Cti Transmitting Station, Penrhyn-Coch, Bow Street, Ceredigion

CTI TRANSMITTING STATION, PENRHYN-COCH, BOW STREET, CEREDIGION

WALES

ARCHAEOLOGICAL WATCHING BRIEF

C.A.T. JOB: 0811 C.A.T. REPORT: 99977

JANUARY 1999

This report has been researched and compiled with all reasonable skill, care, and attention to detail within the terms of the project as specified by the Client and within the general terms and conditions of Cotswold Archaeological Trust Ltd. The Trust shall not be liable for any inaccuracy, error or omission in the report or other documents produced as part of the Consultancy and no liability is accepted for any claim, loss or damage howsoever arising from any opinion stated or conclusion or other material contained in this report or other documents supplied as part of the Consultancy.

This report is confidential to the Client. Cotswold Archaeological Trust Ltd. accept no responsibility whatsoever to third parties to whom this report, or any part of it is made known. Any such party relies upon this report entirely at their own risk.

CTI Transmitting Station, Penrhyn-Coch, Bow Street, Ceredigion, Wales: Archaeological Watching Brief.

CONTENTS

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS ...... 2

SUMMARY ...... 3

1. INTRODUCTION ...... 4

1.1 Introduction ...... 4 1.2 Geology and topography ...... 4 1.3 Archaeological background ...... 4 1.4 Methodology ...... 5

2. RESULTS ...... 5

3. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS ...... 6

4. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ...... 6

5. BIBLIOGRAPHY ...... 7

1 CTI Transmitting Station, Penrhyn-Coch, Bow Street, Ceredigion, Wales: Archaeological Watching Brief.

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

Figure 1. Location plan...... 8 Figure 2. Study area showing location of groundworks...... 9

2 CTI Transmitting Station, Penrhyn-Coch, Bow Street, Ceredigion, Wales: Archaeological Watching Brief.

SUMMARY

In January 1999 Cotswold Archaeological Trust carried out an archaeological watching brief during work associated with the replacement of a trasmitting tower and erection of antennas with an equipment cubicle. The site lies adjacent to the rampart of a hilltop enclosure, Hen Gaer, designated as a Scheduled Ancient Monument (SAM No CD26). However, no features or artefacts of archaeological interest were identified. The natural Llandovery beds were encountered at a depth of approximately 0.25m from ground level.

3 CTI Transmitting Station, Penrhyn-Coch, Bow Street, Ceredigion, Wales: Archaeological Watching Brief.

1. INTRODUCTION

1.1 Introduction

1.1.1 This report presents the results of an archaeological watching brief carried out between the 5th-7th January 1999 adjacent to the hilltop enclosure, Hen Gaer, located approximately 1km north-west of Penrhyn-Coch, Ceredigion (SN633 844) (Fig. 1). The watching brief was undertaken on behalf of Castle Transmission International Ltd in accordance with an archaeological condition attached to planning permission for the work on the site granted by Ceredigion County Council (Application No.980214).

1.1.2 The replacement of a transmitting tower and erection of antennas with an equipment cubicle was proposed, all enclosed within a compound occupying an area approximately 450m2.

1.2 Geology and topography

1.2.1 The site lies on sloping ground, at a maximum height of approximately 150m OD. The natural substrate in the area is formed by the Llandovery beds of the Silurian period (Institute of Geological Sciences 1979). Removal of the thin topsoil exposed the natural at a depth of approximately 0.25m.

1.3 Archaeological background

1.3.1 The works lie adjacent to the rampart of a hilltop enclosure, Hen Gaer, designated as a Scheduled Ancient Monument (SAM No CD26). Therefore, it was possible that the groundworks required for the new transmission mast, antennas and equipment cubicle might have disturbed archaeological deposits. 1.3.2 A previous watching brief was carried out by Dyfed Archaeological Trust Ltd

4 CTI Transmitting Station, Penrhyn-Coch, Bow Street, Ceredigion, Wales: Archaeological Watching Brief.

in 1996 for the British Broadcasting Corporation (Crane 1996). The construction of a relay station required the removal of 5m of hedge bank down to ground level, approximately 25m north east of the counterscarp bank of the fort. At the south west end of the strip, nearest the monument, a pit 1.90m2 was excavated down to a maximum depth of approximately 1.10m from ground level. However, no archaeological deposits or features were encountered, so the construction of the relay station did not do any archaeological damage.

1.4 Methodology

1.4.1 A detailed project design was prepared by Cotswold Archaeological Trust (Walker 1998) in line with the Standard and Guidance for Archaeological Watching Briefs issued by the Institute of Field Archaeologists (1994). This was approved by Cambria Archaeology on behalf of Ceredigion County Council. The watching brief sought to determine whether any archaeological deposits survived in the area proposed for the construction of the compound.

1.4.2 This element of fieldwork has been issued SMR Project Record No. 36846 by Cambria Archaeology.

2. RESULTS

2.1 The area of the groundworks was first reduced by approximately 0.25m in order to remove the thin topsoil. A foundation pit for the tower base was dug 6.00m by 6.00m, down to a maximum depth of approximately 1.45m from ground level in the location shown on Fig. 2. Two other pits were also dug, measuring 5.50m by 3.00m to a maximum depth of 0.50m and 2.50m by 2.50m to a maximum depth of 0.85m for the Cellnet and Mercury

5 CTI Transmitting Station, Penrhyn-Coch, Bow Street, Ceredigion, Wales: Archaeological Watching Brief.

installations (Fig.2). The removal of the thin topsoil immediately revealed the undisturbed natural present in all three of the foundation pits. The pits were mechanically excavated and closely checked to see if any archaeological features were present. However, no features or artefacts of archaeological interest were identified.

3. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS

3.1 The results of this watching brief confirm the results of the previous watching brief carried out by Dyfed Archaeological Trust. The removal of the thin topsoil immediately revealed the natural which appeared to be undisturbed. No archaeological deposits were encountered in the course of the work, suggesting that there was no extramural activity immediately adjacent to the enclosure in this location.

4. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Cotswold Archaeological Trust would like to thank Mr Matthew Arnold of Castle Transmission International Ltd., Mr William Kilvington and Mr Graham Morris, site foremen, for all their assistance in the course of this project. Fieldwork and compilation of this report was carried out by Franco Vartuca. The illustrations were drawn by Richard Morton.

6 CTI Transmitting Station, Penrhyn-Coch, Bow Street, Ceredigion, Wales: Archaeological Watching Brief.

5. BIBLIOGRAPHY

Crane, P, 1996 BBC UHF Relay Station at Penrhyncoch, Cardiganshire, Watching brief by Dyfed Archaeological Trust Ltd.

IFA, 1994 Standard and guidance for archaeological watching briefs, Institute of Field Archaeologists.

Institute of Geological Sciences, 1979 Geological Map of the United Kingdom, South. 3rd Edition, Solid. Southampton.

Walker, G, 1998 Archaeological Watching Brief, CTI Transmitting Station, Penrhyn- Coch, Bow Street, Ceredigion, Project Design, Cotswold Archaeological Trust.

7 CTI Transmitting Station, Penrhyn-Coch, Bow Street, Ceredigion, Wales: Archaeological Watching Brief.

Figure 1. Location plan

8 CTI Transmitting Station, Penrhyn-Coch, Bow Street, Ceredigion, Wales: Archaeological Watching Brief.

Figure 2. Study area showing location of groundworks