Buckinghamshire County Council Visit democracy.buckscc.gov.uk for councillor information and email alerts for local meetings
BUCKINGHAMSHIRE HISTORIC Agenda ENVIRONMENT FORUM
Date: Thursday 18 September 2014
Time: 2.30 pm
Venue: Mezzanine Room 3, County Hall, Aylesbury
Agenda Item Page No
1 APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE / CHANGES IN MEMBERSHIP
2 DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST To disclose any Personal or Disclosable Pecuniary Interests
3 MINUTES 3 - 8 of the meeting held on 18 March 2014 to be confirmed
4 MATTERS ARISING FROM THE MINUTES
5 CONSTITUTION 9 - 12 For discussion
6 BUCKINGHAMSHIRE COUNTY ARCHAEOLOGICAL SERVICE 13 - 22 REPORTS • Report of the Senior Archaeological Planning Officer • Report of the Historic Environment Record Officer
7 MILTON KEYNES ARCHAEOLOGICAL OFFICER'S REPORT 23 - 32
8 EMERGENCY RECORDING FUND REPORT- VERBAL UPDATE
9 COUNTY MUSEUM REPORT 33 - 36 Reports of the Keeper of Archaeology and Finds Liaison Officer
10 NATIONAL TRUST REPORT - VERBAL UPDATE Report of the Regional Archaeologist
11 CHURCH ARCHAEOLOGY Report of the Diocesan Archaeological Adviser
12 CONSERVATION OFFICERS' REPORTS • Aylesbury Vale • Chiltern • Milton Keynes • South Bucks • Wycombe
13 HS2 UPDATE - STANDING ITEM This item was requested as a standing item at the previous meeting
14 ANY OTHER BUSINESS
15 DATE, VENUE AND TIME OF NEXT MEETING Provisional dates, for agreement:
nd Monday 2 1st March 2015, 2:30pm Monday 2 September 2015, 2:30pm
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To all Members of the Buckinghamshire Historic Environment Forum
Agenda Item 3 Buckinghamshire County Council Visit democracy.buckscc.gov.uk for councillor information and email alerts for local meetings
Minutes BUCKINGHAMSHIRE HISTORIC ENVIRONMENT FORUM
MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF THE BUCKINGHAMSHIRE HISTORIC ENVIRONMENT FORUM HELD ON TUESDAY 18 MARCH 2014 IN COMMITEE ROOM, STOKE MANDEVILLE COMMUNITY CENTRE, ESKDALE ROAD, STOKE MANDEVILLE, COMMENCING AT 2.00 PM AND CONCLUDING AT 2.49 PM.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Members Organisation Mr C Cashman Aylesbury Vale District Council Mr M Farley Bucks Archaeological Society Mr H McCarthy Wycombe District Council Mr G Marshall National Trust Mr W Chapple OBE Buckinghamshire County Council Mr W Whyte Buckinghamshire County Council Mr R Pushman Bucks Heritage Champion
Officers Organisation Mr J Brushe South Bucks District Council Mr B Thorn Bucks County Museum Ms J Wise Buckinghamshire County Council Ms E Alqassar Buckinghamshire County Council Ms S Farr Buckinghamshire County Council Ms S Keene Buckinghamshire County Council Mr P Marsden Buckinghamshire Archaeological Society Ms H Wailling Democratic Services Officer
1 ELECTION OF CHAIRMAN
Mike Farley opened the meeting and invited nominations for Chairman.
Bill Chapple OBE proposed Warren Whyte, and Richard Pushman seconded this proposal. There were no other nominations.
Resolved
That Warren Whyte be elected Chairman of the BHEF for the ensuing year.
Warren Whyte thanked Mike Farley for chairing the previous meeting.
3 2 APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE / CHANGES IN MEMBERSHIP
Apologies for absence were received from Martin Andrew and Nick Crank.
Mike Farley introduced Peter Marsden, Chairman of the Buckinghamshire Archaeological Society (BAS), who had edited a booklet on Stoke Mandeville Church.
3 DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST
Warren Whyte declared an interest as he had joined the Buckinghamshire Archaeology Society (BAS).
Mike Farley and Richard Pushman also said that they were members of the BAS.
4 MINUTES
Minutes
The Minutes of the meeting held on 4 November 2013 were agreed as a correct record, with the following amendment: • Corry Cashman's apologies to be added.
After the meeting members visited the site of old Stoke Mandeville Church which would be destroyed by HS2.
5 MATTERS ARISING FROM THE MINUTES
Oxford Diocese representative Mike Farley and Sarah-Jane Farr both said that they had tried to contact Julian Mumby, but that they had not received a response. Sarah-Jane Farr said that she would try to speak to him again and if she had no response, she would leave a note with the Diocese secretary.
Constitution Richard Pushman asked if there had been any progress, following discussions at the previous meeting. Members agreed that they would consider the issue of voting and non-voting members for discussion at the next meeting – ACTION
Quarrendon Leas Richard Pushman said that they were still waiting for the developer to sign off on the papers for Quarrendon Leas, and that a contact at Taylor Wimpey had not been established. Hugh McCarthy said that he could assist. Sheila Keene said that BCC had put in place a Deed of Release for the restrictive covenant and documents required for completion of the transfer had been provided to Taylor Wimpey’s solicitors.
6 BUCKINGHAMSHIRE COUNTY ARCHAEOLOGY SERVICE REPORTS
Sarah-Jane Farr and Eliza Alqassar referred members to the report, and said the following:
• The Councils had submitted their comments on the High Speed 2 Environmental Statement to the Parliamentary Assessor. • The County Council was increasingly receiving consultations on District Plans from the District Councils. These were valuable for the County Council to have at
4 an early stage. • The County Council had been charging for archaeological planning advice since 2010. They had recently reviewed the Charging Policy and new charges would be introduced from April 2014. • The County Archaeological Service was updating its website. • The County Council had submitted a response to the Consultation on the new model for English Heritage. The proposed changes could affect the work of the County Archaeological Service. English Heritage was currently a great supporter of Historic Environment work and provided training. This was important with increasing planning applications and decreasing resources. • Historic Towns Project – the summary publications would be launched in April 2014, and this was a great achievement. All the distinct reports were available on the County Council website. • There were increasing numbers of planning applications coming in.
