Stocken Farm, Lacey Green, ,

An Archaeological Evaluation

for Redwing Structures (Marlow) Limited

By Stephen Hammond

Thames Valley Archaeological Services Ltd

Site Code SLG 04/57

June 2004 Summary

Site name: Stocken Farm, Lacey Green, Princes Risborough, Buckinghamshire

Grid reference: SP 8255 0015

Site activity: Field evaluation

Date and duration of project: June 10th 2004

Project manager: Steve Ford

Site supervisor: Stephen Hammond

Site code: SLG 04/57

Area of site: 0.18ha

Summary of results: Four trenches failed to locate any archaeological features or finds.

Monuments identified: None

Location and reference of archive: The archive is presently held at Thames Valley Archaeological Services, Reading and will be deposited with Buckinghamshire Museum Service in due course.

This report may be copied for bona fide research or planning purposes without the explicit permission of the copyright holder

Report edited/checked by: Steve Ford9 14.06.04 Steve Preston9 14.06.04

i Stocken Farm, Lacey Green, Princes Risborough, Buckinghamshire An Archaeological Evaluation

by Stephen Hammond

Report 04/57

Introduction

This report documents the results of an archaeological field evaluation carried out at Stocken Farm, Lacey

Green, Princes Risborough, Buckinghamshire (SP 8255 0015) (Fig. 1). The work was commissioned by Mr

Bernard Broad of Redwing Structures (Marlow) Limited, 1 The Square, Lane End, Buckinghamshire, HP14 3JE.

Planning Permission (04/5912) has been sought from Council to construct a new cattle shed and yard. As a consequence of the possibility of archaeological deposits on site which may be damaged or destroyed by groundworks, a field evaluation has been requested. This was designed to provide information on the potential of the site which could then be used to draw up a mitigation strategy to minimize the effects of development on the archaeological deposits.

This is in accordance with the Department of the Environment’s Planning Policy Guidance, Archaeology and Planning (PPG16 1990), and the District’s policies on archaeology. The field investigation was carried out to a specification approved by Mr David Radford, Archaeological Officer to Buckinghamshire County

Archaeological Service. The fieldwork was undertaken by Stephen Hammond with the assistance of Simon Cass on the 10th June 2004 and the site code is SLG 04/57. The archive is presently held at Thames Valley

Archaeological Services, Reading and will be deposited with Buckinghamshire Museum Service in due course.

Location, topography and geology

The site is located on a rectangular plot of land 0.18 ha in size at Stocken Farm on the north east side of Lacey

Green, Princes Risborough. The topography of the site generally slopes gently down towards the south and lies at approximate height of c.214m above Ordnance Datum (Fig. 2). The underlying geology according to maps

(BGS 1990) is clay with flints with bands of upper chalk nearby. An orange clay with flint inclusions was observed in all the trenches.

Archaeological background

The site lies close to a component of the Chiltern Grims Ditch, an Iron Age earthwork (NA 1998). The Grims

Ditch eathwork system stretches across the central Chilterns in discontinuous segments from to

1 Berkhamsted and possibly Ivinghoe and is thought to be a major boundary. The discontinuous nature is presumably where existing woodland was present. The exact dating of the ditch however is tenuous with only sparse dating evidence being recovered. The ditch makes an abrupt change of direction towards the south at its western end the projected line lies with the proximity of the proposal site.

Several archaeological investigations have taken place within Lacey Green which have examined the course of the Grims Ditch. A geophysical survey just to the south of the proposal site produced a number of anomalies (NA 1999). These were interpreted as a possible 6m wide ditch with the remains of a bank to the north. An archaeological evaluation between Kiln Lodge and Kiln Barn, 100m to the north of the site (NA 2003) revealed a ditch over 3.5m deep, and possibly the remains of the associated bank. Samples taken from the ditch revealed abundant and well preserved pollen samples. A watching brief at Highwood, Lacey Green (NA 1999) concluded that the apparent gap through the heart of Lacey Green may possibly be due to quarrying activities of brick makers. A further watching brief at Kiln Lodge produced negative results (ASC 2003).

Objectives and methodology

The purpose of the evaluation was to determine the presence/absence, extent, condition, character, quality and date of any archaeological or palaeoenvironmental deposits within the area of development. The work was to be carried out in a manner which would not compromise the integrity of archaeological features or deposits which warrant preservation in situ, or might be better excavated under conditions pertaining to full excavation. The specific research aims of the project were;

• To determine if archaeologically relevant levels have survived on the site.

• To determine if archaeological deposits of any period are present.

• To determine if deposits representing Iron Age occupation are present on the site.

These objectives were to be achieved by digging four trenches, each 1.6m wide and 10m long as close as possible to those positions set out in the project specification, using a JCB-type machine fitted with a ditching bucket to expose archaeologically sensitive levels. Where archaeological features were certainly or probably present, the stripped areas were cleaned using appropriate hand tools before being investigated further. Sufficient of the archaeological features and deposits exposed were then excavated or sampled by hand to satisfy the aims of the brief before being fully recorded. All spoil heaps were checked for finds.

A complete list of trenches giving lengths, breadths, depths and a description of sections and geology is given in Appendix 1.

2 Results

In total four trenches were dug ranging in length from 10.20m to 10.80m. Due to presence of a standing barn towards the west of the site, Trench 2 had to be relocated (Fig, 3). Trench 3 was also orientated on different alignment to the project specification due to logistical problems.

