Dovecote Farm, Fritwell Rd, Somerton, Oxfordshire
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DOVECOTE FARM, FRITWELL RD, SOMERTON, OXFORDSHIRE ARCHAEOLOGICAL EVALUATION C.A.T JOB: 0765 C.A.T REPORT: 98913 JUNE 1998 This report has been researched and compiled with all reasonable skill, care, and attention to detail within the terms of the project as specified by the Client and within the general terms and conditions of Cotswold Archaeological Trust Ltd. The Trust shall not be liable for any inaccuracy, error or omission in the report or other documents produced as part of the Consultancy and no liability is accepted for any claim, loss or damage howsoever arising from any opinion stated or conclusion or other material contained in this report or other documents supplied as part of the Consultancy. This report is confidential to the Client. Cotswold Archaeological Trust Ltd accept no responsibility whatsoever to third parties to whom this report, or any part of it is made known. Any such party relies upon this report entirely at their own risk. © Cotswold Archaeological Trust Headquarters Building, Kemble Business Park, Cirencester, Gloucestershire, GL7 6BQ Tel. 01285 771022 Fax. 01285 771033 Dovecote Farm, Fritwell Rd, Somerton, Oxfordshire: Archaeological Evaluation CONTENTS CONTENTS ................................................................................................................... 1 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS ......................................................................................... 2 SUMMARY ................................................................................................................... 3 1. INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................................... 4 1.1 Introduction .................................................................................................... 4 1.2 Geology, topography and landuse .................................................................. 4 1.3 Archaeological background ........................................................................... 5 1.4 Methodology ................................................................................................... 5 2. EVALUATION RESULTS........................................................................................ 6 3. DISCUSSION ............................................................................................................ 7 4. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ....................................................................................... 9 5. BIBLIOGRAPHY ...................................................................................................... 9 APPENDIX I ................................................................................................................ 10 Finds Register ..................................................................................................... 10 1 Dovecote Farm, Fritwell Rd, Somerton, Oxfordshire: Archaeological Evaluation LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Fig. 1 Location plan ....................................................................................................... 11 Fig. 2 Study area showing trench positions, proposed development and recorded ....... archaeology ......................................................................................................... 12 Fig. 3 Pit [402] plan and section .................................................................................... 13 2 Dovecote Farm, Fritwell Rd, Somerton, Oxfordshire: Archaeological Evaluation SUMMARY An archaeological evaluation was undertaken by Cotswold Archaeological Trust in June 1998 in advance of residential development at Dovecote Farm, Somerton, Oxfordshire. Fieldwork involved the machine-excavation of four trial-trenches across the site. A shallow pit yielded seven sherds of medieval pottery, together with one possbly intrusive post-medieval sherd. A series of post-medieval wall-footings and associated cobbled surfaces was also encountered, associated with the former agricultural complex on the site. 3 Dovecote Farm, Fritwell Rd, Somerton, Oxfordshire: Archaeological Evaluation 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1 Introduction 1.1.1 In June 1998 Cotswold Archaeological Trust was commissioned by Ian Slater Associates, on behalf of Multiplan Construction Ltd, to undertake an archaeological evaluation on land at Dovecote Farm, Fritwell Rd, Somerton, Oxon (centred at NGR SP 4993 2866, Fig. 1). The field evaluation is an attached condition to a planning consent, granted by Cherwell District Council, for six new houses on the site. 1.1.2 The evaluation was undertaken in accordance with a detailed project design produced by CAT in consultation with Mr. Hugh Coddington, Deputy County Archaeological Officer, Oxfordshire County Council (CAT 1998). The fieldwork also followed the `Standard and Guidance for Archaeological Evaluations’ issued by the Institute of Field Archaeologists (IFA 1996). 