DESK-BASED HERITAGE ASSESSMENT IN CONNECTION WITH A PROPOSED GROUND MOUNTED SOLAR SCHEME AT MAMHILAD June 2015 Our Ref: JAC19869 RPS 34 Lisbon Street Leeds LS1 4LX Tel: 0113 2206190 Email: [email protected] rpsgroup.com QUALITY MANAGEMENT Prepared by: Dan Slatcher Authorised by: Paul Hardwick Date: June 2015 Project Number/Document JAC19869 Reference: COPYRIGHT © RPS The material presented in this report is confidential. This report has been prepared for the exclusive use of AR Partners and shall not be distributed or made available to any other company or person without the knowledge and written consent of RPS. rpsgroup.com CONTENTS 1 INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................................................... 2 2 METHODOLOGY .................................................................................................................................... 3 3 PLANNING CONTEXT ......................................................................................................................... 12 4 ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND HISTORIC BACKGROUND ..................................................................... 15 5 ASSESSMENT OF EFFECT OF PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT ON BELOW GROUND ARCHAEOLOGY AND SETTINGS OF HERITAGE ASSETS ....................................................................... 22 6 CONCLUSIONS .................................................................................................................................... 32 7 BIBLIOGRAPHY AND REFERENCES ................................................................................................ 33 APPENDICES: Appendix 1: HER Entries (Supplied by Glamorgan Gwent Archaeological Trust) Appendix 2: Landmark Historic Maps FIGURES: Figure 1: Site Location and HER Data Figure 2: Designated Assets within 3km of Proposed Development rpsgroup.com EXECUTIVE SUMMARY RPS Planning and Development was commissioned to produce a heritage assessment in connection with a proposed ground mounted solar scheme on land to the southeast of Mamhilad, Torfaen. The proposed development area is located some 3km to the northeast of Pontypool, 1.5km southeast of Mamhilad, 300m southeast of the A4042 road and immediately east of the Newport to Abergavenny railway, at National Grid Reference SO 3143 0205. The proposed solar array site covers an area of approximately 10ha. Access is from the roundabout on the A4042 road under the railway to the northwest corner of the proposed solar array, which is located in six relatively small fields, mostly bounded by hedgerows and woodland and mostly to the south of the right of way running form the A4042 into the woodland at Coedcae Wat. The proposed solar array slopes down to the west from a level of 100mAOD to 80mAOD. The superficial geology of the proposed solar array is not recorded. The underlying bedrock comprises the Raglan Mudstone formation. There are a number of designated assets in the wider area. A detailed assessment has been carried out to assess the effects on these assets as a consequence of the proposed ground mounted solar development. The closest nationally designated asset is Monacthy Farmhouse, listed at Grade II, is located some 400m northwest of the proposed development area and outside the ZTV. The former British Nylon Spinners factory is located on the west side of the A4042 road and listed at Grade II*. There would be little effect on the setting of the listed building. Although nominally within the ZTV, the listed building is well screened from the proposed solar array by planting. Views to or from the proposed development would be difficult to obtain from the designated asset or its grounds. The proposed development would have little, if any effect on the setting of the listed building. A further group of listed buildings are located at Court Farm, some 950m southwest of the proposed development area. The historical setting of these buildings has partly been lost through the development of the A4042 road. The setting of the listed buildings is primarily each other, the adjacent yard, the additional adjacent unlisted buildings and the immediately adjacent fields. The farmhouse faces southeast, away from the proposed solar array. The proposed solar array does not form a significant part of the setting of the listed buildings. The effect of the proposed development on the listed buildings is assessed as being slight. It is concluded that there would be no significant adverse effects on any designated assets located within the ZTV of the proposed development. No other listed buildings, scheduled monuments, registered parks and gardens, registered battlefields or conservation areas or their settings would be affected by the proposed