Fieldwork in Cambridgeshire 2010 Sally Croft, Hazel White and Elizabeth Popescu
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Fieldwork in Cambridgeshire 2010 Sally Croft, Hazel White and Elizabeth Popescu The work outlined below was conducted for a Barrington, Orwell Road variety of reasons, including development control TL 3864 4968 (CAU report 917) derived projects, emergency recording and research. S Hogan All reports cited are available in the Cambridgeshire An archaeological evaluation prior to development Historic Environment Record, Cambridge, for public revealed evidence of 19th century quarrying in consultation. Many of the reports are available in dig- Hooper’s Field, north of Barrington village. ital format from: The Grey Literature Library at the Archaeology Data Babraham, Rowley Lane Service TL 4952 5142 (CAU report 962) http://ads.ahds.ac.uk/catalogue/library/greylit A Slater and S Timberlake Heritage Gateway A series of test pits were excavated within the foot- http://www.heritagegateway.org.uk print of a proposed ford and access road through the Reference numbers for Scheduled Ancient Monuments River Granta at Babraham. A Romano-British riv- and Listed Buildings are taken from the National erside track or riverbank consolidation deposit was Heritage List for England identified as well as a full alluvial and colluvial se- http://list.english-heritage.org.uk quence for the formation of the site. Abbreviations Bassingbourn cum Kneesworth, Kneesworth House ALBION Albion Archaeology Hospital ALL Allen Archaeology TL 3499 4413 (AOC report 30595) AOC AOC Archaeology Group C Edwards APS Archaeological Project Services Further to evaluation in 2009, an archaeological exca- ASC Archaeological Services and Consultancy vation was carried out revealing a ring of postholes, AS Archaeological Solutions a group of small pits and a large line of postholes, BUFAU Birmingham University Field Archaeology possibly forming a palisade-like structure of probable Unit prehistoric date. A possible Roman field system and CgMs CgMs Consulting evidence of animal husbandry were also encountered CAP Cambrian Archaeological Projects along with episodes of chalk quarrying within a large CAU Cambridge Archaeological Unit enclosure. Medieval features included a series of quar- ECC FAU Essex County Council Field Archaeology ry pits and a possible rectilinear structure. The most Unit notable post medieval feature excavated was a large HN Heritage Network curvilinear feature interpreted as remains of the orna- NAU NAU Archaeology mental lake dating from the building’s previous usage NPA North Pennines Archaeology as a country house by Lord Knutsford and his family. NHA Northamptonshire Archaeology OA East Oxford Archaeology East Bottisham, Bendyshe Farm, High Street WITHAM Witham Archaeology TL 5441 6042 (CgMs Consulting report GLA-032) R Lewis The farm buildings stand within the former cartilage of Bendyshe Farm, although now divorced from the main property with which they were historically as- sociated. They form a linear range of narrow struc- tures adjacent to the northern site boundary, and comprise an open-fronted cart shed, two brick stables Proceedings of the Cambridge Antiquarian SocietySociety CC pp.pp. 216–227 Fieldwork in Cambridgeshire 2010 217 and a further structure of similar brick construction of flint working by a mobile population, involving at the eastern end, arranged at 90 degrees to the main repair and maintenance of hunting equipment. The range. The structures, all single storey, are construct- scatter reflects previous evidence of a prehistoric pres- ed of cream coloured Cambridgeshire bricks laid in ence on the low sand and gravel knolls in the vicin- Flemish bond. The roofs are for the most part cov- ity, lying close to a large palaeochannel, a tributary of ered with Welsh slate and the cart shed with cream the River Cam. A further undated palaeochannel was pantiles. Apart from the eastern building, which is in also revealed. Several undated tree throws were iden- separate ownership, all of the buildings were unused tified while part of a late post medieval to early mod- and in poor condition. The range is typical of a mid ern drainage system was also revealed. A mitigation 19th century range of stable buildings. phase comprising a programme of excavation, test pitting and sieving for artefacts was also undertaken, Buckden, 21 High Street revealing further struck flints of Mesolithic date, ani- TL 1906 6743 (AS report 3678) mal bone and late medieval to post medieval ceramic G Barlow building material. An archaeological evaluation comprising two trial trenches totalling 20m revealed modern and undat- Cambridge, Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge ed features, including furrows, pits, postholes and a Centre for Applied Learning gully. Artefacts recovered from the fill of the gully in- TL 4324 6041 (CAU report 977) cluded fragments of clay pipe, glass and a small iron S Timberlake fragment, all of post medieval date. An archaeological excavation was carried out at Addenbrooke’s Hospital in advance of the