1.2 Geology, topography and landuse 1.2.1 The natural geological substrate of the Somerton area is mapped as Great Oolite limestone with middle and upper Lias clays (British Geological Survey, sheet 218). 1.2.2 The study area rises gently from west to east, from approximately 111m OD at the western edge of the site to approximately 113.50m O.D alongside the Fritwell road frontage. 1.2.3 The site, covering an area of 0.185ha, lies on the eastern edge of the village at the junction of the roads leading from Somerton to Ardley and Fritwell. The site has recently been cleared of a series of redundant agricultural buildings. 4 Dovecote Farm, Fritwell Rd, Somerton, Oxfordshire: Archaeological Evaluation 1.3 Archaeological background 1.3.1 A late Anglo-Saxon or earlier origin for Somerton is implied by its mention in the Domesday Survey of AD 1086. The study area lies within the historic medieval core of the village, to the south-east of the church and medieval castle and to the north of the sixteenth-century manor house (which replaced the castle and whose site is now a Scheduled Ancient Monument) (Oxfordshire County Council 1998, CAT 1998). 1.4 Methodology 1.4.1 The field evaluation was carried out in accordance with the detailed project design (CAT 1998). The aim of the evaluation was to establish whether archaeological deposits lay within the study area and, if so, to establish their extent, date, character, condition, significance and quality. This information would assist in devising appropriate mitigation action where necessary. 1.4.2 Four 1.9m wide trenches, totalling almost 45m in length, were excavated in the positions shown in Figure 2 (Trenches 1-4). The number and position of trenches varies slightly from that specified within the project design. This reflects repositioning necessitated by safety constraints, given the presence of underground water-mains and overhead power cables. 1.4.3 Subject to the agreement of the legal landowner the finds and site archive will be deposited with Oxfordshire Museums Service under accession number OXCMS: 1998.103. 5 Dovecote Farm, Fritwell Rd, Somerton, Oxfordshire: Archaeological Evaluation 2. EVALUATION RESULTS 2.1 The natural geological substrate, consisting of a yellow lias clay with brashy limestone, was exposed within three of the evaluation trenches (at depths averaging 0.15-0.30m below present ground level). Archaeological deposits were encountered within Trenches 1, 2 and 4. 2.2 The earliest archaeological feature encountered was a probable medieval pit [402] cut into the natural brash/clay (405) within Trench 4 (Figs. 2 and 3). Pit [402] was sub-circular in shape, approximately 0.80m long and at least 0.30m wide, its sides sloping steeply to a slightly concave base at a depth of 0.15m. The feature contained a compact, homogenous fill (403) of grey-brown sandy- clay, with a greenish staining characteristic of the disposal of cessy material. Seven sherds of medieval pottery were recovered from its fill. A modern sherd recovered from high up within fill (403) is almost certainly intrusive in origin. 2.3 Within Trenches 1, 2 and 4 a series of post-medieval structural remains was encountered, associated with the farm history of the site (Fig. 2). Immediately overlying the natural clay substrate (103) within Trench 1 a cobbled surface (102) was noted. This was constructed from compacted fragmentary limestone, under 0.15 x 0.10m in size, set within a sandy-clay matrix. Although no pottery was recovered from the cobbling to assist its dating, post-medieval brick and slate had been used in its construction. 2.4 An apparent eastward continuation of cobbling (102) was noted within trench 2 as surface (202). This layer abutted a NNE-SSW aligned wall-footing (203), 0.55m in width, built from unmortared limestone blocks under 0.35 x 0.25m in size. Immediately east of wall (203) a further cobbled surface (204), constructed from small fragmentary limestone and gravel, was noted. This abutted two further lines of wall-footings, (207) and (205), of similar construction. Wall (207), 0.60m in width, ran on a broadly N-S alignment not 6 Dovecote Farm, Fritwell Rd, Somerton, Oxfordshire: Archaeological Evaluation quite parallel with wall (203). A narrower crosswall (205), 0.40m in width, ran on a broadly east-to-west alignment perpendicular to wall (207). These walls broadly respect the alignment of the recently demolished farm buildings. 2.5 A further area of worn, remnant, limestone cobbling (404) was noted within Trench 4, again pressed into the surface of the natural lias clay. Post-medieval brick and slate fragments were incorporated in its construction. 2.6 Within Trench 3,