Hugh McCarthy said that the High Wycombe District Plan Consultation ended in April 2014, and that it was important for views to be submitted before then.
A member asked if the new charging policy would affect the District Councils. Eliza Alqassar said that they would not charge the District Councils.
A member said that his perception was that English Heritage was looking for self-help from County and District Councils. A member said that conservation specialists might now be called on at a local level.
Regarding the Historic Town Project, Warren Whyte said that David Green had spoken to the stakeholders of the neighbourhood plan at the beginning of the project.
Julia Wise said that as regarded the HER report, the number of consultations had gone up, which reflected the pattern in the previous two years, when there had been an increase in the last quarter of the year.
A member asked about the Senior Archaeological Officer post. Sheila Keene said that an appointment of an experienced archaeologist had been made from April 2014. The Forum thanked Sarah-Jane Farr for the work she had done in covering this post, and the Forum’s thanks to her was noted.
The Forum noted the report.
7 MILTON KEYNES ARCHAEOLOGICAL OFFICER'S REPORT
The Milton Keynes Archaeological Officer was not in attendance and no report had been received.
8 EMERGENCY RECORDING FUND REPORT
Members had received the Emergency Archaeological Recording Fund Report and were invited to note the current status of the fund.
Members discussed the fund and it was highlighted that the current balance of the fund was £7267.
There had not been any calls on the Fund between November 2013 and March 2014. Sheila Keene asked members if they wished to consider a year’s grace on collection of contributions.
5 Members agreed to maintain the contributions for 2014-15. Sheila Keene said that contributions would be invoiced in the first quarter of 2014-15.
The Forum noted the current status of the Fund.
9 COUNTY MUSEUM
Brett Thorn informed members that the transfer of the County Museum to a Trust was progressing. The Museum would be leaving the County Council in 6-12 months (a provisional timescale), although the County Council would remain as the main funder. An advertisement for trustees had been posted on the County Council website.
Sarah Gray, Curator, had retired, and a new Museum Director, Richard de Peyer, would be starting on 1 April 2014.
Ros Tyrell, Find Liaison Officer, had not been aware that this meeting was being held, so had not provided a report.
10 NATIONAL TRUST REPORT
Gary Marshall updated members.
Stowe Gardens A new golf course was being developed, so that the existing nine-hole golf course could be moved away from the gardens. The existing golf course had been in place for 50 years, and had been leased via the School to a golf club. The excavations for the new
golf course had unearthedst nd significant Roman evidence. This had been deposited at the Museum, and was 1 -2 Century AD. Some pink grog ware had also been found.
The new golf course would be less invasive and would allow the current location to be restored as landscape gardens.
West Wycombe Village The Trust was currently upgrading a number of the tenanted cottages. Oxford Archaeology was recording evidence exposed during the roofing works. Dating of the buildings had found them to be 1550s or 1560s. The church loft had been dated as 1465.
24 Crown Court had elaborate timbers and had been dated as 1530s.
Cliveden Works were underway to restore the South Terrace at Cliveden. Pits had exposed a 1.2m wide wall from 1660s/70s, which could possibly be the site of an earlier mansion.
11 CHURCH ARCHAEOLOGY
No report had been supplied.
12 CONSERVATION OFFICERS' REPORT
No reports had been received from Aylesbury Vale District Council, Chiltern District Council or Milton Keynes Council.
John Brushe (South Bucks District Council) reported that the scheme at 41 London End, Beaconsfield, was nearing completion.
6 The Taplow Mill site was now owned by the Barclay Group, who would be engaging in a public consultation.
Sarah-Jane Farr said that they had been contacted by WSP, which was carrying out a large archaeological assessment of the Taplow Mill site. The development brief included interpretation, which was a good sign. The County Council wanted to have input into larger schemes at the development brief stage. Mike Farley said that the deposits were potentially water-logged, which made them very important archaeologically.
Hugh McCarthy (Wycombe District Council) reported that the Daws Hill development site would bring forward landscape discoveries. The Judicial Review and the Court of Appeal had overturned local objections to the development.
Wycombe District Council was putting pressure on Chiltern Railways in regard to the Brudenell rail building.
A planning application at Uplands House had been robustly refused and the building would potentially be listed. A report would be published. John Brushe said that English Heritage was seriously considering the listing.
13 ANY OTHER BUSINESS
Buckingham Canal The Buckingham Canal Society had rewatered the Buckingham arm of the Canal, with the aim of going under the A5. The lock gates between Stony Stratford and Buckingham had been repaired. The fundraising for the project had been very astute, with a number of different funding sources. The Buckingham Canal Society had a very good website: http://www.buckinghamcanal.org.uk/
Buckinghamshire Archaeological Society (BAS) Update BAS had made a fairly robust response to the High Speed 2 Environmental Statement. Peter Marsden said that the main concerns included the Doddershall deserted village site (the whole area had been designated as a construction site), Fleet Marston Roman town and Stoke Mandeville old church site.
Agenda items Warren Whyte asked for agenda items for the next meeting. A member said that there should be a standing item to report on High Speed 2. A member said that the cutbacks at High Speed 2 Ltd were very worrying, and the potential impact on the mitigations to be brought forward.
Milton Keynes A member asked if there had been any information on Milton Keynes participation in the Forum, and noted that they were developing their own Museum. Brett Thorn said that the Milton Keynes Museum was the existing museum, which was not run by Milton Keynes Council. Members said that it might be worth considering an
invitationth to the Museum, and noted that until now the Museum’s main interest had been 19 Century onwards.
14 DATE AND TIME OF NEXT MEETING
Thursday 18 September 2014, 2.30pm, Mezz 3, County Hall, Aylesbury, Bucks
CHAIRMAN 7
Agenda Item 5
th Constitution for the Buckinghamshire Historic Environment Forum (Adopted 16 October 2002)
1 NAME
The Forum shall be called the Buckinghamshire Historic Environment Forum.
