1263-75 High Road, Whetstone, London Borough of Barnet

An Archaeological Desk-Based Assessment

for Boots Properties PLC

by Steve Ford

Thames Valley Archaeological Services

Site Code HRW00/30

May 2000 1263-75 High Road, Whetstone, London Borough of Barnet An Archaeological Desk-Based Assessment

Report 00/30

by Steve Ford

Introduction

This desk-based study is an assessment of the archaeological potential of a property located on High Road,

Whetstone, North London, London Borough of Barnet (TQ 2638 9397) (Fig. 1). The project was commissioned by Mr James Strudwick of Boots Properties PLC, Hargreaves House, Wollaton Street, Nottingham, NG1 5FJ. It comprises the first stage of a process to determine the presence/absence, extent, character, quality and date of any archaeological remains which may be affected by redevelopment of the area.

Site Description, Location and Geology

The site lies on a corner plot on the western side of High Road and its junction with Totteridge Lane and covers an area of approximately 0.29 hectares (Fig. 2). It is currently occupied by a terrace of seven properties fronting

High Road, with carparking to the rear. The terrace is of late 19th century date with later additions to the rear. It was not possible to examine the interior of the properties but there were no external signs of the presence of basements.

The site is located on sloping land on the eastern margin of the valley of Dollis Brook. The underlying geology is located on glacial till comprising a chalky, sandy, clay but with Dollis Hill Gravel possibly present at the western margin of the site (BGS 1994). The site lies at a height of approximately 91m above Ordnance

Datum.

Planning Background and Development Proposals

Planning permission is to be sought for the redevelopment of the site. Various options of retail and residential development are being considered. Archaeology and Planning (PPG16 1990) provides guidance relating to archaeology within the planning process. It points out that where a desk-based assessment has shown that there is a strong possibility of significant archaeological deposits in a development area it is reasonable to provide more detailed information from a field evaluation so that an appropriate strategy to mitigate the effects of development on archaeology can be devised:

1 Paragraph 21 states:

‘Where early discussions with local planning authorities or the developer’s own research indicate that important archaeological remains may exist, it is reasonable for the planning authority to request the prospective developer to arrange for an archaeological field evaluation to be carried out...’

Should the presence of archaeological deposits be confirmed further guidance is provided. Archaeology and

Planning stresses preservation in situ of archaeological deposits as a first consideration as in paragraphs 8 and

18.

Paragraph 8 states:

‘...Where nationally important archaeological remains, whether scheduled or not, and their settings, are affected by proposed development there should be a presumption in favour of their physical preservation...’

Paragraph 18 states:

‘The desirability of preserving an ancient monument and its’ setting is a material consideration in determining planning applications whether that monument is scheduled or unscheduled...’

However, for archaeological deposits that are not of such significance it is appropriate for them to be ‘preserved by record’ (i.e. fully excavated and recorded by a competent archaeological contractor) prior to their destruction or damage.

Paragraph 25 states:

‘Where planning authorities decide that the physical preservation in situ of archaeological remains is not justified in the circumstances of the development and that development resulting in the destruction of the archaeological remains should proceed, it would be entirely reasonable for the planning authority to satisfy itself ... that the developer has made appropriate and satisfactory provision for the excavation and recording of remains.’

Further guidance is provided by the Barnet Unitary Development Plan (BUDP 1991)

Policy E3.1 The Council will protect ancient monuments and their settings and other archaeological sites of acknowledged importance from intrusive or destructive development. Nationally important sites may be referred to the secretary of state for the environment for scheduling as ancient monuments.

Policy E3.2 Where development proposals may affect the buried heritage, the council will expect applicants to have properly assessed and planned for the archaeological implications. The council may require a preliminary archaeological site evaluation before proposals are considered.

Policy E3.3 Before development begins on sites of archaeological significance, a recognised archaeological organisation shall undertake appropriate rescue investigation and public presentation of the results, unless preservation in situ is required. All such work shall be carried out to a format to be approved by the council.

The site lies within a ‘Local Area of Special Archaeological Significance’ (BUDP 1991, plan B/1/485) located at Whetstone village centre.

Methodology

The assessment of the site was carried out by the examination of pre-existing information from a number of sources recommended by the Institute of Field Archaeologists paper ‘Standards in British Archaeology’ covering desk-based studies. These sources include historic and modern maps, the Greater London Sites and

Monuments Record, geological maps, and any relevant publications or reports.

Archaeological Background

A search was made of the greater London Sites and Monuments Records (GLSMR) on 22nd May 2000 for a radius of 500m around the site. The results are summarised in Appendix 1 and the locations of the 11 entries are shown on Figure 1. All of the entries except one [2] are for Medieval or later periods. A small collection of burnt flint observed on the banks of Dollis Brook to the west of the site may indicate the presence of a ‘burnt mound’ [Fig 1; 2]. Such sites are preferentially located in low-lying settings and are of prehistoric date (Buckley

1990), but in this instance neither date nor site type have been confirmed.

