset
NGR: 337442 162236
Type: Evaluation
Date: 8 November 2017
Planning Reference: 17/P/2283/O
Location of Archive: To be deposited with Somerset Heritage Service
Site Code: WLWW 17
An archaeological evaluation was undertaken by Cotswold Archaeology in November 2017
on land at Warleys Lane, West Wick, Weston-Super-Mare, North Somerset. Two trenches
were excavated.
The evaluation revealed a sequence of alluvial layers, probably starting from the prehistoric
period. A thin layer of dark grey clay containing some organic content was probably a
stabilised land surface dating to the later prehistoric or Roman periods.
No cut features or artefacts were identified during the evaluation.
© Cotswold Archaeology
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Land at Warleys Lane, West Wick, Weston-Super-Mare, North Somerset: Archaeological Evaluation
1. INTRODUCTION
1.1 In November 2017 Cotswold Archaeology (CA) carried out an archaeological
evaluation for CgMs on behalf of Tand Advisory Corporation Ltd on land at Warleys
Lane, West Wick, Weston-Super-Mare, North Somerset (centred at NGR: 337442
162236; Fig. 1). The evaluation was undertaken to accompany a planning
application to North Somerset Council (NSC; ref: 17/P/2283/O) for the construction
of up to 8 dwellings and associated landscaping. Cat Lodge, County Archaeologist,
NSC recommended that an archaeological evaluation of the site be undertaken prior
to determination of the planning application.
1.2 The evaluation was carried out in accordance with a detailed Written Scheme of
Investigation (WSI) produced by CA (2017) and approved by Cat Lodge. The
fieldwork also followed Standard and guidance: Archaeological field evaluation (CIfA
2014).
The site
1.3 The proposed development area is approximately 0.32ha, and comprises vacant
undeveloped land on the north-eastern outskirts of Weston-Super-Mare. The site is
bounded to the east by Warleys Lane and a supermarket warehouse, to the south
by Scot Elm Drive, to the west by the B3440 and fields adjoining recent residential
developments, and to the north by scrubland to the south of the A370 junction with
the M5 motorway. The site lies at approximately 6m AOD.
1.4 The underlying bedrock geology of the area is mapped as Mercia Mudstone Group -
Mudstone and Halite-stone of the Triassic Period, with overlying Tidal Flat Deposits -
Clay, Silt and Sand of the Quaternary Period (BGS 2017).
2. ARCHAEOLOGICAL BACKGROUND
2.1 The area surrounding Weston-Super-Mare is known to have been actively settled
since the Neolithic period, although most of the evidence for prehistoric activity
comes from close to the Scheduled Monument at Worlebury Hillfort, approximately
5km north-west of the site (CA 2017). A possible Iron Age urned cremation has been
excavated at Scot Elm Drive, immediately to the south of the site (MNS6970) and
late prehistoric features were uncovered next to the West Wick bypass (MNS7811).
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Land at Warleys Lane, West Wick, Weston-Super-Mare, North Somerset: Archaeological Evaluation
2.2 Excavations at St Georges (MNS8953), approximately 800m north-east of the site,
revealed a substantial late 1st-century salt making site. The site comprised part of a
network of salt production sites on the Somerset levels in the later prehistoric and
Roman periods, perhaps starting as early as the Bronze Age (Cox and Holbrook
2009). The excavations identified one or more salterns and an important collection
of briquetage. In the later Roman period a series of drainage ditches was dug,
probably transforming the site into an embanked freshwater environment (ibid.). An
evaluation at Bristol Road, approximately 250m north-west of the site identified
further evidence of Roman salt production, along with contemporary drainage
ditches and palaeochannels (CA 2010).
2.3 Further evidence for Roman activity in the area surrounding the site come from the
identification of ditches at Scot Elm Drive (MNS6969), field systems at Westacres
Farm (MNS4832) and Roman pottery and bone finds at Locking Castle Business
Park (MNS2743), where preserved peat layers were also encountered (MNS2742
and MNS2744). Archaeological works in the area have also identified a thin layer of
organic clay at between 4m and 5m AOD, which was probably a buried Roman land
surface.
2.4 The place name Wick is likely to have derived from the Anglo-Saxon for ‘dwelling’ or
‘fortified place’ and suggests the presence of a settlement of this date. Evaluations
to the south of the site have provided evidence for early medieval activity, as well as
post-medieval settlement.