2 OBJECTS
i) To identify the historic environment needs of the County.
ii) To monitor the provision being made to meet those needs.
iii) To advise constituent bodies on any necessary improvements or modifications to be made to historic environment provision in the County.
iv) To make formal reports on historic environment matters to its constituent bodies.
v) To encourage and assist the co-ordination of historic environment activities throughout the County.
vi) To comment on existing and proposed regional and national policies affecting the historic environment seeking improvements where appropriate.
3 MEMBERSHIP AND REPRESENTATION
The Forum shall comprise:
a) Voting Members:
i) One elected representative from each of the District Councils within the County.
ii) One elected representative from Milton Keynes Council.
iii) Two elected representatives from the County Council; one nominated by Portfolio Holder for Planning and Transportation and one by the Portfolio Holder for Community Services.
iv) One representative of the Buckinghamshire Archaeological Society.
v) One representative of the Conservation Board for the Chilterns AONB
v) Other persons representing such authorities and bodies having historic environment interests or undertaking related activities as shall seek membership, and be admitted at the discretion of the Forum.
9 b) Non-voting members:
i) A representative of the County Museum Service.
ii) The County Council's Senior Archaeological Officer.
iii) Milton Keynes Council's Archaeological Officer.
iv) An officer concerned with the historic environment from each District Council.
v) One officer concerned with planning from the County Council.
vi) One representative from English Heritage.
vii) One representative from the National Trust.
viii) One representative from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
ix) One representative from the Oxford Diocesan Advisory Committee for the Care of Churches.
c) Co-opted and advisory members
Individuals with special knowledge or experience may be co-opted as (non-voting) members of the Forum or to any of its working parties or panels.
4. FORUM PROCEDURE
i) Substitutions
In the event of a voting member of the Forum being unable to attend any meeting of the Forum a substitute may attend in his/her place and shall be entitled to exercise rights of membership and shall be entitled to exercise voting rights.
ii) Working parties and Panels
The Forum may appoint such working parties and panels as may be deemed desirable, and which shall report to the Forum at subsequent meetings.
5 OFFICERS
i) Chairman
The chairman of the Forum shall be elected at the first meeting of the calendar year from the voting members of the Forum. The Chairman shall retire each year but shall be eligible for re-election and shall hold office for no longer than four years consecutively.
ii) Vice-chairman
10 The Vice-chairman may be elected from the voting members of the Forum. The Vice-chairman shall retire each year but shall be eligible for re-election and shall hold office for no longer than four years consecutively.
iii) Secretary
The Secretary of the meeting shall be the Senior Archaeological Officer of the County Council.
iv) Treasurer
A treasurer of the Forum may be appointed by the Forum.
v) The Secretary shall attend or be represented at every meeting of the Forum, and of every working party or panel of the Forum. The Chairman shall be authorised to invite other appropriate persons to report to the Forum or attend to advise at Forum meetings as considered necessary.
6 FINANCE
The reasonable administrative expenses of the secretarial services of the Forum shall be met by the County Council, and members of the Forum must look to the organisation which appointed them for any expenses incurred.
7 QUORUM AND PROCEDURE
i) The Forum shall meet at such times as may be necessary for the transaction of business, but in any case not less than twice in any one year.
ii) Meetings shall be held at County Hall, Aylesbury, unless otherwise agreed by the Forum.
iii) Meetings shall be convened by the Secretary, giving to members not less than seven days notice of a meeting. A special meeting shall also be summoned on the request of at least a quarter of the voting members of the Forum, given in writing to the Secretary.
iv) Three voting members of the Forum shall constitute a quorum.
v) At any meeting of the Forum a Chairman shall preside.
vi) In the event of an equality of votes, the Chairman of the meeting shall have a casting vote in addition to his/her deliberative vote.
vii) Minutes of each meeting shall be kept and shall be confirmed by the Forum at the next meeting and signed by the Chairman of the meeting.
viii) Subject to the provisions already specified the Forum may regulate its own procedure.
11 8 ADMISSION OF THE PRESS
The press shall be admitted to meetings of the Forum unless excluded by resolution of the Forum.
9 VARIATIONS OF THE CONSTITUTION
i) The Constituent Councils may, on the advice of this non-statutory Forum, from time to time vary the Constitution of the Forum. Such alterations require the assent of not less than four of the voting members present at a meeting of the Forum, and any proposal for alteration of the Constitution shall be received by the Secretary at least twenty-eight clear days before a meeting at which that proposal is to be considered.
ii) At least twenty-one clear days notice in writing of a meeting at which an alteration to the Forum is to be considered shall be given by the secretary to members, and such notice shall include full details of any proposed alterations.
10 DISSOLUTION
The Forum shall not be dissolved except by resolution of the Forum passed by not less than five of voting members at a meeting convened to consider that motion, notice in writing having been given to the members at least twenty-one clear days in advance.
12 Agenda Item 6
Buckinghamshire Archaeological Officers’ Report
To: Buckinghamshire Historic Environment Forum
th Date: 20 August 2014 Authors: Senior Archaeological Planning Officer, Archaeological Planning Officer, Historic Environment Record Officer
A. PURPOSE OF THE REPORT
1 To advise the Forum of the work of the County Archaeological Service since the last BHEF meeting.
B. PROPOSED ACTION
2 The Forum is particularly invited to NOTE:
a resources
b strategic issues and projects
c recent planning-related archaeological work
d progress in securing publication of archaeological reports.
C. RESOURCES
3 The County’s archaeological service forms part of the Planning, Advisory and Compliance Service’s Environment Team within Place Services. Following the departure of Sheila Keene in June 2014, we are awaiting the appointment of a new Environment Lead Officer in September 2014. Philip Markham is now the Senior Archaeological Planning Officer, Eliza Alqassar the Archaeological Planning Officer (part-time), Julia Wise the HER Officer.
D. SUPPORTING INFORMATION
4 Strategic Issues/Projects
High Speed 2 – The County Council submitted a formal petition to Government in Summer 2014. BCC will be meeting with Government end of September to discuss the issues raised by BCC, including the archaeology service. Archaeology team to meet with HS2 representatives to discuss Written Schemes of Investigation for fieldwork along the Buckinghamshire section of the route. A HS2 Heritage sub-committee meeting will take place at the end of September 2014.
