Walney School, Walney, Barrow-In- Furness Cumbria
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WALNEY SCHOOL, WALNEY, BARROW-IN- FURNESS CUMBRIA Archaeological Evaluation Oxford Archaeology North March 2008 Capita Symonds Ltd Issue No: 2007-08/494 OA North Job No: L9651 NGR: SD 1773 6835 Planning Application No: 6/05/9007 Document Title: WALNEY SCHOOL, WALNEY, BARROW-IN-FURNESS Document Type: Archaeological Evaluation Client Name: Capita Symonds Ltd Issue Number: 2007-8/494 OA Job Number: L9651 National Grid Reference: SD 1773 6835 Planning Application Ref: 6/05/9007 Prepared by: Richard Lee Position: Project Officer Date: March 2008 Checked by: Emily Mercer Signed……………………. Position: Senior Project Manager Date: March 2008 Approved by: Alan Lupton Signed……………………. Position: Operations Manager Date: March 2008 Oxford Archaeology North © Oxford Archaeological Unit Ltd (2008) Storey Institute Janus House Meeting House Lane Osney Mead Lancaster Oxford LA1 1TF OX2 0EA t: (0044) 01524 848666 t: (0044) 01865 263800 f: (0044) 01524 848606 f: (0044) 01865 793496 w: www.oxfordarch.co.uk e: [email protected] Oxford Archaeological Unit Limited is a Registered Charity No: 285627 Disclaimer: This document has been prepared for the titled project or named part thereof and should not be relied upon or used for any other project without an independent check being carried out as to its suitability and prior written authority of Oxford Archaeology being obtained. Oxford Archaeology accepts no responsibility or liability for the consequences of this document being used for a purpose other than the purposes for which it was commissioned. Any person/party using or relying on the document for such other purposes agrees, and will by such use or reliance be taken to confirm their agreement to indemnify Oxford Archaeology for all loss or damage resulting therefrom. Oxford Archaeology accepts no responsibility or liability for this document to any party other than the person/party by whom it was commissioned. Walney School, Walney, Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria: Archaeological Evaluation 1 CONTENTS SUMMARY .......................................................................................................................2 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS...................................................................................................3 1. INTRODUCTION ..........................................................................................................4 1.1 Circumstances of the Project...............................................................................4 1.2 Site Location, Topography and Geology ............................................................4 2. METHODOLOGY.........................................................................................................5 2.1 Project Design .....................................................................................................5 2.2 Rapid Desk-Based Assessment...........................................................................5 2.3 Visual Inspection.................................................................................................5 2.4 Evaluation Trenching..........................................................................................5 2.5 Archive................................................................................................................6 3. RESULTS.....................................................................................................................7 3.1 Historical and Archaeological Background ........................................................7 3.2 Fieldwork ............................................................................................................9 4. CONCLUSION............................................................................................................11 4.1 Discussion .........................................................................................................11 4.2 Impact................................................................................................................11 5. BIBLIOGRAPHY ........................................................................................................12 5.1 Primary Sources ................................................................................................12 5.2 Secondary Sources ............................................................................................12 6. ILLUSTRATIONS ........................................................................................................14 6.1 List of Figures ...................................................................................................14 6.2 Plates .................................................................................................................14 APPENDIX 1: PROJECT BRIEF ......................................................................................15 APPENDIX 2: PROJECT DESIGN....................................................................................16 APPENDIX 3: CONTEXT LIST........................................................................................22 APPENDIX 4: FINDS SUMMARY ....................................................................................23 For the use of Capita Symonds Ltd © OA North: March 2008 Walney School, Walney, Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria: Archaeological Evaluation 2 SUMMARY Oxford Archaeology North was commissioned by Capita Symonds Ltd, on behalf of Cumbria County Council, to undertake an archaeological evaluation of an area of land for the proposed new sports hall (planning reference 06/05/9007) at Walney School, Walney, Barrow-in-Furness (NGR SD 1773 6835). The site lies within an area of high archaeological potential due to numerous prehistoric lithic implements having been revealed during the construction of the school in 1957 (HER nos 2623 and 2378). Therefore, the intention of the archaeological investigation was to identify the impact of the proposed development on any surviving archaeological remains to inform the planning process. The evaluation, conducted in accordance with a brief from Cumbria County Council’s Historic Environment (CCCHES), was undertaken in February 2006 and comprised a rapid desk-based assessment and the evaluation of three trenches, equivalent to a 5% sample of the development area. The evaluation revealed no evidence of discrete archaeological features or deposits. It was clear that some disturbance of the area had already occurred, most likely related to the construction of the school and the later addition of the adjacent tennis courts. Three fragments of non-diagnostic flint and one piece of brown stoneware, of a style still currently in use, were recovered from unstratified contexts. Therefore, the proposed development is unlikely to have any impact on deposits of an archaeological significance. For the use of Capita Symonds Ltd © OA North: March 2008 Walney School, Walney, Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria: Archaeological Evaluation 3 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Oxford Archaeology North would like to thank Allan Alexander of Capita Symonds Ltd for commissioning the work, and Vanessa Lloyd, the school Bursar, for assistance during the site visit. Thanks are also due to Jo Mackintosh, Historic Environment Record Officer for Cumbria, for her assistance with this project. The evaluation was undertaken by Richard Lee and Pascal Eloy, with the report written by Richard Lee. The finds were assessed by Christine Howard-Davis. The illustrations were produced by Marie Rowland. The project was managed by Emily Mercer, who also edited the report. For the use of Capita Symonds Ltd © OA North: March 2008 Walney School, Walney, Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria: Archaeological Evaluation 4 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1 CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE PROJECT 1.1.1 Capita Symonds Ltd commissioned Oxford Archaeology North (OA North) to undertake an archaeological investigation on an area of land proposed for a new sports hall at Walney School, Walney, Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria (NGR SD 1773 6835; Fig 1). Cumbria County Council’s planning section consulted the County Council’s Historic Environment Service (CCCHES) regarding the planning application (planning application reference 06/05/9007), who advised that a scheme of archaeological evaluation was required in the form of a rapid desk-based assessment and trial trenching prior to development. The results of the evaluation would inform the planning process. To this end, the following proposals have been prepared in accordance with a formal brief (Appendix 1) issued by CCCHES. 1.2 SITE LOCATION, TOPOGRAPHY AND GEOLOGY 1.2.1 The site is used as a sports field for Walney School and is located between the school buildings and the coast to the west, with Sandy Gap Lane to the north and residential housing to the east and south (Fig 1; Plate 1). The land was in use as allotments immediately prior to the construction of the school in 1957 but appears to have been extensively landscaped since. The site generally inclines downwards to the west. 1.2.2 The underlying solid geology consists of Permo-Triassic rock, mainly composed of Steeton Bees Sandstone, with some overlying mudstone (Countryside Commission 1998, 27). The drift geology is entirely glacially derived, and consists of stiff boulder clay mixed with sand and glacial boulders (Barnes 1968) with outcrops of sand and gravel in places (Countryside Commission 1998, 27). The soils in the vicinity of the site are classed as Urban by the Soil Survey (1983). For the use of Capita Symonds Ltd © OA North: March 2008 Walney School, Walney, Barrow-in-Furness,