The remaining entries relate to the development of the historic and modern settlement of Whetstone, which was first mentioned in 1398 (VCH 1962, 38) [1] and was presumably a hamlet as the village church was not built until 1832 (Heathfield 1997). GLSMR entries for the Medieval period are few despite a number of excavations and evaluations in the area [3, 4, 6]. Fieldwork by the Hendon and District Archaeological Society at 1264 High Road, almost opposite the site, located evidence for iron working, probably smithying, predating a post-Medieval house [5]. The house is a listed structure thought to date to no earlier than 1550 but there are documentary sources suggesting that it dates from 1495. Three other buildings within the survey area are listed structures dating from the early post-Medieval period [7, 8, 9].

Finally, one entry in the study area relates to the site of a Second World War heavy anti-aircraft battery

[10].

Historical Background

Whetstone is first mentioned in 1318 as Whetstan and it is suggested that the name derives from the Old English hwetstàn, which is thought to mean the place of a traditional sharpening stone (EPNS 1942). Later names are le weston (1398) (VCH 1980, 38), Wheston (1417), Whetestonesstret (1437), Whetstone (1492), Westone (1535)

3 and Whetstonstrete (1571) (EPNS 1942). It is possible that the name derives from its location to the west of the main focus of occupation in the parish.

Neither Whetstone nor Finchley are mentioned in Domesday Book of 1086, probably because they are included within the entry for the manor of Fulham (VCH 1980). Totteridge Lane was mentioned in 1651 and was sometimes called Brick Lane in the early 19th century. The settlement mainly owed its existence to the need to serve travellers on the Great North Road but was never a rich settlement.

The later (Victorian) history of the settlement is described in several local history books (e.g. Reboul and

Heathfield 1997; Gillies and Taylor 1992), which include some historic photographs of the proposal site.

Cartographic and Documentary Sources

A range of Ordnance Survey and other historical maps of the area were consulted at the Hendon Local Studies

Library and the Metropolitan Record Office in order to ascertain what activity had been taking place throughout the sites’ later history and whether this may have affected any possible archaeological deposits within the proposal area (Appendix 2).

The earliest map consulted for the area was John Norden’s map of Middlesex dated 1593 (not illustrated).

Whetstone is shown as a hamlet or village on the main road from London to the north (Great North Road) but the map is at too small a scale to show areas in detail. John Ogilby’s map of Middlesex dated 1672 (not illustrated) is also at a small scale but depicts Whetstone as a hamlet or village with buildings on either side of the road. John Warburton’s Middlesex map of 1749 (Fig. 3) provides more detail and the site can be identified from its location at the junction of High Road and Totteridge Road, with Dollis Brook to the west. John

Rocque’s map of 1754 does not provide much more information (Fig. 4). A military map of encampments drawn in 1780 by Lieutenant Patterson (presented in Davis nd) also shows Whetstone, Totteridge Lane and the High

Road. The area of the site was occupied by structures but these are not depicted in detail (Fig. 6).

The plan of the enclosure of Finchley Common dated 1814 (Fig. 5) shows several properties on the High

Road frontage with additional buildings on Totteridge Lane, both fronting the lane and set back. The site lies just to the north-west of the toll gate and toll booth.

On the First Edition of the Ordnance Survey dating to 1863 (Fig. 7) the front of the site was occupied by six properties fronting the High Road with outhouses at the rear. The northernmost two properties protruded further out onto the road than the others. The rear areas of the site were occupied by at least four properties with access off Totteridge Road and were set back from the road frontage. Some of the latter can be matched with

4 structures on the enclosure map (Fig. 6). An alley off Totteridge Road provided rear access to some of the properties fronting the High Road. A photograph of a bakers shop, which occupied the corner plot of High Road and Totteridge Lane, is presented in Reboul and Heathfield (1997, 40). The properties on the other parts of the road frontage are partly visible in the background of a second photograph taken of the toll both in 1863.

The Second Edition Ordnance Survey map of 1898 (Fig. 8) shows that the front of the site was still occupied by five properties fronting the High Road with outhouses at the rear. The whole street frontage was in a straight line and subtle differences between the two maps suggest that the whole row had been rebuilt. These buildings still occupy the road frontage today. The rear areas of the site are generally similar, but with one larger property having being demolished and partly replaced by two smaller ones. The 1914 Edition of the Ordnance

Survey shows little change, whereas the 1935 Edition (Fig. 9) shows seven properties fronting the High Road and a new large outhouse to the rear.

Listed Buildings

There are no listed buildings on the site (LBB 1998). However, several properties on the opposite side of the road and further north on the High Road are listed (Appendix 1).