13 Strategic Planning – awaiting results of appeals for major developments around Aylesbury.
English Heritage consultation on the NHPP – all three officers and the BCC Heritage Champion attended English Heritage workshops and provided feedback on the NHPP and its proposed second version.
Historic Towns Project – the summary publication had a ‘soft launch’, in May with a press release which prompted a number of articles in local newspapers.
New National Designations DCMS has recently listed the George Devey-designed engine house, gateway and watchman’s lodge and the cooling pond at Dancer’s End Pumping Station; Uplands Conference Centre at Hughenden; the former Hare and Hounds in Marlow and Longwick War Memorial, all at Grade II.
6 Planning related archaeological work
nd Volume measures 1st Quarter 2 Quarter 2014 2014 Total number of consultations handled 123 144 Number of planning applications 91 106 handled Planning applications responded to 87% 97% within 14 days (target 90%) From April 2014 response within 21 days Number of development-related 11 13 archaeological fieldwork projects Success rate at appeal (target 50% 0 of 0 0 of 0 annual success rate)
A full list of development-related fieldwork (January to June 2014) is provided as Appendix A.
Significant archaeological investigations include:
Aston Clinton - Excavation of an Iron Age – Roman settlement at Aston Clinton has revealed a large section of a major routeway, likely to be the Lower Icknield Way. Excavations are ongoing by University of Leicester Archaeological Services.
Cuddington – a high-status Roman settlement has been excavated, including stone buildings suggestive of a bathhouse/villa/temple. Awaiting report.
14 Worth noting that we are seeing an increase in the number of applications for solar farms.
7 Publication update (Appendix B)
Oxford Archaeology East and Network Archaeology jointly published their excavations on the Hardwick to Marsh Gibbon gas pipeline in Volume 54 of Records of Buckinghamshire.
The Solent Thames Regional Research Frameworks were formally published in
8 Historic Environment Record (HER) report
The HER performance indicator statistics are shown in the tables below: nd Performance Indicator 1st Quarter 2 Quarter 2014 2014 Historic Environment Records data Reports = 40 Reports = 64 inputting backlog Collect = 518 Collect = 518 Total = 558 Total = 582 (targets: reports < 30 by March 2015)
nd Volume measures 1st Quarter 2 Quarter 2014 2014 Number of Higher Level Stewardship 4 2 applications handled Number of reports received by the 49 12 HER Number of Historic Environment Records enquiries handled: 29 34 commercial 25 29 non-commercial 4 5
HER enhancement and volunteer projects
Steady progress is being made by the HER volunteers on both the public houses and milestones projects. The Buckinghamshire Gardens Trust were successful in their HLF bid and the Research and Recording Project is underway - the draft reports have already been used by the Planning Archaeologist to inform planning recommendations at Parmoor Court and at Green Park.
E. BACKGROUND PAPERS
1. Archaeological Reports submitted to the Bucks HER
CONTACT OFFICER: PHILIP MARKHAM 01296 382705
15
Appendix A: Development-related Archaeological Fieldwork in Buckinghamshire January – June 2014
Report Site Project type Contractor Summary to HER
January 2014 Cuddington Excavation TVAS Roman settlement No Denham, Denham Preferred Area 4C Test Pitting Wessex No Quainton, Grange Farm Watching brief JMHS Post-medieval - modern farm buildings Yes February 2014 Bierton, Badricks Farm Watching brief TVAS Negative No Boarstall, Magnolia Park Evaluation Network Negative No Chesham, The Cock Tavern Watching Brief TVAS Negative Yes Cuddington (ongoing) Excavation TVAS Roman settlement No The Heritage Dagnall, Dagnall Farm, Main Street North Watching brief Network No Hulcott, All Saints Church Watching brief JMHS No
17 Long Crendon, 18C Chearsley Road Evaluation TVAS Negative Yes Princes Risborough, 1 High Street Evaluation ASC One post-medieval pit, one undated pit Yes March 2014 Cuddington (ongoing) Excavation TVAS Roman settlement No Great Horwood, Land off Weston Road Geophysical survey WYAS Iron Age pits, ridge and furrow No Stowe, Stowe School golf course Excavation Network Roman settlement No April 2014 Burnham, Tithe Barn Watching brief Minas Tirith WW2 air-raid shelter Yes Cuddington (ongoing) Excavation TVAS Roman settlement No Great Horwood, Land off Weston Road Evaluation FA Ridge and furrow and Iron Age pits No Long Crendon, 17 Bicester Road Evaluation JMHS Negative Yes Wing, Moorlands Earthwork survey OA Quarry pits and house platforms Yes Archaeological Agenda Item 6 Wing, Moorlands Geophysical survey Surveys Archaeological anomalies Yes May 2014 Aston Clinton, Stablebridge Road Excavation ULAS Iron Age - Roman settlement and road No Excavation Beaconsfield, Springfield Quarry TVAS Brill, The Old Swan, 18 The Green Watching brief JMHS Post-medieval features No Appendix 1 Denham, Denham Park Farm Strip and record AS No excavation Hambledon, St Katherine's, Parmoor Evaluation TVAS Negative Yes Stoke Poges, Slough Cemetery Evaluation TVAS Medieval farmstead No June 2014 Aston Clinton, Stablebridge Road (ongoing) Excavation ULAS IA - RB settlement and road No Aylesbury, New Road Evaluation CAT Negative No Beaconsfield, Springfield Quarry (ongoing) Excavation TVAS Lillingstone Lovell, Brooklands, Church Lane Watching brief TVAS Well No Wing, Moorlands Evaluation Wessex Negative Yes
Abbreviations: AA = Albion Archaeology; AOC = AOC Archaeology; APS = Archaeological Project Services; AS = Archaeological Solutions; ASC = Archaeological Services and Consultancy; ASE = Archaeology South-East; CA = Chiltern Archaeology; CAT = Cotswold Archaeology; FA = Foundations Archaeology; GSB = Geophysical Surveys of Bradford; JMHS = John Moore Heritage Services; NA = Northamptonshire Archaeology; Network = Network Archaeology; OA = Oxford Archaeology; OA East = Oxford Archaeology East; PG = Pre-construct Geophysics; TVAS = Thames Valley Archaeological Services; ULAS = University of Leicester Archaeological Service; Wessex = Wessex Archaeology; WYAS = West Yorkshire Archaeological Service
18 Appendix B: List of major archaeological excavation projects at the post excavation stage (September 2014)
