Wycombe Marsh, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire
An Archaeological Watching Brief
For Kennet Properties
by Stephen Hammond and Steve
Ford
Thames Valley Archaeological
Services Ltd
Site Code WMW 01/110
February 2004 Summary
Site name: Wycombe Marsh, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire.
Grid reference: SU 88759200
Site activity: Watching Brief
Date and duration of project: October 2003 – February 2004
Project manager: Steve Ford
Site supervisor: Stephen Hammond
Site code: WMW 01/110
Area of site: c.16 ha
Summary of results: No deposits of archaeological interest were observed
Monuments identified: None
Location and reference of archive: The archive is presently held at Thames Valley Archaeological Services, Reading and will be deposited at 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: Jennifer Lowe 9 12.02.04 Steve Preston9 12.02.04
i
Wycombe Marsh, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire An Archaeological Watching Brief
by Stephen Hammond and Steve Ford Report 01/110b
Introduction
This report documents the results of an archaeological watching brief carried out at Wycombe Marsh, High
Wycombe, Buckinghamshire (SU 88759200) (Fig. 1). The work was commissioned by Mr Jonathan Poole,
Senior Project Manager for Ridge Property and Construction Consultants, Beaumont House, 59 High Street,
Theale, Reading, RG7 5AL on behalf of Kennet Properties.
Planning consent (02/7184 and 02/7185) has been granted by Wycombe District Council for the redevelopment of the former sewage works and paper mill previously in use at Wycombe Marsh. As a condition of the planning permission an archaeological watching brief was to take place during the groundworks as an earlier field evaluation (Hindmarch, 2002) could not fully sample all of the site area due to logistical and safety considerations. In particular, insufficient trenches were positioned close to the existing river culverts on the eastern end of the site and it was not possible to establish if any earlier mill structures survived beneath the concrete slabs of the modern mill. Observation and recording of any structures in this area would, therefore, need to be carried out during groundworks following planning permission.
This is in accordance with the Department of the Environment’s Planning Policy Guidance, Archaeology and Planning (PPG16 1990), and the District 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 and Sian Anthony in October
2003 and February 2004. The site code is WMW 01/110.
The archive is presently held at Thames Valley Archaeological Services, Reading and will be deposited at
Buckinghamshire Museum Service in due course.
Location, topography and geology
The site is located on an irregular plot of land just to the north-east of Deangarden Wood on the eastern side of
High Wycombe on the floor of the Wye valley (Fig. 1). It is bounded to the west by the course of an old railway, to the north and east by the River Wye, industrial units and London Road and to the south by various land uses.
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The underlying geology is alluvium with chalk, glacial sand and gravel expected nearby (BGS 1990). The site lies at an approximate height of c.80m above Ordnance Datum.
The evaluation and earlier geotechnical investigations showed that the eastern end of the site had been substantially disturbed by the modern mill structure and other facilities. Much made ground was present and a large area lying between the two culverts had been truncated.
Archaeological background
Several archaeological finds and deposits have been found within a 1 km radius of the development site. These are documented more fully in the Environmental Statement (RPSCW 2002) and in an earlier desk-based assessment (Hardy 2001).
In summary, these finds range from Mesolithic date up to post-medieval times, although no records of
Saxon activity exist. There are no recorded findspots for these periods within the development site itself.
However, the topographic setting of the site is considered to be favourable both for the location of early occupation sites and for later use of the river for mills. Late post-medieval archaeological records are associated with industrial activity and continued use of mills for various purposes.
The post-medieval mill structures were photographically recorded prior to demolition (Preston 2000).
Objectives and methodology
The purpose of the watching brief was to excavate and record any archaeological deposits that would be damaged or destroyed by the new groundworks. This was to involve the examination of areas stripped of topsoil/overburden, and the excavation of foundation trenches and drain trenches as appropriate. Specific aims for the project were to establish if deposits of either medieval or early post-medieval mill structures survived beneath modern overburden.
Results
The three components of the watching brief were the observation of trial pits dug immediately adjacent to the northern culvert, the cutting of the new river channel in the area just to the north of the north culvert and deeper foundations in the vicinity of the culverts.
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Culvert wall trial pits
Seven trial pits were dug on the south side of the northern culvert wall. These pits were 2m long and 1m wide and were dug to a depth of about 2m. Typically, the section revealed 1m of made ground above alluvium or chalk. No deposits of archaeological interest such as cut features or waterlogged structural timbers were noted in any of the trial pits.
New river channel
Most of the new river channel lay in areas which had previously been evaluated with negative results. However, areas in the vicinity of the north culvert were examined and a similar stratigraphy to the trial pits was observed, namely 0.8m of made ground overlying alluvium and then chalk. Again, no deposits of archaeological interest such as cut features or waterlogged structural timbers were noted.
Deeper foundation trenches
The few deeper foundation trenches and other test pits which were visible in the vicinity of the culverts were largely located within made ground and the archaeologically relevant levels could not be observed.
Finds
No finds were recovered.
Conclusion
The watching brief did not reveal any deposits of archaeological interest, in particular, those that might relate to earlier mill structures.
References
BGS, 1990, British Geological Survey, 1:50000, Sheet 255, Solid and Drift Edition, Keyworth Hardy, L, 2001, High Wycombe Sewage Treatment Works, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, An archaeological desk-based assessment, Thames Valley Archaeological Services report 99/22c, Reading Hindmarch, E, 2002, Wycombe Marsh, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, An Archaeological Evaluation, Thames Valley Archaeological Services Ltd report 01/110, Reading PPG 16, 1990, Archaeology and Planning, Dept of the Environment Planning Policy Guidance 16, HMSO Preston, J, 2000, Bunzl Paper Mill Site, London Road, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, Building Recording, Thames Valley Archaeological Services report 99/22b, Reading RPSCW 2002, Wycombe Marsh Redevelopment, Environmental Impact assessment, RPS Chapman Warren, Swindon
3 94000
SITE
93000
SITE
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SU87000 88000 WMW01/110 Wycombe Marsh, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, 2004 Archaeological Watching Brief
Figure 1. Location of site within High Wycombe and Buckinghamshire.
Reproduced from Ordnance Survey Pathfinder 1138 SU89/99 at 1:12500 Ordnance Survey Licence AL523324A0001 Wycombe Marsh, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire 2004
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92200 Tr 33 Tr 31 Tr 32 Tr 34 Tr 30
Tr 35
92100
Tr 29 Tr 26
Test pits Tr 24 Tr 28 Tr 1 New channelArea of watching brief
Tr 36
Tr 38 Tr 2 Tr 16 Tr 6 Tr 25 92000 Tr 15 Tr 37 Tr 3 Tr 18 Tr 39 Tr 14 Truncated
Tr 9 Tr 19 London Road TrFormer 11 paper Sewage treatment Tr 13 works site mill site 91900 Tr 22 Tr 41 Tr 12
TR 40
Ditch 1
91800
SU88200 88300 88400 88500 88600 88700 88800
WMW01/110 Figure 2. Location of original evaluation trenches showing current and former structures on the site. Approximate line of new channel
Test pits observed
0 100m WMW01/110 Wycombe Marsh, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, 2004 Archaeological Watching Brief
Figure 3. Location of watching brief at eastern end of the development site.