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Land at Westhay Ii Near Glastonbury Somerset LAND AT WESTHAY II NEAR GLASTONBURY SOMERSET ARCHAEOLOGICAL EVALUATION CA PROJECT: 1475 CA REPORT: 02141 Author: Kevin Colls Approved: Simon Cox Signed: ……………………………………………………………. Issue: 01 Date: 6 JANUARY 2003 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. © Cotswold Archaeology Headquarters Building, Kemble Business Park, Cirencester, Gloucestershire, GL7 6BQ Tel. 01285 771022 Fax. 01285 771033 E-mail: [email protected] Land at Westhay II, near Glastonbury, Somerset Archaeological Evaluation © Cotswold Archaeology CONTENTS SUMMARY........................................................................................................................2 1. INTRODUCTION........................................................................................................ 3 The site ................................................................................................................ 3 Archaeological background.................................................................................. 4 Archaeological objectives .................................................................................... 4 Methodology ........................................................................................................ 4 2. RESULTS (FIGS. 2 & 3)............................................................................................. 5 Trench 1............................................................................................................... 5 Trench 2............................................................................................................... 5 Trench 3............................................................................................................... 5 Trench 4............................................................................................................... 5 Trench 5............................................................................................................... 5 The Finds ............................................................................................................. 6 3. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION............................................................................ 6 4. CA PROJECT TEAM.................................................................................................. 6 5. REFERENCES........................................................................................................... 6 APPENDIX 1: CONTEXT DESCRIPTIONS...................................................................... 8 APPENDIX 2: THE FINDS................................................................................................ 9 APPENDIX 3: LEVELS OF PRINCIPAL DEPOSITS ........................................................ 10 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Fig. 1 Site location plan Fig. 2 Trench location plan showing archaeological features Fig. 3 Trenches 2-5: sections 1 Land at Westhay II, near Glastonbury, Somerset Archaeological Evaluation © Cotswold Archaeology SUMMARY Site Name: Land at Westhay II Location: Near Glastonbury, Somerset NGR: ST 4347 4225 Type: Evaluation Date: 11-12 December 2002 Planning Reference: 059127/001 Location of Archive: Somerset County Museum Service Site Code: WMS 02 An archaeological evaluation was undertaken by Cotswold Archaeology in December 2002 at the request of Fisher and Dean Limited on land at Westhay, near Glastonbury, Somerset. In compliance with an approved written scheme of investigation, five trenches were excavated across the development area. Natural Lower Lias clay was revealed at a depth of 0.35m below current ground level. Several features dating to the post-medieval period were identified during the course of this evaluation. These included gullies, a post-hole and a ditch. No other archaeological remains were encountered. 2 Land at Westhay II, near Glastonbury, Somerset Archaeological Evaluation © Cotswold Archaeology 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1 In December 2002 Cotswold Archaeology (CA) carried out an archaeological evaluation for Fisher and Dean Limited on land at Westhay, near Glastonbury, Somerset (centred on NGR: ST 434 422; Fig. 1). The evaluation was undertaken to aid in the determination of planning permission for the development of houses on the site (ref 059127/001). 1.2 The evaluation was carried out in accordance with a Specification for an Archaeological Evaluation issued by Somerset County Council Cultural Heritage Directorate (SCC 2002), archaeological advisors to Mendip District Council, and with a subsequent Written Scheme of Investigation produced by CA (2002) and approved by Mr Steven Membery, Somerset County Council. The fieldwork also followed the Standard and Guidance for an Archaeological Field Evaluation issued by the Institute of Field Archaeologists (1999). The evaluation was monitored by Mr Steven Membery. 1.3 This evaluation was carried out in conjunction with a second evaluation on an adjacent site to the north. The results of which are discussed within a separate report (CA 2003). The site 1.4 The village of Westhay is located on the B3151, just to the northwest of Glastonbury in Somerset. The site lies at the west side of the village on flat land at approximately 10.50m AOD (Fig. 2). 1.5 The underlying geology of the area is mapped as Lower Lias clay of the Lower Jurassic (IGS 1979). 1.6 The land is currently gardens associated with the existing house on the site, with open wasteland to the south. 3 Land at Westhay II, near Glastonbury, Somerset Archaeological Evaluation © Cotswold Archaeology Archaeological background 1.7 Archaeological interest in the site arises from the proximity of finds of prehistoric artefacts including well-preserved wooden items, flint implements and a whetstone (SCC 2002). Recent investigations on an adjacent site have produced medieval pottery indicative of contemporary settlement in the area, and a large Iron Age settlement (Meare Lake Village) lies less than 1km to the east of the site. Unfortunately further information (including the PRNs for the above sites) could not be obtained from Somerset County Council during the writing of this report, owing the absence on sick leave of the SMR Officer. Archaeological objectives 1.8 The objectives of the evaluation were to establish the character, quality, date, significance and extent of any archaeological remains or deposits surviving within the site. This information will assist the Local Planning Authority in making an informed judgement on the likely impact upon the archaeological resource by the proposed development. Methodology 1.9 The fieldwork comprised the excavation of five trenches across the development area. Trenches were 20m in length and 1.5m in width. Trench 1 was located in the front garden of the existing property on the site with the others located on waste ground to the south. 1.10 All trenches were excavated by mechanical excavator equipped with a toothless grading bucket. All machine excavation was undertaken under constant archaeological supervision to the top of the first significant archaeological horizon or the natural substrate, whichever was encountered first. Where archaeological deposits were encountered they were excavated by hand in accordance with the CA Technical Manual 1: Excavation Recording Manual (1996). 1.11 The archive and artefacts from the evaluation are currently held by CA at their offices in Kemble. Subject to the agreement of the legal landowner the site archive (including artefacts) will be deposited with the Somerset County Museum Service. 4 Land at Westhay II, near Glastonbury, Somerset Archaeological Evaluation © Cotswold Archaeology 2. RESULTS (FIGS. 2 & 3) 2.1 This section provides an overview of the evaluation results; detailed summaries of the recorded contexts and finds can be found in Appendices 1 and 2. 2.2 In all the trenches the natural Lower Lias was encountered at depths between 0.31m and 0.55m below current ground level. This was overlain by 0.20m of subsoil, which in turn was overlain by a topsoil deposit 0.15m thick. Trench 1 2.3 Trench 1 was excavated to the top of the natural Lower Lias clay. No archaeological remains were encountered. Trench 2 2.4 One shallow gully 204 containing two sherds of post-medieval pottery was excavated towards the centre of trench 2 (Fig. 3). No other archaeological features were encountered. Trench 3 2.5 One undated post-hole was located towards the northern end of trench 3. The feature was irregular in shape with a depth of 0.12m (Fig. 3). Trench 4 2.6 One shallow, undated gully 404 was located towards the centre of trench 4 (Fig. 3). No other archaeological remains were encountered. Trench 5 2.7 A shallow, 1.5m wide ditch 504 was excavated at the southern end of trench 5. The fill 505 produced two sherds of post-medieval pottery. 5 Land at Westhay II, near Glastonbury, Somerset Archaeological Evaluation © Cotswold Archaeology The Finds 2.8 Archaeological works at the site resulted in the recovery of small quantities of pottery and animal bone. The pottery dates entirely to the post-medieval period. Significantly, all of the pottery consists of fairly small, abraded sherds, suggestive of some disturbance. 3. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION 3.1 The evaluation identified no archaeological remains pre-dating the post-medieval
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