Site Archaeological Local Principal Situation Action required Contractor Planning Archaeological (Date fieldwork Authority Interest completed) Aston Clinton, Northamptonshire AVDC Roman Post-excavation Monitor to Arla Dairy Archaeology settlement assessment received publication. (2012) August 2013. Bierton, Church Tempus AVDC Bronze Age Contractor bankrupt. None - Archive held Farm Reparatum (1996) and Saxon to Developer unwilling to at County Museum Medieval take responsibility. but planning case settlement Planning enforcement not recoverable. case referred to AVDC but no progress. Bierton, 80 Network AVDC Medieval AVDC requested to No action taken. Aylesbury Road Archaeology boundaries and initiate enforcement Pursue with
19 (2004) prehistoric action (March 2007) contractor. crouched inhumation Buckingham, Northamptonshire AVDC Medieval and Post-excavation Pursue with Bridge Street Archaeology post-medieval assessment consultant (2008) back plots and commenced September (Leicester waterlogged 2010 (due spring 2011). University). revetment Not received to date and structures along no contact with riverbank consultant (May 2014) Chesham, Lindsey Chiltern DC Medieval/Post- Draft report submitted to Uncertain – may be
Sainsbury’s sites Archaeological medieval urban Records of Bucks. LAS irrecoverable. Agenda Item 6 Services (1998) tannery gone out of business. Discussed publication of summary March 2009. Denham, Former MoLAS (2005) South Bucks In-situ Early Post-excavation Continue to pursue Sanderson Site DC Mesolithic assessment & updated Appendix 2 Site Archaeological Local Principal Situation Action required Contractor Planning Archaeological (Date fieldwork Authority Interest completed) occupation site project design agreed and but no progress and new environmental developer querying Px deposits requirement. Requested SBDC support on seeking compliance July 2009, February 2011 and May 2014. Denham, The Cotswold Bucks CC Bronze Age Post excavation Continue to pursue Lea Quarry Archaeology and Romano- assessment due July through BCC (2010) British field 2011. Informed in Sept planning. systems and 2012 that developer not bustum burials commissioned PX work.
20 Highlighted to BCC planning Sept 2013 & Planning Compliance Notice issued Dec 2013. Thames Valley Archaeological Services commissioned to publish report and finds returned to developer but Cotswold retain paper archives and human remains. Dorney Rowing Oxford Bucks CC Multi-period Draft publication reports Monitor progress Lake & Archaeology sites received and agreed with publication and Maidenhead November 2012. deposition of Windsor and Second volume (of 3) archive. Eton Flood Relief formally published Site Archaeological Local Principal Situation Action required Contractor Planning Archaeological (Date fieldwork Authority Interest completed) Scheme December 2013. Great Network Chiltern DC Medieval moat Report received by HER Pursue agreed Missenden, Bury Archaeology and pottery and comments sent publication of Farm (2002) production. November 2009 summary in Post-medieval Records of Bucks. barns.
Princes Oxford Non-planning Re-excavation Partly published in Pursue with Risborough, Archaeology HLF project and restoration Records of contractor. Whiteleaf Hill (2006) with BCC as of scheduled Buckinghamshire 2007. client Neolithic oval Proposed publication in barrow PPS – progress uncertain.
21 Client raised with contractor in 2013. Taplow, Berry Hill Wessex Bucks CC Early Iron Age HER reports submitted. Work to date only Farm Archaeology and Roman Further mineral merits illustrated boundaries extraction consented. summary report. May be appropriate to combine with any further investigation.
Agenda Item 7
ARCHAEOLOGY IN MILTON KEYNES
To: Buckinghamshire Historic Environment Forum
Date: September 2014
Author: Senior Archaeological Officer, Conservation and Archaeology, Milton Keynes Council
A. PURPOSE OF REPORT
1. To inform the Forum of recent archaeological matters in Milton Keynes.
B. FIELDWORK PROJECTS
1. Attached is a list of fieldwork projects (Events) undertaken in the Milton Keynes area between July 2013 and June 2014.
2. Particular highlights included:
• Excavations on the Western Expansion Area, Calverton where 2 isolated Iron Age wells yielded finds including hazelnuts and a roughly trimmed Field Maple branch.
• Further excavations at the Calverton extension to Passenham quarry revealed a second Romano-British stone revetted mausoleum containing a primary cremation and associated inhumations.
3. In July Oxford Archaeology published ‘Broughton, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire: The Evolution of a South Midlands Landscape’. Lavishly illustrated in colour, it takes an in-depth look at the various archaeological finds from the Brooklands and Broughton Gate developments. The extensive excavations across a 200 hectare area adjacent to the village of Broughton revealed the fluctuating fortunes of neighbouring settlements from the Iron Age to the medieval period. Of particular interest were the richly furnished Iron Age and early Roman period cremation cemeteries.
C. PLANNING
1. Between 1st July 2013 and 30th June 2014 there were 292 consultations in respect of archaeological matters as a direct result of planning applications, pre-application enquiries, and schemes by statutory undertakers and other agencies.
23 D. HISTORIC ENVIRONMENT RECORD
1. During March 2014 Calli Rouse of ASC Ltd was contracted in to clear the backlog of HER events and OASIS validation.
E. OUTREACH
1. In September the Senior Archaeological Officer conducted a group guided walk of historic and archaeological sites in the Ouzel valley as part of Heritage Open Days.
2. Milton Keynes Archaeology Day – see Appendix 1 for full report.
This year’s event will be held on Saturday 8th November in the Central Library and will feature talks by John Gater of Time Team farm on geophysical survey techniques and Sadie Watson of MoLA on the Bloomberg Site.
F. CONSERVATION MATTERS
1. Three parish councils (Loughton, Willen and Woughton-on-the-Green) are currently reviewing their respective Conservation Areas. The draft Loughton Conservation Area review will be out for public consultation via Milton Keynes Council’s portal in November.
