THE FORMER COAL RESEARCH ESTABLISHMENT STOKE ORCHARD

ARCHAEOLOGICAL EVALUATION

CA PROJECT: 1418 CA REPORT: 02087

Author: Richard Young

Approved: Simon Cox

Signed: …………………………………………………………….

th Issue: 01 Date: 6 SEPTEMBER 2002

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 Headquarters Building, Kemble Business Park, Cirencester, Gloucestershire, GL7 6BQ Tel. 01285 771022 Fax. 01285 771033 E-mail: [email protected] The former CRE, Stoke Orchard, Gloucestershire: Archaeological Evaluation © Cotswold Archaeology

CONTENTS

SUMMARY...... 3

1. INTRODUCTION...... 4

The site ...... 4 Archaeological background...... 5 Archaeological objectives ...... 5 Methodology ...... 6

2. RESULTS...... 6

Trench 1...... 7 Trench 2...... 7 Trench 3...... 7 Trench 4...... 7 Trench 5...... 7 Trench 6...... 7 Trench 7...... 8 The Finds ...... 8

3. DISCUSSION ...... 8

Conclusions ...... 8

4. CA PROJECT TEAM...... 9

5. REFERENCES...... 9

APPENDIX 1: CONTEXT DESCRIPTIONS...... 10 APPENDIX 2: THE FINDS...... 11 APPENDIX 3: LEVELS OF PRINCIPAL DEPOSITS AND STRUCTURES...... 12

1 The former CRE, Stoke Orchard, Gloucestershire: Archaeological Evaluation © Cotswold Archaeology

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

Fig. 1 Location plan Fig. 2 Trench location plan Fig. 3 South facing section of Trench 2, showing ridge and furrow

2 The former CRE, Stoke Orchard, Gloucestershire: Archaeological Evaluation © Cotswold Archaeology

SUMMARY

Site Name: Former Coal Research Establishment Location: Stoke Orchard, Gloucestershire NGR: SO 918 284 Type: Evaluation Date: 27-30th August 2002 Planning Reference: 99/0032/0183/FUL Location of Archive: Museum Site Code: STO 02

An archaeological evaluation was undertaken by Cotswold Archaeology in August 2002 at the request of Hunter Page Planning (on behalf of Barratt Bristol Limited) at the former Coal Research Establishment, Stoke Orchard, Gloucestershire. In compliance with an approved project design, a total of seven trenches were excavated across the development area.

No archaeological deposits were encountered during this evaluation. However, two of the trenches were located in an area displaying extant ridge and furrow, whilst two more displayed indications of denuded ridge and furrow in the upper surface of the natural clay at their bases.

The evaluation has characterised the archaeological potential of the study area, and indicates that archaeological deposits do not survive in this part of the development site, other than an area of extant ridge and furrow in the far west of the evaluation area.

3 The former CRE, Stoke Orchard, Gloucestershire: Archaeological Evaluation © Cotswold Archaeology

1. INTRODUCTION

1.1 In August 2002 Cotswold Archaeology (CA) carried out an archaeological evaluation for Hunter Page Planning (on behalf of Barratt Bristol Limited) at the former Coal Research Establishment, Stoke Orchard, Gloucestershire (centred on NGR: SO 918 284; Fig. 1). The evaluation was undertaken prior to the determination of a planning application for residential development at the site.

1.2 The evaluation was carried out in accordance with a detailed project specification produced by CA (2002) and approved by the Local Planning Authority (LPA) acting on the advice of the Gloucestershire County Council Senior Archaeological Officer. The fieldwork also followed the Standard and Guidance for Archaeological Field Evaluation issued by the Institute of Field Archaeologists (1999) and Gloucestershire County Council’s Statement of Standards and Practices for Archaeological Fieldwork in Gloucestershire (1995).

The site

1.3 The proposed development site occupies approximately 12 hectares and was occupied until the mid-1990s by the Coal Research Establishment. The evaluation was confined to an area of approximately 3.5 hectares in the northern half of the site (Fig. 2). This area is bounded by the Dean Brook to the south and agricultural land in all other directions. The centre of the site lies at approximately 22m AOD, with a gentle slope up to the north away from the Dean Brook.

1.4 The underlying geology of the area is mapped as Lower Lias Clay of the Jurassic era with occasional deposits of alluvium associated with the Dean Brook (British Geological Survey 1988).

1.5 The majority of the site of the evaluation consists of areas of hardstanding and overgrown waste ground, the exception being the far western end of the site where there is an area of extant ridge and furrow.

