Plank Lane, Water Orton,

Archaeological Evaluation

understanding heritage matters

Report No 1208

February 2012

Project: Plank Lane, Water Orton

Commissioned by: Blackroot Construction Ltd

Project Report No. 1208

Site Code: WP12

NGR: SP 1762 9091

Planning Reference: PAP/2008/0369

Staff: Project Manager: Stuart C Palmer Fieldwork: Rob Jones and Kevin Wright Author: Bryn Gethin and Kevin Wright Illustrations: Candy Stevens

Report checked by: Catherine Coutts

Date: 20th February 2012

Report reference: Gethin, B and Wright, K, 2012 Plank Lane, Water Orton, Warwickshire: Archaeological Evaluation, Archaeology Warwickshire Report 1208.

Archaeology Warwickshire Historic and Natural Environment The Butts Warwick CV34 4SS

Tel: 01926 412278 Fax: 01926 412974

[email protected] www.warwickshire.gov.uk/archaeology

Contents

Summary

1 Introduction 2 Location 3 Aims and Methods 4 Archaeological and Historical Background 5 Evaluation Trenches 6 Conclusions Acknowledgements Bibliography

Appendices

A List of Contexts B List of Finds

Figures

1 Site location 2 Detail from First Edition Ordnance Survey map of 1888 3 Detail from Second Edition Ordnance Survey map of 1903-1904 4 Detail from Third Edition Ordnance Survey map of 1924 5 Detail from Ordnance Survey map of 1955 6 Detail from Ordnance Survey map of 1976 7 Location of trenches 8 Detailed plan of Trench 1 and Sections A and B 9 Trench 1 viewed from the south 10 Trench 2 viewed from the SSW 11 Trench 3 viewed from the south

Summary

An archaeological evaluation, undertaken on behalf of Blackroot Construction Ltd, within the probable extent of the medieval village of Water Orton did not reveal any significant archaeology. Three trial trenches were excavated, including one on the Plank Lane frontage which revealed two modern linear features of uncertain function. The absence of any medieval or post-medieval deposits or finds tends to suggest that the area evaluated was not developed in the medieval period and the depth of the former plough soils would suggest that it was in cultivation.

1 Introduction

1.1 Planning permission has been granted by Borough Council for the erection of eight new houses with associated parking on land to the north of Plank Lane, Water Orton (Planning Ref. PAP/2008/0369). The development site lies within the probable extent of the medieval settlement of Water Orton and it was therefore a condition of planning permission that the applicant secure the implementation of a programme of archaeological work to be carried out in conjunction with the development.

1.2 A programme of fieldwork consisting of the excavation of three trial trenches in accordance with a brief prepared by the County Planning Archaeologist on behalf of the Planning Authority (dated November 2008), was commissioned from Archaeology (Projects) Warwickshire and carried out in February 2012. This report presents the results of that work. The project archive will be stored at the Warwickshire Museum under the site code WP12.

2 Location

2.1 The development site is located on the south side of the River Tame at map reference SP 1762 9091 (Fig 1). The site is currently a pasture field.

2.2 The underlying geology of the area is Mercia Mudstone overlaid by fluvio-glacial sands and gravels (British Geological Survey 1955).

3 Aims and Methods

3.1 The principal aim of the project was to form an understanding of any archaeological deposits or materials that may be disturbed or destroyed by the development. Secondary aims include placing the results in their wider local and regional contexts as appropriate.

3.2 The objectives of the evaluation were to gather sufficient information to establish presence/absence, character, extent, state of preservation and date of any archaeological deposits within the area of proposed development.

3.3 The work undertaken involved the examination of early map evidence as well as records of archaeological remains in the area and local historical journals and other publications.

4 Archaeological and Historical Background by Bryn Gethin

4.1 No prehistoric or Roman sites or finds are known in the immediate area of the development site.

4.2 Water Orton developed in the medieval period, formerly as a hamlet in the parish of (now in ). The appellative ‘Orton’ is a shortening of ‘Overton’ and it is thought the village is included in the Domesday Survey of 1086 under as ‘Wavre’ (Over). The possible extent of the medieval settlement is recorded on the Warwickshire Historic Environment Record (MWA 9540). There was a bridge over the River Tame here, sometime before 1452 when it needed repairing. The bridge (MWA 32) was rebuilt by John Vesey bishop of Exeter in 1542, who, during the reign of Henry VIII, spent money on his hometown of and the surrounding area.