2. The Conservation & Archaeology team are currently in discussions with AVDC with regard to delivering further Conservation Area Reviews.
3. In July the former Bus Station in Central Milton Keynes was listed at Grade II, joining the Shopping Building (thecentre:mk) and 7-23 Silver Street, Stony Stratford (terraced housing and covered entrance to Cofferidge Close) as designated early examples of MKDC architecture. A proposal to demolish much of Cofferidge Close to construct a larger supermarket was dismissed as the result of a public enquiry held in March, predominantly on heritage grounds.
4. The proposed New Town Local Heritage List is on the Council’s Forward Plan and will be going to Cabinet in October.
G. PROPOSED ACTION
1. The Forum is asked to note this report.
24 Appendix 1:
Milton Keynes Archaeology Day 2013
Post-Event Report
Introduction
On Saturday 9th November 2013 over 400 people of all ages came through the doors of the Central Library to enjoy a range of activities and talks at the 7th annual Milton Keynes Archaeology Day. Organised by the Conservation & Archaeology Team the event began in 2007 as a low-key conference featuring speakers on recent archaeological work in the borough. Since then the event has grown year on year in scope and appeal and is now held across the Central Library with talks in Local Studies and interactive displays, activities and workshops from the library foyer and upstairs to the Children's Library. Despite this expansion the budget for the event remains modest, with expenditure principally covering the printing of posters, refreshments for the contributors and travel expenses for the speakers.
Talks, Displays and Activities
For the second year running tables in the IT area next to the Children’s Library were taken over by a hands- on archaeology workshop. Hosted this year by local firm Archaeological Services & Consultancy Ltd, this activity for young people was particularly popular with the under 10s and gave a practical insight into the varied methods and skills used by modern archaeologists. Many of the participants in the workshop stopped by after attending an archaeology themed ‘Story Time’ in the Children’s Library.
Another very popular aspect of the event is the displays in the foyer and on the half-landing from active local fieldwork groups and societies. This year we welcomed along a team from the Wing Heritage Project, a study group established to improve knowledge of the village’s heritage prior to the production of a neighbourhood plan. Other displays included Northamptonshire’s Community Landscape and Archaeology Survey Project (CLASP) and the Upper Nene Archaeological Society (UNAS) plus Archaeology Day regulars Magiovinium Metal Detecting club whose wide-ranging collections of artefacts proved as popular as ever. Also present in the foyer were Ros
25 Tyrrell and Julie Cassidy, Finds Liaison Officers from the Portable Antiquities Scheme for Bucks and Northants who were on hand to identify any treasures brought in by the public.
As in previous years the biggest draws of the day were the two lectures held in the Local Studies Library with each attracting capacity crowds of over 50. In the morning local archaeologist and resident pottery specialist on television’s ‘Time Team’, Paul Blinkhorn presented his new talk ‘Carry On Trowelling’. This proved a highly entertaining and at times hilarious romp through the history of archaeology in the media, highlighting and debunking many myths in the process including the Mummy’s Curse! Paul rounded off his talk with a question and answer session in which he provided fascinating insights into the making of Time Team.
The afternoon saw a real change of gear as Cecily Cropper of MFL Archaeology spoke on the subject of Forensic Archaeology, charting its development and use in criminal and post-conflict situations both in the UK and abroad. Cecily used some well- known criminal cases from the past as examples as well as touching on her own work with the United Nations in worldwide post-conflict situations.
Also of note and running alongside the event from November to January was a new exhibition of recent archaeological work from across the borough. Compiled by the Conservation & Archaeology Team with information from 7 external contributors, the exhibition was in the Discover MK showcase in the upstairs lending library and has now transferred to Westcroft library. The exhibition featured both development related projects and community archaeology such as the Bury Field geophysical survey. It was accompanied by 3 cases of finds from the Wolverton Anglo-Saxon and Broughton Gate Iron Age and Roman cemeteries.
26 Statistics and Audience Feedback
Figures from the automatic door count for the day indicate an additional 400 people came through the doors of the library. Helpers, those running workshops, speaking or manning stands and displays on the day numbered 26 not including the library staff.
Feedback was collected from 37 respondents who gave an overwhelmingly positive 4 or 5 (out of 5) rating for the talks and activities. The feedback also showed a strong age bias in relation to the talks with most of the respondents who attended one or both falling in to the 41 years plus age groups. A number of useful suggestions and comments were also received which give a good impression of the event and will also inform its future development. The postcodes collected show attendees from all the surrounding counties and also Greater London, in itself an endorsement of the free national publicity via British Archaeology magazine.