4 The former CRE, Stoke Orchard, Gloucestershire: Archaeological Evaluation © Cotswold Archaeology

Archaeological background

1.6 The full archaeological background to the site is set out in a desk-top study (Alison Borthwick and Associates 1996). Historical evidence suggests settlement may have existed at Stoke Orchard from the tenth century. The archaeological record includes information concerning the mid twelfth-century church of St. James, two former moated Manor Houses, and a series of earthwork enclosures. Taken together these indicate that the proposed development lies close to the core of the early settlement. The desk-top study examined documentary and cartographic evidence which suggested the principal medieval manor house and complex stood nearby. A small pond located outside and adjacent to the western site boundary is likely to be the remnant of a former moat surrounding the manor, replaced in the post-medieval period by Elm Farm. The farm was demolished between 1954 and the early 1970’s.

1.7 The proposed development site has been the subject of a staged archaeological evaluation, of which the current evaluation is the second phase. The first phase was the evaluation of the western car parking area by Cotswold Archaeological Trust in 2001 (CAT 2001). This work revealed the north and eastern arms of the moat, which was up to 1.95m deep. A cross-ditch, possibly dividing the moat into separate northern and southern enclosures, produced three sherds of twelfth to fourteenth- century pottery. Within the putative northern enclosure a wide, shallow pit produced post-medieval pottery, and an undated linear gully and two undated small pits or gullies were also identified. The evaluation concluded that the manor house lay outside the area evaluated, and was probably beneath housing along the Stoke Road frontage

Archaeological objectives

1.8 The objectives of the evaluation were to establish the character, quality, date, significance and extent of any archaeological remains or deposits surviving within the site. This information will assist the Local Planning Authority in making an informed judgement on the likely impact upon the archaeological resource by the proposed development.

5 The former CRE, Stoke Orchard, Gloucestershire: Archaeological Evaluation © Cotswold Archaeology

Methodology

1.9 The fieldwork comprised the excavation of seven trenches (numbered 1 to 7). Trenches 1 and 3 measured 30m by 1.5m, whilst trenches 2, 4, 6 and 7 measured 50m by 1.5m. Trench 5 was reduced in length by 2m to 28m due to the presence of modern services.

1.10 All 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 or the natural substrate, whichever was encountered first. Where archaeological deposits were encountered they were excavated by hand in accordance with the CA Technical Manual 1: Excavation Recording Manual (1996).

1.11 Deposits were assessed for their palaeoenvironmental potential and, where appropriate, sampled and processed in accordance with the CA Technical Manual 2: The Taking of Samples for Palaeoenvironmental/Palaeoeconomic Analysis from Archaeological Sites (1994). All artefacts recovered were processed in accordance with the CA Technical Manual 3: Treatment of Finds Immediately After Excavation (1995).

1.12 The archive and artefacts from the evaluation are currently held by CA at their offices in Kemble. Subject to the agreement of the legal landowner the site archive (including artefacts) will be deposited with Cheltenham Museum.

2. RESULTS

2.1 No archaeological deposits were located in any of the seven evaluation trenches. However, two of the trenches (1 and 2) were located in an area displaying extant ridge and furrow, whilst two more (4 and 5) displayed indications of denuded ridge and furrow in the upper surface of the natural clay at their bases.

2.2 This section provides an overview of the evaluation results; detailed summaries of the recorded contexts and finds are to be found in Appendices 1 and 2 respectively. Details of the relative heights of the undisturbed natural clay as metres above

6 The former CRE, Stoke Orchard, Gloucestershire: Archaeological Evaluation © Cotswold Archaeology

Ordnance Datum (m AOD) appear in Appendix 3. No environmental samples were collected during the evaluation.

Trench 1

2.3 The undisturbed natural clay 101 was encountered at a depth of 0.20m. Cutting this layer was a tree bole 105, which contained the remains of a burnt-out tree stump 104. These deposits were sealed by the topsoil 100.

Trench 2

2.4 The undisturbed natural clay 201 was encountered at a depth of 0.20m. The clay was sealed by the topsoil 200. This trench lay across an area of prominent ridge and furrow, the form of which was clearly visible in the trench section (Fig. 3).

Trench 3

2.5 The undisturbed natural clay 301 was encountered at a depth of 0.23m. The clay was sealed by the topsoil 300.

Trench 4

2.6 The undisturbed natural clay 403 was encountered at a depth of 0.20m. The clay was cut by several modern services 404, 406 and 412 and was overlain by two concrete driveways 401 and 408. Elsewhere it was sealed by the topsoil 400.