Trench 1 (Plate 1)

This trench was orientated approximately east-west, being 10.60m in length and 0.40m in depth. The stratigraphy exposed consisted of 0.25m of mid grey/brown clay/silt topsoil with occasional flint gravel inclusions overlying a mid orange clay natural with moderate flint inclusions which continued to the base of the trench. No archaeological finds or features were uncovered.

Trench 2

This trench was 10.30m long and 0.60m deep with an approximate east-west orientation. Typically the stratigraphy consisted of 0.40m of mid grey/brown clay/silt topsoil with demolition rubble and Tarmac inclusions overlying a mid orange clay natural with occasional gravel inclusions which had been discoloured in places from the dumping noted above. A test pit was dug at the western end of the trench to a depth of 1.10m to confirm the natural horizon. No archaeological finds or deposits were discovered.

Trench 3 (Plate 2)

Trench 3 was aligned approximately NE-SW and was 10.20m long and 1.4m in depth. From the section as well as the raised topography surrounding the trench it was clear that a substantial amount of dumping had taken place. The section consisted of 0.90m of made ground containing broken concrete, unconsolidated Tarmac and other demolition rubble overlying 0.30m of buried mid grey/brown clay/silt. This in turn covered a mid orange clay with flint gravel natural which continued to the total depth of the trench. No archaeological features or finds were revealed.

Trench 4

Orientated approximately E-W this trench was 10.80m long and 0.40m deep. The section revealed a stratigraphy consisting of 0.25m of mid grey/brown clay/silt with rubble and Tarmac inclusions overlying a mid orange clay

3 natural with moderate flint inclusions which continued to the base of the trench. No archaeological finds or features were discovered.

Finds

No finds were recovered from the evaluation.

Conclusion

The evaluation failed to discover any evidence of archaeological features. In particular, no evidence was revealed of any Iron Age occupation on the site associated with the projected continuation of Grims Ditch. From the negative findings made during the evaluation, the site appears to have no archaeological potential. It is unlikely that the proposed building work threatens any archaeological deposits.

References ASC 2003, ‘Kiln Lodge, Kiln Lane, Lacey Green, An archaeological watching brief’, Archaeological Services and Consultancy, Milton Keynes BGS, 1990, British Geological Survey, 1:50000, Sheet 238, Drift Edition, Keyworth NA 1998, ‘Grims Ditch. Archaeological and Management Survey. Phase II’, Network Archaeology, Buckingham NA 2003, ‘Land between Kiln Lodge and Kiln Barn, Lacey Green, An archaeological evaluation’, Network Archaeology, Buckingham PPG16, 1990, Archaeology and Planning, Dept Environment Planning Policy Guidance 16, HMSO

4 APPENDIX 1: Trench details 0m at S/W end

Trench No. Length (m) Breadth (m) Depth (m) Comment 1 10.60 1.6 0.40 0-0.25m mid grey/brown clay/silt topsoil with occasional flint gravel inclusions. 0.25m+ mid orange clay natural with moderate flint inclusions. No archaeological finds or features noted. [Plate 1]

2 10.30 1.6 0.60 0-0.40m mid grey/brown clay/silt topsoil with occasional to moderate 1.10 (TP) demolition rubble and tarmac inclusions. 0.40m + mid orange clay natural with occasional gravel inclusions discoloured in places from the dumping noted above. Test pit was dug at the western end of the trench from 0-1.5m to a depth of 1.10m to confirm the natural horizon. No archaeological finds or deposits were discovered.

3 10.20 1.6 1.4 0-0.90m of made ground containing broken concrete, unconsolidated/compacted tarmac and other demolition rubble. 0.90- 1.20 m buried mid grey/brown clay/silt. 1.20m+ mid orange clay natural with moderate flint gravel inclusions. No archaeological features or finds revealed. [Plate 2]

4 10.80 1.6 0.40 0-0.25m of mid grey/brown clay/silt with occasional to moderate rubble and tarmac inclusions. 0.25m +mid orange clay natural with moderate flint inclusions. No archaeological finds or features were discovered.

5 01000

SITE SITE

00000

99000

SU82000 83000 SLG 04/57 Stocken Farm, Lacey Green, Buckinghamshire, 2004 An Archaeological Evaluation

Figure 1. Location of site within Lacey Green and Buckinghamshire.

Reproduced from Ordnance Survey Pathfinder 1138 SU89/99 and 1118 SP80/90 at 1:12500 Ordnance Survey Licence 100025880 00200

Stocken Farm

00100

SP82500 82600

SLG 04/57 Stocken Farm, Lacey Green, Buckinghamshire, 2004 An Archaeological Evaluation

Figure 2. Location of site within Lacey Green.

Reproduced from Ordnance Survey Superplan 1:1250 Ordnance Survey Licence 100025880 Stocken Farm, Lacey Green, Princes Risborough, Buckinghamshire

N

Tr4

Tr1

Tr3

Tr2

00150

00100

SP82550 82600

0 50m

Figure 3. Location of trenches. SLG04/57 Plate 1. Trench 1 looking south west. Scales: 1m and 2m. Plate 2. Trench 3 looking south west. Scales: 1m and 2m.

SLG04/57