Contact:
Nick Crank, Senior Archaeological Officer, Conservation & Archaeology, Development Management
External Links
ASC http://www.archaeological-services.co.uk/
CLASP http://claspweb.org.uk/
Cotswold Archaeology http://www.cotswoldarchaeology.co.uk/
Discover MK http://www.discovermiltonkeynes.co.uk/
Festival of Archaeology http://www.archaeologyfestival.org.uk/
MFL Archaeology http://www.mflarchaeology.co.uk/
UNAS http://unas.org.uk/
Paul Blinkhorn http://postromanpotteryspecialist.weebly.com/
Wing Heritage Project http://wingheritageproject.wordpress.com/
27
Fieldwork events in Milton Keynes June 2013 – July 2014
Site name Dates Organisation Event Summary Publication Middleton Primary Jul-13 Archaeological Services Excavation Late Iron Age and Romano-British settlement Records School & Consultancy Ltd Sutcliff Baptist Church, Aug-13 Northamptonshire Watching Watching brief carried out alongside clearance of No Olney Archaeology Brief graves did not reveal any archaeological features pre-dating its use for burial. Church Farm SLA, Aug-13 Northamptonshire Geophysical Magnetometry survey revealed extensive former No Wavendon Archaeology Survey ridge and furrow and an undated network of probable ditches in the northern part of the site. Land south of Oct-13 Archaeological Services Earthwork The survey recorded banks, ditches and hollows No Caldecote Farm, Willen & Consultancy Ltd Survey focussed at the north of the site, which are Road, Newport Pagnell interpreted as post medieval field boundaries and quarrying,. Evidence of modern agricultural activity was also present. None of the earthworks appear to be related to the medieval settlement of Caldecote, although subsurface features
29 associated with the medieval village were discovered in the vicinity of the earthworks during earlier evaluation trenching. Priory Lade, Nov-13 Albion Archaeology Trial Trial trench evaluation, revealing remains No Ravenstone trenching associated with the former priory church. Home Farm, Dec-13 Northamptonshire Trial Two trenches were excavated across the No Warrington Archaeology trenching proposed development area. Only Trench one revealed archaeological remains. These consisted of two pits, both containing medieval pottery, dating to the 13th-15th centuries. Magna Park, Dec-13 Northamptonshire Geophysical Detailed magnetometer survey followed by trial No Wavendon Archaeology Survey & trench evaluation. A single Agenda Item 7 Trial Trenching The Old Rectory Barns, Jan 14 - MOLA Northampton Building Record of 19th century barns and stable prior to No High Street, North Feb 14 Recording residential conversion. Crawley Appendix 1 Fieldwork events in Milton Keynes June 2013 – July 2014
Site name Dates Organisation Event Summary Publication
Land East of Rectory Mar-14 Stratascan Geophysical Magnetometer survey revealed extensive former No Farm, Emberton Survey ridge and furrow and a number of probable archaeological features including a rectilinear enclosure and ring ditch. All Saints' Church, Aug-13 Albion Archaeology Watching Watching brief carried out during works in the No Emberton brief churchyard, revealing limited evidence for burials and disarticulated human remains, as well as a limestone wall and a small amount of late Saxon/Saxo-Norman pottery and two metal objects. MK Shopping Centre, Aug-13 Andy Tryner Building Photographic survey of Eagle Walk and Middleton No Eagle Walk & Photography Recording Hall prior to proposed alterations. Middleton Hall Stanton Low Country Mar-14 Headland Archaeology Geophysical Resistivity survey revealed buried features of 17th Heritage trail 30 Park Survey century garden and plan of former manor house. Bulls Head Farm Mar-14 Bournemouth Geophysical Detailed magnetometer survey revealed a No (South), Proposed Archaeology Survey number of possible archaeological anomalies. Solar Farm, Stoke Goldington Bulls Head Farm 23/06/20 Bournemouth Trial Trial trenching in advance of proposed solar farm. No (South), Proposed 14 Archaeology trenching A number of the geophysical anomalies were Solar Farm, Stoke proven to be ditches dating from the medieval Goldington period; others corresponded with changes in the underlying geology and large areas of modern disturbance. Further to this a single feature dated to the Late Iron Age (100BC – AD43) was found toward the eastern side of the site. New Pastures Farm, Apr-14 Archaeological Solutions Building Record of farmhouse with 17th century core and No Warrington Ltd Recording later additions produced prior to renovation, part demolition and conversion.
Fieldwork events in Milton Keynes June 2013 – July 2014
Site name Dates Organisation Event Summary Publication
8 Church Lane, Mat 14 Souterrain Watching Negative watching brief on domestic extension. No Emberton Archaeological Services Brief Ltd rear of 24 High Street, May-14 Souterrain Watching Ongoing - Await report No Olney Archaeological Services Brief Ltd land adjacent to Little May-14 Cotswold Archaeology Trial Six trial trenches revealed a series of ditches and No Loughton Manor, trenching postholes. These were mainly undated, but one of Loughton them contained medieval pottery. It is likely that these features relate to activity within the curtilage of the 15th-century manor house and its medieval antecedent, although their exact functions are uncertain. One trench contained a series of “made ground” deposits to a depth of 1m below the present ground level. It is possible that these 31 layers represent backfilling of moat earthworks associated with the medieval manor house. Land north of Lodge Jun-14 Wardell Armstrong Geophysical Magnetometer survey revealed extensive former No Farm, Wavendon Archaeology Ltd Survey ridge and furrow and a D-shaped enclosure in the NW of the site Chestnut Cottage and Jun 14 - Albion Archaeology Building Ongoing - Await report TBC Barns, Common Street, ongoing Recording & Ravenstone Watching Brief Passenham Quarry Jun 14 - MOLA Northampton Excavation Further excavation revealed a second stone built TBC extension, Calverton ongoing Romano-British mausoleum with associated primary cremation deposit and secondary inhumations. 33 Northampton Road, Jun 14 - Souterrain Watching Ongoing - Await report TBC Lavendon ongoing Archaeological Services Brief Ltd
Fieldwork events in Milton Keynes June 2013 – July 2014
Site name Dates Organisation Event Summary Publication
Western Expansion Ongoing Border Archaeology Excavation Three areas of excavation with significant remains Monograph Area, Area 11, including probable post-medieval quarrying, and Calverton Iron Age to Romano-British settlement Eagle Farm North, Ongoing Border Archaeology Excavation Late Iron Age and Romano-British settlement Records Wavendon
32 Agenda Item 9
Buckinghamshire Historic Environment Forum – September 2014
County Museum Report
The last 6 months have been a time of major, but positive change for the county museum. The museum has now left Bucks County Council control and is operated by the new Buckinghamshire County Museum Trust which is a charitable company. BCC remains a major partner and funder, and still owns the collections which the new trust now manages on their behalf.
Our new director, Richard de Peyer, joined us in April from Wycombe Museum, and has a background working in both independent and local authority museums, and our new Chair of Trustees is Dr Bob Sutcliffe, who has a background in business and working with charities.
We are currently awaiting the results of a major bid to the Heritage Lottery Fund to redevelop the museum resource centre at Halton, to improve access to the reserve collection, as well as storage conditions.
• Recent archaeological site archive notifications - March to September 2014 Since the intention to deposit 33 archives has been notified to the County Museum, of which 10 are from the Milton Keynes Council area.