2.5 Historic mapping indicates that the site has been farmland throughout the post-
medieval and modern periods (NLS 2017).
3. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES
3.1 The objectives of the evaluation were to provide information about the
archaeological resource within the site, including its presence/absence, character,
extent, date, integrity, state of preservation and quality, in accordance Standard and
guidance: Archaeological field evaluation (CIfA 2014). This information will enable
NSC to identify and assess the particular significance of any heritage asset,
consider the impact of the proposed development upon it, and to avoid or minimise
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Land at Warleys Lane, West Wick, Weston-Super-Mare, North Somerset: Archaeological Evaluation
conflict between the heritage asset’s conservation and any aspect of the
development proposal, in line with the National Planning Policy Framework (DCLG
2012).
4. METHODOLOGY
4.1 The fieldwork comprised the excavation of two trenches in the locations shown on
the attached plan (Fig. 2). Due to on site constraints the locations of the trenches
were altered slightly: Trench 1 was T-shaped, measuring 20m by 1.8m on its north-
west/south-east axis and 5m by 1.8m on its north-east/south-west axis. Trench 2
measured 25m by 1.8m. The trench layouts were altered with the approval of Cat
Lodge. Trenches were set out on OS National Grid (NGR) co-ordinates using Leica
GPS and surveyed in accordance with CA Technical Manual 4 Survey Manual.
4.2 Both 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.
Where archaeological deposits were encountered they were excavated by hand in
accordance with CA Technical Manual 1: Fieldwork Recording Manual.
4.3 Deposits were assessed for their palaeoenvironmental potential in accordance with
CA Technical Manual 2: The Taking and Processing of Environmental and Other
Samples from Archaeological Sites; no deposits were identified that required
sampling.
4.4 The archive from the evaluation is currently held by CA at their offices in Kemble
and will be deposited with Somerset Heritage Service. A summary of information
from this project, set out within Appendix C, will be entered onto the OASIS online
database of archaeological projects in Britain.
5. RESULTS (FIGS 2–3)
5.1 This section provides an overview of the evaluation results; detailed summaries of
the recorded contexts are to be found in Appendix A. The relative heights of the
principal deposits expressed in metres AOD and depth below present ground level
(bpgl) are detailed in Appendix B.
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Land at Warleys Lane, West Wick, Weston-Super-Mare, North Somerset: Archaeological Evaluation
5.2 The earliest layer identified was blue grey silt clay deposit 106/204, which was
present in both trenches. The layer was at least 0.53m thick, although the base was
not seen in either trench. This grey silt deposit was consistently overlain by a thin
layer of dark grey clay containing some organic content, 105/203, which varied
between 0.1m and 0.12m in thickness and was probably a former ground surface or
stabilisation deposit.
5.3 In both trenches the probable former ground surface was overlain by further alluvial
silting deposit 104/202, which was grey blue in colour, up to 0.49m thick and
contained small white mineral inclusions. In Trench 1 this was overlain by 103, a
mottled blue grey alluvial deposit, 0.24m thick, containing frequent manganese
inclusions; however this was not identified in Trench 2. Deposits 103 and 202 were
overlain by the uppermost alluvial layer, 102/201, which was mottled yellow grey in
colour and 0.17m to 0.26m thick.
5.4 In Trench 1 a hollow in alluvial layer 102 near the centre of the trench preserved a
0.16m thick deposit of modern topsoil 101, which was not present anywhere else.
Across the site all deposits were sealed by up to 0.53m of light pink crushed stone
forming the present ground surface.
5.5 No artefacts were recovered from any of the deposits encountered during the
evaluation.
6. DISCUSSION
6.1 The earliest blue grey tidal flat deposit (106/204) appears to correspond to the upper
Wentlooge Formation identified in a model of the alluvial sequence of the area
based on a number of previous archaeological investigations (Rippon 2006). This
deposit is considered to have been laid down by marine action during the later
prehistoric period in an intertidal salt marsh environment.