4.3 The site of the former parish church of St Peter and St Paul (MWA 34) lies to the north side of Old Church Road and is still surrounded by its graveyard. The parish church of Aston was a long way from Water Orton and so the locals had to travel to Castle Bromwich (also within Aston parish) to worship. In 1346 they were granted the right to build their own chapel. This building can still be seen on the 1888 Ordnance Survey map but was demolished shortly after (Fig 2). Water Orton did not become a parish until 1871. Within the graveyard is the stump of a medieval preaching cross (MWA 35).

4.4 It has been suggested that the house known as ‘The Chestnuts’ (MWA 33), which dates from the 15th century with 16th- and 17th-century additions, was originally the manor house. Wakefield House (MWA 37) is a timber framed property dating from the 16th and 17th centuries. A few sherds of medieval pottery were found during fence-post digging in 1970 in the grounds of this house (MWA 39). Sherds of 13th- to 14th-century pottery associated with a cobble spread have been found at 48 Coleshill Road (MWA 7377) and another small group of medieval potsherds was recovered from the surface of allotments in Vicarage Lane (MWA 9771).

4.5 Several other timber framed buildings of note also exist within the village. Orton Lodge (MWA 36) is a 17th-century timber-framed house with a roughcast frontage of 18th- or early 19th-century date. A timber-framed cottage of 17th century date (MWA 38) is situated on Road, close to the bridge. The findspot of a 17th century half crown (MWA 10038) is also recorded on the west side of the village.

4.6 The current church of St Peter and St Paul (MWA 40) lies to the south of the railway line on Coleshill Road. It was built in 1879 on a completely new site although it is plausible that it lies over the top of a deserted part of medieval Water Orton.

4.7 A number of post-medieval sites, mostly associated with the railway infrastructure are also recorded on the Warwickshire HER. An area of post-medieval expansion of the settlement (MWA 9731) lies to the south of the railway station. The railway itself (MWA 424) was originally the Kingsbury to and Water Orton branch of the Junction Railway and is still in use. The site of a former signal box (MWA 6605) and a livestock sale yard (MWA 6606), are also both associated with the railway.

4.8 The earliest map showing the area is the 1834 Ordnance Survey. This shows the lanes

around the site and indicates that at least two buildings stood on the corner of what are now Coleshill Road and Plank Lane. The concentration of small lanes with few houses hints at the likelihood that this area represents a deserted part of Water Orton. The First Edition 1:2500 Ordnance Survey of 1888 shows the site as part of a plot of land covered by mixed woodland, perhaps part of the grounds of the large house ‘Long Leys’ which lay immediately to the north of the site (Fig 2). The 2nd Edition map of 1903-1904 shows a similar situation but the tree coverage on the site looks more like an orchard (Fig 3). Little has changed by the time of the 1924 Third Edition map (Fig 4) but by 1955 a large amount of new housing has been built (Fig 5). By the time of the 1976 map the roadside part of the field the development site occupies has been covered by modern housing and all of the nearby large houses Long Leys, Heathfields and The Hollies have all been demolished and replaced with new housing (Fig 6).

5 Evaluation Trenches by Kevin Wright

5.1 Three evaluation trenches a total of 46.84m in length were excavated using a JCB- type machine with a 1.8m wide, toothless ditching-bucket (Fig 7).

Trench 1

5.2 Trench 1 was 10.65m long, aligned NNW-SSE and was machined down 0.75m at the south end and 0.80m at the north. Geological natural (106), mixed strong brown sand and gravel, was observed at this level. A layer of dark grey sandy loam (101) some 0.48m deep overlay the natural. This was cut by two gullies (102 and 104; Fig 8)). Both gullies were aligned NNW-SSE and contained one fill each (103 and 105, respectively). The more westerly of the two gullies (104) had steep sloping sides and a flattish base, its fill (105) was yellowish brown sandy loam and it contained no archaeological finds. The gully to the west (102) only had its western side exposed and this was stepped once, down to a flattish base. This feature disappeared under the eastern section of the evaluation trench. The fill (103) of the gully was pale yellowish brown sandy loam and it contained a single sherd of modern pottery and a small fragment of 20th-century glass. The trench was sealed by 0.22m of crushed, modern brick fragments used as hardcore for a driveway (100).

Trench 2

5.3 Trench 2 was 14.98m long, aligned NNE-SSW and was machined to a depth of 0.55m at the south end and 0.45m at the north end. Geological natural (202), mixed strong brown sand and gravel, was observed at this level. Directly above the natural was a layer of yellowish brown sandy loam, approximately 0.18m thick (201). The topsoil in Trench 2 was very dark grey sandy loam and was 0.26m in depth (100). No archaeological deposits were observed in this trench.