con- Burwell, 118 Low Road struction of the new Cambridge Centre for Applied TL 5851 6668 (CAU report 926) Learning (CCAL) building. This examination of the M Collins site involved the re-exposure of the Iron Age enclo- During archaeological evaluation of the site at Low sure ditch first dug by Mary Cra’ster in 1967. A well Road, Burwell, the foundations of a 19th–20th cen- preserved 12m section of this ditch and part of the tury wall were located. Artefacts recovered included north-western corner of this enclosure were exposed. a quantity of 19th–20th century items such as a shovel The location of this feature would appear to confirm head and a door knocker. The site was heavily dis- the accuracy of Cra’ster’s survey and also her plot- turbed during the 19th and 20th centuries, evidenced ted projection of this enclosure. At the same time it by a thin topsoil layer across much of the site. The was possible to re-examine one of the original 1967 lack of a subsoil suggests it may have been stripped excavation trenches. Further evidence relating to the down to the underlying chalk during the modern pe- density and distribution of artefacts, the sequence of riod and also account for the lack of earlier features or ditch construction and infilling, plus new evidence artefacts despite the proximity to the area of known of a re-cut were found, which may correlate with activity at Parsonage Farm to the south. re-occupation or re-use of this enclosure during the Middle-Late Iron Age. Further examination of the Burwell, Adventurers’ Fen ditch fill accumulation suggests this site may well TL 5640 6901 to TL 5568 6781 (APS report 55/10) have been a banked enclosure surrounded by a ditch. M Peachey An evaluation consisting of eleven trenches revealed Cambridge, Botanic House a palaeochannel, a possible buried soil and several TL 4576 5730 (CAU report 973) probable ancient tree throws, sealed by peat, two of M Collins which contained Neolithic flint flakes. Several mar- Phase one of an archaeological evaluation; prior to ling trenches of 20th century date were also revealed. the redevelopment of the site of Botanic House was Finds consisted of Neolithic flint flakes and modern undertaken in May 2010. Of four test pits excavated, material. A subsequent monitoring and recording in- two exposed Victorian basements. vestigation involved excavating a further trench adja- cent to trench 6 and extensions to both ends of trench Cambridge, CB1 development, Hills Road 11; however no further flints were retrieved. The envi- TL 4597 5706 (CAU report 933) ronmental evidence collected subsequently indicated A Slater past marsh, open water and wooded environments. A small archaeological evaluation was undertaken and identified a low density of prehistoric activity, as Burwell, Burwell Fen Hundred Acres well as Romano-British and medieval quarrying, me- TL 554 686 (APS report 96/10) dieval and post medieval agricultural practices and M Peachey 19th century industrial activity. An archaeological evaluation was undertaken at Burwell Fen Hundred Acres in order to assess the Cambridge, Jesus College impact upon archaeological remains of development TL 4523 5890 (CAU report 991) undertaken as part of the Wicken Fen Vision Strategy. R Newman, D Webb, C Evans and DAH Richmond Comprising 19 trenches, the evaluation stage revealed Archaeological monitoring was undertaken dur- a Mesolithic flint scatter suggestive of a short episode ing refurbishment works within the former eastern 218 Sally Croft, Hazel White and Elizabeth Popescu claustral range of the Benedictine Nunnery of St Mary Iron Age ditch, a number of Middle Iron Age pits and St Rhadegund and externally across the western and evidence of metalworking plus a large number portion of Chapel Court at Jesus College, Cambridge. of quern stones, Mesolithic/ Neolithic pits and a Late Although limited in scale, the investigations contrib- Bronze Age/ Early Iron Age rubbish pit and pit/well uted new information with regard to the original were revealed. A field system likely of Roman date architectural form of the northern end of the range was also identified. (formerly the nuns’ dayroom). The lower portions of two in situ wall shafts – which appear to have com- Cambridge, Parkside Fire and Rescue Station prised part of a colonnade or a wider scheme of ar- TL 4569 5828 (CAU report 955) cading / vaulting were revealed. Further to the south, R Newman partial elevations of the extant medieval fabric of the A single test pit excavated in the car park of the chapter house and sacristy/vestry, previously record- Parkside Fire and Rescue station during its redevel- ed in 1995, were also re-examined. During the course opment revealed a relatively well preserved archaeo- of the external service works, the southern wall of the logical sequence, at the base of which a large quarry demolished east end of the chapter house was identi- pit of medieval or earlier date was identified. This fied, and the remnants of an ancillary timber-framed was overlain by ploughsoil containing post medieval structure of probable monastic date uncovered.