development. There is little evidence for prehistoric and later activity in the wider area, it is at a very low level and the proposed solar array itself seems to have been agricultural land from antiquity onwards. There is no recorded evidence for activity, other than use as agricultural land over the proposed solar array. There is no evidence for the proposed solar array to contain below ground remains of the highest significance, or of sufficient significance to warrant preservation in situ. 1 rpsgroup.com 1 INTRODUCTION Background 1.1 RPS Planning and Development was commissioned to produce a heritage assessment in connection with a proposed ground mounted solar scheme on land to the southeast of Mamhilad, Torfaen. Site Description 1.2 The proposed development area is located some 3km to the northeast of Pontypool, 1.5km southeast of Mamhilad, 300m southeast of the A4042 road and immediately east of the Newport to Abergavenny railway, at National Grid Reference SO 3143 0205. The proposed solar array site covers an area of approximately 10ha. 1.3 An existing access road runs from the roundabout on the A4042 road under the railway to the northwest corner of the proposed solar array. The proposed solar array is located in six fields, mostly to the south of the right of way running form the A4042 into the woodland at Coedcae Wat. The proposed solar array slopes down to the west from a level of 100mAOD to 80mAOD. 1.4 The proposed solar array is located in a group of relatively small fields, and with the exception of the southernmost field which is not bounded at its southern edge, bounded with mature hedgerow or woodland boundaries. In addition, the railway embankment forms the north-western boundary of the proposed solar array. The largest of the fields within the proposed solar array bounding the railway contains a large pit, presumably a clay pit of marl pit which itself contains mature trees. The proposed solar array is mainly under long grass although southernmost field contained sheep and short grass. There is an electricity pylon in this field. 1.5 A small stream flows from a spring located in the woodland at Coedcae Wat through the proposed solar array, following a field boundary into the Berthin Brook, which itself flows north-east to south- west. Immediately northwest of the railway line, both these watercourses are culverted. 1.6 The superficial geology of the proposed solar array is not recorded. The underlying bedrock comprises the Raglan Mudstone formation (http://mapapps.bgs.ac.uk/geologyofbritain/home.html). Aims 1.7 The aims of this study are . to assess the likelihood of the application site to contain archaeological remains and to provide an indication of what, if any, further work may be required with regard to archaeology; and . to assess the significance of designated heritage assets and to determine, what, if any effect the proposed development may have on that significance. Project Archive 1.8 The project archive is held by RPS at the time of writing. 1.9 This report has been written for and on behalf of RPS by Dan Slatcher BA, MA, MCIfA. 2 rpsgroup.com 2 METHODOLOGY 2.1 During this assessment, Health and Safety considerations were paramount, relevant legislation and guidance were complied with and appropriate health and safety measures adopted at all times. 2.2 The desk assessment comprised, in the first instance, consultation with the Glamorgan Gwent Archaeological Trust and their Historic Environment Record (HER). Data on World Heritage Sites, Scheduled Monuments (SMs), listed buildings, Registered Parks and Gardens and Registered Landscapes of Special or Outstanding Historic Interest was obtained from Cadw. Data on conservation areas was obtained from Torfaen County Borough Council. A review of relevant documentary and archival material held in libraries and archives was undertaken and the Gwent Archives was visited. The client has not undertaken any intrusive geotechnical surveys. An iterative approach was adopted during this process to determine the scope of the above consultations/searches. 2.3 A site visit was undertaken in June 2015 to establish the presence of above ground archaeology, whether or not previously recorded and to verify the settings of the heritage assets surrounding the proposed solar array. The site visit has also provided an indication of the suitability of any further survey techniques. 2.4 The assessment has conformed to the relevant legislation and guidance, including: . Welsh Government 2014 Planning Policy Wales; . Welsh Office Circular 60/96 Planning and the Historic Environment: Archaeology; . Welsh Office Circular 61/96: Historic Buildings and Conservation Areas; . Conservation Principles for the Sustainable Management of the Historic Environment in Wales Cadw (2011);