Trench 3

5.4 Trench 3 was 21.21m long, aligned NNW-SSE and was machined 0.52m deep at the south end and 0.36m at the north end. Geological natural (304), mixed strong brown sand and gravel, was observed at this level. The cut for a land drain (302) was seen in the natural. It

was approximately 0.36m wide and aligned NW-SE. The drain cut was filled with mixed sandy loam (303) and contained a sectional ceramic drain pipe (305) probably of 19th-century date. The land drain and natural were capped a 0.19m thick layer (301) of yellowish brown sandy loam. The topsoil (300) was very dark grey sandy loam that was 0.34m deep. No significant archaeological deposits were observed in this trench.

6 Conclusions

6.1 The two linear features in Trench 1 cut through a former plough soil (101) which suggests that these features were relatively modern. This is confirmed by the presence in the fill 103 of modern pottery and glass. The function of these features remains unknown but it is likely that they were associated with a modern, recently demolished, building.

6.2 The absence of any medieval or post-medieval finds or deposits would seem to suggest that the site was not developed in the medieval period. The depth of plough soil across the area might be taken to suppose that the site was under cultivation during these times.

Acknowledgements

Archaeology (Projects) Warwickshire would like to thank Rebecca Yeoman for commissioning the work and the County Planning Archaeologist for preparing the brief.

Bibliography

British Geological Survey 1955 Geological Survey of Great Britain ( and Wales), Solid and Drift Geology, Birmingham 168.

Ordnance Survey 1834 First Edition one inch to one mile map, Sheet 42, Lichfield.

Ordnance Survey 1888 First Edition 1:2500 map, Warwickshire Sheets 9.9 and 9.13.

Ordnance Survey 1903-1904 Second Edition 1:2500 map, Warwickshire Sheets 9.9 and 9.13.

Ordnance Survey 1924 Third Edition 1:2500 map, Warwickshire Sheets 9.9 and 9.13.

Ordnance Survey 1955 1:2500 map, Warwickshire Sheets 9.9 and 9.13.

Ordnance Survey 1976 1:2500 map.

VCH 1947 The Victoria County History of Warwickshire Vol. IV, Hemlingford Hundred, London.

Appendix A List of Contexts

Trench Context Context type Description 1 100 Hardcore Crushed modern brick layer 1 101 Layer Very dark grey sandy loam 1 102 Gully Linear gully aligned NNW-SSE 1 103 Gully fill (of 102) Pale yellowish brown sandy loam 1 104 Gully Linear gully aligned NNW-SSE 1 105 Gully fill (of 104) Pale yellowish brown sandy loam 1 106 Geological natural Mixed strong brown gravel and sand

2 200 Topsoil Very dark grey sandy loam 2 201 Layer Yellowish brown sandy loam 2 202 Geological natural Mixed strong brown gravel and sand

3 300 Topsoil Very dark grey sandy loam 3 301 Layer Yellowish brown sandy loam 3 302 Land drain cut Linear land drain aligned NNW-SSE 3 303 Land drain fill (of Mixed sandy loam containing a ceramic land 302) drain 3 304 Geological natural Mixed strong brown gravel and sand 3 305 Drain Sectional ceramic drainpipe

Appendix B List of Finds

Context Material Object Quantity Date period 103 Glass modern 1 20th century 103 Pottery modern 1 20th century

175 N

e am River T

MWA 32 MWA 36 MWA 35 MWA 34 MWA 33

MWA 38 MWA 39 MWA 37

MWA 424 MWA 6606

MWA 424

MWA 6605

MWA 10038

MWA 40

Possible extent of medieval settlement of Water Orton MWA 9540

Coleshill Road

910

SITE

MWA 7377 Plank Lane

MWA 9771 Post medieval settlement MWA 9731

0 100 200m

Fig 1: Site location SITE

Fig 2: Detail from First Edition Ordnance Survey map of 1888 SITE

Fig 3: Detail from Second Edition Survey map of 1903-1904 SITE

Fig 4: Detail from Third Edition Ordnance Survey map of 1924 SITE

Fig 5: Detail from Ordnance Survey map of 1955 SITE

Fig 6: Detail from Ordnance Survey map of 1976 N

Application area

83.24m

82.88m T3 T2

Land drain 82.59m 83.04m 302

83.21m 82.69m 82.49m

83.04m

T1 83.37m 82.57m

Features

82.3m 0 10 20m 83.05m

Plank Lane

Fig 7: Location of trenches N TRENCH 1

104 82.57m 82.3m 102 B 83.05m 106 A 83.37m

0 1 5m

A B 105 103 82.49m

104 102

0 1m

Fig 8: Detailed plan of Trench 1 and Sections A and B

Fig 9: Trench 1 viewed from the south

Fig 10: Trench 2 viewed from the SSW

Fig 11: Trench 3 viewed from the south