Trench 5

2.7 The undisturbed natural clay 502 was encountered at a depth of 0.25m. A deposit of alluvium 501 associated with the Dean Brook overlay a 4.5m length of clay in the very southern end of the trench. This was sealed by a modern make-up deposit 500.

Trench 6

2.8 The undisturbed natural clay 601 was encountered at a depth of 0.20m. The clay was sealed by the topsoil 600.

7 The former CRE, Stoke Orchard, Gloucestershire: Archaeological Evaluation © Cotswold Archaeology

Trench 7

2.9 The undisturbed natural clay 703 was encountered at a depth of 0.40m. In the eastern end of the trench a deposit of alluvium 702 associated with the Dean Brook overlay the clay. Towards the western end of the trench this alluvium was overlain by a further alluvial deposit 701. This was cut by a single modern service 704, sealed by modern hardcore 700.

The Finds

2.10 Artefactual material recovered from the evaluation consists of small quantities of medieval and post-medieval ceramics, modern or post-medieval iron items and a single worked flint implement. The recovered material derives from the ploughsoil and a tree-bole. Material dating to before c.1700 is restricted to a single flint retouched flake of probable Neolithic or Bronze Age date and two sherds of medieval pottery. Both medieval sherds derive from ploughsoil contexts and are small and abraded. Represented medieval ware types are fairly local to the area and are datable broadly to the thirteenth to fifteenth centuries.

3. DISCUSSION

Conclusions

3.1 This evaluation did not encounter any archaeological deposits or features. The nature of the deposits encountered, and anecdotal evidence from employees of the former Coal Research Establishment, suggest that no great episodes of truncation and levelling have occurred over this part of the proposed development site. These factors would indicate that the lack of archaeological deposits within the evaluation trenches is a true reflection of the situation across this part of the site. The conclusion of the assessment and the first evaluation that the core of early settlement lay to the south-west of the development site, allied to the presence of ridge and furrow in part of the site and the presence of a small number of medieval pottery sherds in the topsoil, suggests that this absence of archaeological features is because the site lies in an area that was once cultivated as part of the open fields that surrounded Stoke Orchard.

8 The former CRE, Stoke Orchard, Gloucestershire: Archaeological Evaluation © Cotswold Archaeology

4. CA PROJECT TEAM

Fieldwork was undertaken by Richard Young, assisted by Nick Corcos and Steve Yeates. The report was written by Richard Young. The illustrations were prepared by Lorna Gray. The archive has been compiled by Richard Young, and prepared for deposition by Ed McSloy. The project was managed for CA by Simon Cox.

5. REFERENCES

Alison Borthwick and Associates, 1997 Coal Research Establishment, Stoke Orchard, Gloucestershire Brief for Further Archaeological Evaluation.

Alison Borthwick and Associates, 1996 A Desk-Top Study of land at the Coal Research Establishment, Stoke Orchard, Gloucestershire.

British Geological Survey, 1988 Solid and Drift Geology, sheet 216,

CAT 2001, The Coal Research Establishment, Stoke Orchard, Gloucestershire. Archaeological Evaluation. CAT Report No. 01044

CA 2002, The Coal Research Establishment, Stoke Orchard, Gloucestershire: Project design for an additional archaeological evaluation

9 The former CRE, Stoke Orchard, Gloucestershire: Archaeological Evaluation © Cotswold Archaeology

APPENDIX 1: CONTEXT DESCRIPTIONS

Trench 1

100 Topsoil, 0.20m thick 101 Natural clay, light greyish brown silty clay 103 Bedrock 104 Burnt-out tree stump, dark brown silty clay with frequent black ash flecks 105 Sub-circular tree-bole, 1.75m by 0.70m portion visible in trench

Trench 2

200 Topsoil, 0.20m thick 201 Natural clay, light greyish-brown silty clay

Trench 3

300 Topsoil, 0.23m thick 301 Natural clay, light greyish-brown silty clay

Trench 4

400 Topsoil, 0.20m thick 401 Concrete driveway 402 Black ash make-up below 401 403 Natural clay, mid greenish-brown 404 Modern service trench 405 Fill of modern service trench 406 Modern service trench 407 Fill of modern service trench 408 Concrete driveway 409 Black ash make-up below 401 410 Modern service trench 411 Fill of modern service trench 412 Modern service trench 413 Fill of modern service trench

