Land Off London Road, Great Chesterford, Essex
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
Land off London Road, Great Chesterford, Essex Archaeological Evaluation for: Axis Land Partnerships CA Project: SU0141 CA Report: SU0141_1 Site code: GC70 July 2020 Land off London Road, Great Chesterford, Essex Archaeological Evaluation CA Project: SU0141 CA Report: SU0141_1 Document Control Grid Revision Date Author Checked by Status Reasons for Approved revision by 1 08/07/20 BHH APS Internal – APS review 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. Cirencester Milton Keynes Andover Exeter Suffolk Building 11 Unit 8, The IO Centre Stanley House Unit 1, Clyst Units Unit 5, Plot 11 Kemble Enterprise Park Fingle Drive Walworth Road Cofton Road Maitland Road Cirencester Stonebridge Andover Marsh Barton Lion Barn Industrial Gloucestershire Milton Keynes Hampshire Exeter Estate GL7 6BQ Buckinghamshire SP10 5LH EX2 8QW Needham Market MK13 0AT Suffolk IP6 8NZ t. 01285 771 022 t. 01264 347 630 t. 01392 573 970 t. 01908 564 660 t. 01449 900 120 e. [email protected] CONTENTS SUMMARY ............................................................................................................................... 2 1. INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................ 1 2. ARCHAEOLOGICAL BACKGROUND ....................................................................... 4 3. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES .......................................................................................... 10 4. METHODOLOGY ....................................................................................................... 11 5. RESULTS .................................................................................................................. 11 6. DISCUSSION ............................................................................................................. 12 7. CA PROJECT TEAM ................................................................................................. 13 8. REFERENCES........................................................................................................... 13 APPENDIX A: CONTEXT DESCRIPTIONS ............................................................................ 15 APPENDIX B: OASIS REPORT FORM ................................................................................... 17 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Fig. 1 Site Location Plan (1:25,000) Fig. 2 Trench location plan Fig. 3 Photograph - general view of Trench 3 looking south-east Fig. 4 Photograph - general view of Trench 13 looking south-east Fig. 5 Photograph - general View of Trench 22 looking south-east 1 Land off London Road, Great Chesterford, Essex: Archaeological Evaluation © Cotswold Archaeology SUMMARY Project name: Land off London Road, Great Chesterford Location: Great Chesterford, Essex NGR: 550754 242257 Type: Evaluation Date: 30 June – 3 July 2020 Planning reference: UTT/19/0573/OP Location of Archive: To be deposited with Saffron Walden Museum and the Archaeology Data Service (ADS) Site Code: GC70 In July 2020, Cotswold Archaeology carried out an archaeological evaluation at Land off London Road, Great Chesterford, Essex. A total of twenty-two trenches, each measuring 30m long by 1.8m wide, were excavated across the 3.2ha development site. The Site is located in the hinterland of the Roman town at Great Chesterford and archaeological interest in the development area derived largely from a record of the discovery of a group of Romano-British burials in the northeast part of the Site in the 1960s, although the reference was potentially a duplicate, incorrectly located, record of burials found further to the northeast of the site, outside the development area. No archaeological features or deposits were identified by the evaluation. In particular, no evidence for any burials, previously disturbed graves or any activities that may have led to the discovery of burials, such as mineral extraction, was noted in any of the trenches. Consequently, it is considered that the actual place of discovery of the Romano-British burials does indeed lie further northeast, outside the site boundary. 2 Land off London Road, Great Chesterford, Essex: Archaeological Evaluation © Cotswold Archaeology Land off London Road, Great Chesterford, Essex: Written Scheme of Investigation for an Archaeological © Cotswold Archaeology Evaluation 1. INTRODUCTION In July 2020, Cotswold Archaeology (CA) carried out an archaeological evaluation at Land off London Road, Great Chesterford, Essex (centred at NGR: 550754 242257; Fig. 1), on behalf of Axis Land Partnerships. A Desk-Based Assessment (DBA; CA 2018) was submitted for pre-application consultation with Essex Place Services (EPS) in December 2018, in their role as archaeological advisors to Uttlesford District Council (UDC), to inform a forthcoming planning application for the residential development of the site. It was determined by EPS that the site was of some archaeological potential and a field evaluation by trial trenching would be required post planning consent, to be secured and implemented by condition. A planning application (UTT/19/0573/OP) was subsequently submitted to UDC in March 2019, comprising an Outline application with all matters reserved except for access for the development of up to 76 dwellings, including provision of vehicular and pedestrian access, public open space and hard and soft landscaping at Land to the South West of London Road, Little Chesterford, Essex, receiving a grant of conditional approval on 17th June 2020, subject to a suite of conditions. Conditions 14 to 17 pertain to the recommended programme of archaeological works and state: 14 No development or preliminary groundworks can commence until a program of archaeological trial trenching has been secured and undertaken in accordance with a written scheme of investigation which has been submitted by the applicant, and approved by the planning authority prior to reserved matters applications being submitted. REASON: The Historic Environment Record and the documents submitted with the planning application indicates that the proposed development lies within a potentially sensitive area of heritage assets. The development site lies on the edge of the Roman town of Great Chesterford immediately to the east of the known Roman cemetery (EHER 4949). An area of cropmarks located to the north of the development area forms a sequence of enclosures on the southern side of the river (EHER 4866). This occupation may spread across London Road into the development area. The archaeological work would comprise initial trial trenching to identify the extent and depth of archaeological deposits followed by a programme of open area excavation if archaeological deposits are identified. All archaeological work should be conducted by a professional recognised archaeological contractor in 1 Land off London Road, Great Chesterford, Essex: Written Scheme of Investigation for an Archaeological © Cotswold Archaeology Evaluation accordance with a brief issued by this office. This is in accordance with Policy ENV4 of the Uttlesford Local Plan (adopted 2005). 15 A mitigation strategy detailing the excavation/preservation strategy shall be submitted to the local planning authority following the completion of this work. REASON: The Historic Environment Record and the documents submitted with the planning application indicates that the proposed development lies within a potentially sensitive area of heritage assets. The development site lies on the edge of the Roman town of Great Chesterford immediately to the east of the known Roman cemetery (EHER 4949). An area of cropmarks located to the north of the development area forms a sequence of enclosures on the southern side of the river (EHER 4866). This occupation may spread across London Road into the development area. The archaeological work would comprise initial trial trenching to identify the extent and depth of archaeological deposits followed by a programme of open area excavation if archaeological deposits are identified. All archaeological work should be conducted by a professional recognised archaeological contractor in accordance with a brief issued by this office. This is in accordance with Policy ENV4 of the Uttlesford Local Plan (adopted 2005). 16 No development or preliminary groundworks can commence on those areas containing archaeological deposits until the satisfactory completion of fieldwork, as detailed in the mitigation strategy, and which has been signed off by the local planning authority through its historic environment advisors. REASON: The Historic Environment Record and the documents submitted with the planning application indicates that the proposed development lies within a potentially sensitive area of heritage assets. The development site lies on the edge of the Roman town of Great Chesterford immediately to the east of the known Roman cemetery (EHER 4949). An area of cropmarks located to the north of the development area forms a sequence of enclosures on the southern side of the river (EHER 4866). This occupation may spread across London Road into the development area. The archaeological work would comprise initial trial trenching to identify the extent and depth of archaeological deposits followed by a programme of open area