Discussion

The assessment of the cartographic, historic and GLSMR evidence clearly indicates that the site lies within an area of archaeological potential representing the historic core of Whetstone. This potential lies in the possibility of evidence with which to document the earlier origins and development of the settlement. Excavations adjacent to a listed structure of late Medieval or early post-Medieval date immediately opposite the site revealed earlier iron working activity. Other upstanding structures within the settlement are of early post-Medieval date.

It is recommended that the impact of development on below-ground archaeological deposits should be assessed by means of a field evaluation. This will, in the first instance, confirm or refute the archaeological potential of the site as identified by this document and provide information with which to draw up a scheme to mitigate the effects of redevelopment if required. A scheme for the evaluation will need to be drawn up and approved by the archaeological advisor to the London Borough of Barnet (Greater London Archaeological

Advisory Service) and implemented by a competent archaeological contractor, such as an organisation registered with the Institute of Field Archaeologists.

References BGS, 1994, British Geological Survey, Sheet 256, Drift Edition, Scale 1:50 000 Buckley, V (ed), 1990, Burnt Offerings, International Contributions to Burnt Mound Archaeology, Dublin Davis, F, nd, (1990s) Finchley Common; A Notorious Place, Hillary Press, Hendon BUDP 1991, Barnet Unitary Development Plan, 1991, Adopted EPNS 1942, ‘The place names of Middlesex’, English Place Name Society, XVIII, Cambridge Gillies, S and Taylor, P, 1992, Finchley and Frien Barnet, Phillimore, Chichester Heathfield, J, 1997, Parish and People, The Story of St. John’s Church and Whetstone, Whetstone LBB 1998, Statutory list of buildings of special architectural or historical interest, London Borough of Barnet, Hendon PPG16, 1990, Department of the Environment Planning Policy Guidance note 16, Archaeology and Planning, HMSO Reboul, P and Heathfield, J, 1997, The London Borough of Barnet, Past and Present, Suttons, Stroud VCH, 1962, Victoria County History of England, County of Middlesex VI, Oxford

6 APPENDIX 1: Sites and Monuments Record entries within a 500m search radius of the development site

No SMR Ref Grid Ref (TQ) Type Period Comment 1 084528 265 940 Settlement Medieval (14th C) Whetstone 2 081963 260 942 Burnt flint Undated Possible ‘burnt mound’ in stream bank 3 081972 263 936 Timber yard Post-Medieval Excavated site 4 081975 263 936 Well Post-Medieval Excavated site 5 082229 26440 93960 Iron workings/ Medieval/ Post-Medieval 1264 High Road; excavated site smithy (15th C) 221816 26440 93960 House Post-Medieval (late 16th C) 1264 High Road; excavated site; Listed Grade II; documentary sources date it to 1495 6 083351 2646 9377 Evaluation – negative evidence 7 221815 26432 93945 Mounting block Post-Medieval Listed Grade II 8 221817 26435 93966 House Post-Medieval (16th C) 1266 and 1228 High Road; listed Grade II 9 221818 26432 93970 House Post-Medieval (16th C) Listed Grade II 10 300028 267 939 Anti-aircraft 20th C World War II battery

7 APPENDIX 2: Historic and modern maps consulted

1) 1593 John Norden, Middlesex 2) 1672 John Ogilby, Middlesex 3) 1749 John Warburton, Middlesex (Fig. 3) 4) 1754 John Rocque, Middlesex (Fig. 4) 5) 1780 Patterson, Sketch of the encampment on Finchley Common (Fig. 6) 6) 1814 Finchley Enclosure map (Fig. 5) 7) 1863 First Edition Ordnance Survey, Middlesex sheet VI.12, 1:2500 (Fig. 7) 8) 1898 Second Edition Ordnance Survey, , Middlesex sheet VI.12, 1:2500 (Fig. 8) 9) 1914 Ordnance Survey, Middlesex sheet VI.12, 1:2500 10) 1935 Ordnance Survey, Middlesex sheet VI.12, 1:2500 (Fig. 9) 11) 1999 Ordnance Survey TQ2693 NW, 1:2500 (Fig. 2)

8 SITE

97000

96000

95000

5, 8, 9

94000 1 10

3, 4 SITE

6 93000

92000

TQ24000 25000 26000 27000 HRW00/30 1263-1275 High Road, Whetstone, LB Barnet, Greater London, 2000

Figure 1. Location of site within Whetstone and Greater London.

Reproduced from Ordnance Survey Pathfinder 1140 TQ29/39 1:25000 Ordnance Survey Licence AL52324A0001 1263-1275 High Road, Whetstone, LB Barnet, Greater London, 2000

Limit of development

i 1275 g h

o a d

Mounting 1263 N Stone The Griffin Totteridge Lane

rth d No Roa leigh Oak

93900

93800

TQ26300 26400

0 100m

Figure 2. Location of site showing development proposals. HRW00/30 Approximate location of site