Trench 5

500 Modern make-up, light brown clay with lenses of limestone fragments, ash and coal dust with a maximum depth of 0.70m 501 Alluvium, reddish-brown clayey silt, 4.50m length visible in trench 502 Natural clay, mid greenish-brown

Trench 6

600 Topsoil, 0.20m thick 601 Natural clay, light greyish-brown silty clay

Trench 7

700 Topsoil, 0.20m thick 701 Alluvium, reddish-brown clayey silt, 0.33m thick 702 Alluvium, dark grey clayey silt, 0.35m thick 703 Natural clay, light greenish-brown silty clay 704 Modern service trench 705 Fill of modern service trench

10 The former CRE, Stoke Orchard, Gloucestershire: Archaeological Evaluation © Cotswold Archaeology

APPENDIX 2: THE FINDS

INTRODUCTION

Artefactual material recovered from the site consists of small quantities of medieval and post-medieval ceramics, modern or post-medieval iron items and a single worked flint implement. Almost all of the recovered material derives from ploughsoil contexts and all has been discarded.

100 2 fragments (11g) post-medieval or modern brick.

104 1 sherd of post-medieval pottery (10g). Black glazed earthenware, c. eighteenth to nineteenth century 2 fragments of fe. wire. Spot-date: eighteenth to nineteenth century

200 1 sherd medieval pottery (3g): Malvern Chase redware type with external glaze - jug? 4 sherds post-medieval/modern pottery (27g): glazed earthenware; white china. All heavily abraded 2 fragments of post-medieval brick or tile (17g) 1 fe. strip

400 1 sherd post-medieval pottery (7g): glazed earthenware

500 1 sherd ?medieval pottery (2g): Cotswold oolitic type or Minety type. Very abraded. 2 sherds of post-medieval/modern pottery (4g), glazed earthenware; white china. 2 fragments post-medieval brick or tile (48g). 1 fragment of modern opaque glass (2g). 1 modern (cast) fe pipe fragment.

600 1 piece worked flint: retouched flake. 1 fragment of post-medieval tile (40g).

Discussion

Material dating to before c.1700 is restricted to a single flint retouched flake of probable Neolithic or Bronze Age date and two sherds of medieval pottery. Both medieval sherds derive from ploughsoil contexts and are small and abraded. Represented medieval ware types are fairly local to the area and are datable broadly to the thirteenth to fifteenth centuries.

11 The former CRE, Stoke Orchard, Gloucestershire: Archaeological Evaluation © Cotswold Archaeology

APPENDIX 3: LEVELS OF PRINCIPAL DEPOSITS AND STRUCTURES

Levels are expressed as metres below current ground level and as metres above Ordnance Datum, calculated using the benchmark located at Stoke Orchard Church (25.48m AOD).

Trench 1 Trench 2 Trench 3 Trench 4 Trench 5 Trench 6 Trench 7 Current ground level 0.00m 0.00m 0.00m 0.00m 0.00m 0.00m 0.00m (25.88m) (23.73m) (22.56m) (23.04m) (22.21m) (23.14m) (22.22m) Top of alluvium 0.00m 0.00m 0.00m 0.00m 0.50m 0.00m 0.15m (0.00m) (0.00m) (0.00m) (0.00m) (21.71m) (0.00m) (22.07m) Top of undisturbed 0.20m 0.20m 0.23m 0.20m 0.25m 0.20m 0.40m natural clay (25.68m) (23.53m) (22.33m) (22.84m) (21.96m) (22.94m) (21.84m) Limit of excavation 0.40m 0.35m 0.40m 0.40m 0.80m 0.45m 0.65m (25.48m) (23.38m) (22.16m) (22.64m) (21.41m) (22.69m) (21.57m)

Upper figures are depth below modern ground level, lower figures in parentheses are metres AOD.

12 Site

Fig. 1 Location plan 918 920

N

286

6

7

4

5

1 3

2

284

Reproduced from the 2001 Ordnance Survey 1:2500 map with the permission of Ordnance Survey on behalf of The Controller of Her Majesty's Stationery Office, c Crown copyright Cotswold Archaeological Trust AL50196A

Site Trench SO 0 250m

Fig. 2 Trench location plan Section 1

W E 23.28m AOD

200 201 201 a b

200 201 b 201 c

200 201 201 c d

200

201 d e Top soil Undisturbed clay

0 10m

Fig. 3 South facing section of trench 2, showing ridge and furrow