6.2 Layer 105/203 was a thin spread of dark grey clay at the upper interface of the
Wentlooge alluvium. Previous investigations in the vicinity of the site have identified
a dark clay deposit at heights of between 4m and 5m AOD (Cox and Holbrook 2009,
CA 2010), which has been dated to the Roman period. In some areas the deposit
has been noted to have a sandy character, leading to suggestions that it has derived
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Land at Warleys Lane, West Wick, Weston-Super-Mare, North Somerset: Archaeological Evaluation
from sand blown inland from coastal dunes during a storm event (Cox and Holbrook
2009). Layer 150/203 is of comparable thickness to this known Roman layer, and
occurs at analogous locations in both the stratigraphic sequence and in terms of
height above sea level; however there was no notably sandy component to the
layer. Where the layer was encountered in association with Late Iron Age and
Roman salt making features at Bristol Road, it was determined to be stratigraphically
earlier than the features (CA 2010). It is also possible that the layer corresponds to
one of several thin alluvial layers identified in the excavation at St Georges at
heights of between 4.9m–5.08m AOD and which were interpreted as late Iron Age
stabilised land surfaces (Cox and Holbrook 2009).
6.3 The layers of alluvial deposition overlying layer 105/203 also match the stratigraphic
sequence identified at St Georges and Bristol Road and likely constituted a series of
marine transgressions throughout the post-Roman period. The lack of any cut
features or artefacts within these deposits may indicate that the site was located well
within the salt marshes, away from any freshwater channels.
6.4 The presence of a small deposit of topsoil preserved in a hollow in the upper alluvial
layer demonstrates that the site was scalped to the top of the alluvial deposits prior
to deposition of the made ground forming the current ground surface.
7. CA PROJECT TEAM
Fieldwork was undertaken by Christopher Leonard, Gary Baddeley and Michelle
Marsiglia. The report was written by Christopher Leonard. The illustrations were
prepared by Esther Escudero. The archive has been compiled and prepared for
deposition by Hazel O’Neill. The project was managed for CA by Laurent Coleman.
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Land at Warleys Lane, West Wick, Weston-Super-Mare, North Somerset: Archaeological Evaluation
8. REFERENCES
BGS (British Geological Survey) 2017 Geology of Britain Viewer
http://mapapps.bgs.ac.uk/geologyofbritain/home.html Accessed 13 November 2017
CA (Cotswold Archaeology) 2017 Land at Warleys Lane, West Wick, Weston-Super-Mare,
North Somerset: Written Scheme of Investigation for an Archaeological Evaluation
CA (Cotswold Archaeology) 2010 Land at Bristol Road, Weston-Super-Mare, North
Somerset: Archaeological Evaluation. CA report 10214
Cox, S and Holbrook, N 2009 ‘First Century AD Salt Making at St Georges, Worle, North
Somerset Levels: Summary Report on Archaeological Investigations 2001–2004’, in
Archaeology in the Severn Estuary 20, 99–121
Rippon, S 2006 Landscape, Community and Colonisation: the North Somerset Levels during
the 1st to 2nd Millennium AD. York: Council for British Archaeological Research
Report 152
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Land at Warleys Lane, West Wick, Weston-Super-Mare, North Somerset: Archaeological Evaluation
APPENDIX A: CONTEXT DESCRIPTIONS
Trench Context Type Interpretation Description L
(m) W
(m) D
(m)
1 100 Layer Made ground Light pink crushed stone (Type 1). >20 >1.6 0.43
1 101 Deposit Buried topsoil Mid orange brown clay silt. Organic content throughout
c.4 c.3 0.16
1 102 Layer Alluvium Mid yellow grey silt clay with frequent orange mottling
>20 >1.6 0.17
1 103 Layer Alluvium Mid blue grey silt clay with frequent orange mottling and manganese
>20 >1.6 0.24
1 104 Layer Alluvium Light grey blue silt clay with frequent calcified mineral inclusions.
>20 >1.6 0.23
1 105 Layer Stabilisation deposit
Dark grey clay >20 >1.6 0.1
1 106 Layer Alluvium Light blue grey silt clay with common manganese >20 >1.6 0.53
2 200 Layer Made Ground Same as 100. >20 >1.6 0.5
2 201 Layer Alluvium Same as 102. >20 >1.6 0.26
2 202 Layer Alluvium Same as 104. >20 >1.6 0.49
2 203 Layer Stabilisation deposit
Same as 105. >20 >1.6 0.12
2 204 Layer Alluvium Same as 106. >20 >1.6 >0.4
APPENDIX B: LEVELS OF PRINCIPAL DEPOSITS
Levels are expressed as metres below present ground level (bpgl) and as metres Above Ordnance Datum (AOD).