AYBCM : 2014.23 Heritage Network Ltd notification of archive from watching brief at Dagnall Farm, Edlesborough; archive not yet received AYBCM : 2014.24 Museum of London notification of archive from building survey at Archaeology North Crawley ; archive not yet received AYBCM : 2014.25 Wessex Archaeology notification of archive from building survey at Thorney Lane road bridge, Iver ; archive not yet received AYBCM : 2014.26 Cotswold Archaeology notification of archive from watching brief at The Old Chapel, Newport Pagnell ; archive not yet received AYBCM : 2014.27 Souterrain Archaeological notification of archive from watching brief at Services Olney ; archive not yet received AYBCM : 2014.47 University of Leicester notification of archive of excavation from Aston Archaeology Service Clinton ; archive not yet received AYBCM : 2014.48 Thames Valley notification of archive of evaluation from Archaeological Service Bassetsbury manor, High Wycombe ; archive not yet received AYBCM : 2014.49 Thames Valley notification of archive of watching brief from Archaeological Service Church of St Faith, Newton Longville ; archive not yet received AYBCM : 2014.50 Thames Valley notification of archive of watching brief from The Archaeological Service Cock Tavern, Chesham ; archive not yet received AYBCM : 2014.51 John Moore Heritage notification of archive of watching brief from Brill Services ; archive not yet received AYBCM : 2014.52 John Moore Heritage notification of archive of evaluation from Long Services Crendon ; archive not yet received AYBCM : 2014.53 Border Archaeology Ltd notification of archive of evaluation and excavation from MK eastern area expansion, Eagle Farm North ; archive not yet received
33 AYBCM : 2014.54 Albion Archaeology notification of archive of watching brief from Chesham ; archive not yet received AYBCM : 2014.55 Albion Archaeology notification of archive of watching brief and building survey from Ravenstone ; archive not yet received AYBCM : 2014.56 Cotswold Archaeology notification of archive of evaluation from Loughton ; archive not yet received AYBCM : 2014.57 Souterrain archaeological notification of archive of watching brief from services Emberton ; archive not yet received AYBCM : 2014.58 KDK archaeology notification of archive of watcing brief from Dunton Manor, Dunton ; archive not yet received AYBCM : 2014.59 Thames Valley notification of archive of evaluation from Long Archaeological Services Crendon ; archive not yet received AYBCM : 2014.60 Thames Valley notification of archive from watching brief at Archaeological Services Chesham ; archive not yet received AYBCM : 2014.61 Cotswold Archaeology notification of archive of evaluation from land at New Road, Aylesbury ; archive not yet received AYBCM : 2014.62 Cotswold Archaeology notification of archive of evaluation from Emberton Solar Farm ; archive not yet received AYBCM : 2014.63 Cotswold Archaeology notification of archive of watching brief from Turweston airfiled solar ; archive not yet received AYBCM : 2014.76 Museum of London notification of archive from trenching on land at Archaeology Kickles Farm, Newport Pagnell ; archive not yet received AYBCM : 2014.77 Heritage Network Ltd notification of archive from evaluation at Haddenham airfield ; archive not yet received AYBCM : 2014.78 Wessex Archaeology notification of archive from evaluation at Wing ; archive not yet received AYBCM : 2014.79 Bancroft Heritage notification of archive from building survey at Services Princes Risborough ; archive not yet received AYBCM : 2014.80 Bancroft Heritage notification of archive from watching brief at Services Stony Stratford ; archive not yet received AYBCM : 2014.81 Cotswold Archaeology notification of archive from evaluation at Ilmer ; archive not yet received AYBCM : 2014.82 Cotswold Archaeology notification of archive from watching brief at Hanslope ; archive not yet received AYBCM : 2014.83 Oxford Archaeology notification of archive from watching brief at Iver South ; archive not yet received AYBCM : 2014.84 Pre-Construct notification of archive from evaluation at Marlow Archaeology ; archive not yet received AYBCM : 2014.86 Oxford Archaeology East notification of archive from excavation at Mursley ; archive not yet received AYBCM : 2014.90 Albion Archaeology notification of archive from watching brief at Mentmore ; archive not yet received
Brett Thorn, Keeper of Archaeology, Bucks County Museum Trust [email protected] t: 01296 624519
34 Agenda Item 9 Appendix 1 Buckinghamshire Finds Liaison Officer for the Portable Antiquities Scheme [PAS], based in the County Museum So far 384 records of objects found in Buckinghamshire have been logged and hopefully in the four months of the year remaining this number will reach a similar quantity to last year’s total of 682. There are a number of records waiting to be uploaded and therefore the total to date is slightly misleading The basic records of the objects are entered on the PAS web-based database [www.finds.org.uk] by a volunteer. Recently the current volunteer has for personal reasons not been able to give the project as much time as previously. To cover this problem another volunteer from the Museum Friends has offered his services, received training and has started. Two detectorists are now recording their own finds but their records will need to be checked. Work on the backlog of finishing records is progressing.
The local detector clubs are visited on a regular basis to record the member’s finds. Detecting rallies in Bucks are attended to the same end when the FLO is invited and has enough information. The voluntary nature of the scheme means we are unable to insist on the FLO attending to record. Weekend Wanderers do invite the FLO and have held rallies in Wendover Dean, Gt Missenden and Hoggeston which were attended where possible [the last minute nature of the organisation sometimes makes this difficult].
The FLO attended three events as part of the Festival of British Archaeology but with the exception of the one organised by English Heritage attendance figures were sadly low. The Milton Keynes Archaeology Day in November has been successful in the past so a display and recording will be laid on again for that event
Treasure finds
The table shows the potential treasure items found in 2014 currently being processed through the system of reporting and inquests.
Material Period Dates Description From Gold Medieval 1400-1500 Coin hoard of 6 gold nobles Chetwode Gold Roman 300-400AD Damaged finger ring Edlesborough Gold Post Medieval 1500-1600 Patterned finger ring Brill Silver Post Medieval 1600-1700 Bodkin inscribed GW & HW Buckingham Gold Bronze Age 2350-1601BC Undecorated bead Lenborough Silver gilt Post Medieval 1600-1700 Hat decoration Chetwode Gold More than 300yrs ? Possible ear ring Buckingham
I gather that it is likely that most of these objects will be purchased for the collections if the Coroner rules that they qualify as treasure items. This continues the Museum’s good reputation for acquiring the treasure found in the county. This part of the process is dealt with by the Keeper of Archaeology
Ros Tyrrell 1.9.14
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