Trench 1 NW end
Trench 1 SE end
Trench 1 SW end
Trench 2 NW end
Trench 3 SE end
Current ground level Bpgl 0.00m 0.00m 0.00m 0.00m 0.00m
AOD 5.58m 5.45m 5.43m 5.65m 5.68m
Stabilisation deposit (105/203) Bpgl 0.86m 0.81m 0.8m 1.16m 1.11m
AOD 4.72m 4.64m 4.63m 4.49m 4.57m
Limit of excavation Bpgl 1.25m 1.45m 1.2m 1.55m 1.63m
AOD 4.33m 4.00m 4.23m 4.1m 4.05m
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Land at Warleys Lane, West Wick, Weston-Super-Mare, North Somerset: Archaeological Evaluation
APPENDIX C: OASIS REPORT FORM
PROJECT DETAILS
Project Name Land at Warleys Lane, West Wick, Weston-Super-Mare, North Somerset
Short description
An archaeological evaluation was undertaken by Cotswold Archaeology in November 2017 on land at Warleys Lane, West Wick, Weston-Super-Mare, North Somerset. Two trenches were excavated. The evaluation revealed a sequence of alluvial layers, probably starting from the prehistoric period. A thin layer of dark grey clay containing some organic content was probably a stabilised land surface dating to the later prehistoric or Roman periods. No cut features or artefacts were identified during the evaluation.
Project dates 8 November 2017
Project type Field Evaluation
Previous work None
Future work Unknown
PROJECT LOCATION
Site Location Warleys Lane, West Wick, Weston-Super-Mare, North Somerset
Study area (M2/ha) 0.32ha
Site co-ordinates 337442 162236 ST 37442 62236
PROJECT CREATORS
Name of organisation Cotswold Archaeology
Project Brief originator N/A
Project Design (WSI) originator Cotswold Archaeology
Project Manager Laurent Coleman
Project Supervisor Christopher Leonard
MONUMENT TYPE None
SIGNIFICANT FINDS None
PROJECT ARCHIVES Intended final location of archive Content
Physical - -
Paper Somerset Heritage Service Trench sheets, registers etc
Digital Somerset Heritage Service Database, digital photos etc
BIBLIOGRAPHY
CA (Cotswold Archaeology) 2017 Land at Warleys Lane, West Wick, Weston-Super-Mare, North Somerset: Archaeological Evaluation. CA typescript report 17669
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Trench location plan
PROJECT NO.DATESCALE@A3
DRAWN BYCHECKED BYAPPROVED BY
645214/11/20171:500
EEDJBLC
Andover 01264 347630
Cirencester 01285 771022
Exeter 01392 826185
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Site boundary
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Extant of deeper test pits
Section locationA A
0 25m
1:200 1m
100made ground
102alluvial layer
103alluvial layer
104alluvial layer
105stabilisation deposit
106alluvial layer
5.2mAOD
SE NW
Section AA
Stratigraphy in north-west end of Trench 1, looking south-west (0.5m scale)
CotswoldArchaeology
PROJECT TITLE
FIGURE TITLE
FIGURE NO.
3
Land at Warleys Lane, West Wick,Weston Super Mare, North Somerset
Trench 1, section and photograph
PROJECT NO.DATESCALE@A3
DRAWN BYCHECKED BYAPPROVED BY
645214/11/20171:20
EEDJBLC
Andover 01264 347630
Cirencester 01285 771022
Exeter 01392 826185
Milton Keynes 01908 564660
w www.cotswoldarchaeology.co.uk
Stratigraphy in north-west end of Trench 2, looking north-east (0.5m scale)
CotswoldArchaeology
PROJECT TITLE
FIGURE TITLE
FIGURE NO.
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Land at Warleys Lane, West Wick, Weston Super Mare, North Somerset
Trench 2, photograph
PROJECT NO.DATESCALE@A4
DRAWN BYCHECKED BYAPPROVED BY
645214/11/2017NA
EEDJBLC
Andover 01264 347630
Cirencester 01285 771022
Exeter 01392 826185
Milton Keynes 01908 564660
w www.cotswoldarchaeology.co.uk
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