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Old Sarum Castle Near Salisbury Wiltshire OLD SARUM CASTLE NEAR SALISBURY WILTSHIRE ARCHAEOLOGICAL WATCHING BRIEF For ENGLISH HERITAGE CA REPORT: 06088 AUGUST 2006 OLD SARUM CASTLE NEAR SALISBURY WILTSHIRE ARCHAEOLOGICAL WATCHING BRIEF CA PROJECT: 2126 CA REPORT: 06008 Author: Kate Cullen Approved: Mark Collard Signed: ……………………………………………………………. Issue: 01 Date: AUGUST 2006 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 Building 11, Kemble Enterprise Park, Kemble, Cirencester, Gloucestershire, GL7 6BQ Tel. 01285 771022 Fax. 01285 771033 E-mail:[email protected] Old Sarum Castle, Near Salisbury, Wiltshire: Archaeological Watching Brief © Cotswold Archaeology CONTENTS SUMMARY........................................................................................................................4 1. INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................5 The site ................................................................................................................5 Archaeological background..................................................................................5 Methodology ........................................................................................................6 2. RESULTS ............................................................................................................6 3. DISCUSSION.......................................................................................................7 4. CA PROJECT TEAM ...........................................................................................7 5. REFERENCES ....................................................................................................8 2 Old Sarum Castle, Near Salisbury, Wiltshire: Archaeological Watching Brief © Cotswold Archaeology LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Fig. 1 Site location plan (1:25,000) Fig. 2 Toilet block in 2005, looking east showing original entrances Fig. 3 Toilet block in 2005, looking south-east Fig. 4 Plan of permanent toilets 1968, showing groundworks Fig. 5 North facing elevation through toilet block (1:50) 3 Old Sarum Castle, Near Salisbury, Wiltshire: Archaeological Watching Brief © Cotswold Archaeology SUMMARY Site Name: Old Sarum Castle Location: Salisbury, Wiltshire NGR: SU 1396 3270 Type: Archaeological Watching Brief Date: 2-10 February 2006 SAM No: 26715 Location of Archive: to be deposited with English Heritage Site Code: TOS 06 An archaeological watching brief was undertaken by Cotswold Archaeology (CA) during groundworks associated with the upgrading of the toilets at Old Sarum Castle, Salisbury, Wiltshire. No features or deposits predating the 1940s military construction works were uncovered during the course of the fieldwork, and no artefactual material predating the modern period was recovered. During the works it was clear that any traces of the Iron Age rampart construction had been obliterated in the immediate environs of the toilet block during the installation of the 20th century military battle headquarters, and its subsequent phases of conversion into a toilet block. The rampart bank had been restored to a profile consistent with undamaged areas, but it was clear that excavation beyond the limits of the existing building was required for its construction. The level of the floor within the toilets confirmed that removal of archaeological material to depth below the modern adjacent rampart height had occurred, and the installation of services in the 1960s, particularly sewerage, had further removed any archaeological deposits. The toilet upgrading works did not extend below the make-up deposits for the 1940s buildings. Little modification to the block had occurred, despite the conversion into toilets in the 1960s. The two entrance passages survive, and the brick and concrete walls uncovered during the works appeared to be original. A modern breeze block wall, identified as a bin store during a previous Desk-Based Assessment was also uncovered. 4 Old Sarum Castle, Near Salisbury, Wiltshire: Archaeological Watching Brief © Cotswold Archaeology 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1 In February 2006 Cotswold Archaeology (CA) carried out an archaeological watching brief for English Heritage at Old Sarum Castle, Salisbury, Wiltshire (centred on NGR: SU 1396 3270; Fig. 1). 1.2 The an archaeological watching brief was undertaken to fulfil a condition attached to a planning consent for the upgrading of the Old Sarum Castle toilets in order to accommodate disabled visitors. The objective of the watching brief was to record all archaeological remains exposed during the works. 1.3 The archaeological fieldwork was carried out in accordance with a written scheme of investigation (WSI) produced by CA (2006) and approved by English Heritage. The fieldwork also followed the Standard and Guidance for an Archaeological Watching Brief issued by the Institute of Field Archaeologists (1999) and the Standards for Archaeological Assessment and Field Evaluation (WCC Archaeology Service 1995). The site 1.4 The enclosure of the hillfort occupies the tip of a spur of high ground (at a height of approximately 100-110m O.D.) overlooking the river Avon, 2km north of the town of Salisbury. The visitor toilets and car park occupy the north-eastern side of the hillfort site, and are built into the rampart (Figs 2 & 3). 1.5 The underlying geology of the area is mapped as Upper Chalk of the Cretaceous Period (Geological Survey 1976). Previous excavations have shown that in several areas large depths of deposits cover the chalk, and significant levelling and re- modelling of the site topography has taken place (Rahtz and Musty 1960). Archaeological background 1.6 Old Sarum Castle and hillfort are designated a Scheduled Monument (Monument No. 26715) in accordance with the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979 (as amended) (EH 1999). The site is also under the management of English Heritage as a Guardianship site. No archaeological investigations have previously taken place in the immediate vicinity of the toilet block. 5 Old Sarum Castle, Near Salisbury, Wiltshire: Archaeological Watching Brief © Cotswold Archaeology 1.7 It is likely that the toilets occupy a buried 20th-century military structure described in 1945 as the ‘underground wireless control room’. This would have been part of a number of structures originally built as a ‘Battle Headquarters’ as part of the anti- invasion defences of Old Sarum Airfield. The conversion into toilets occurred in the 1960s (CA 2005) (Fig. 4). A full account of the nature and extent of the archaeological resource within, and in the immediate environs of, the north-eastern portion of the hillfort site can be found in the Archaeological Desk-Based Assessment (CA 2005). Methodology 1.8 The fieldwork followed the methodology set out within the WSI (CA 2006). An archaeologist was present during intrusive groundworks, comprising the excavation of a foundation trench for a new breeze block wall (Fig. 4). 1.9 Written, graphic and photographic records were compiled in accordance with CA Technical Manual 1: Excavation Recording Manual (1996). 1.10 Subject to the agreement of the legal landowner the site archive will be deposited with English Heritage. 2. RESULTS 2.1 The foundation trench for the new wall was excavated through the area immediately north of the Men’s toilet entranceway (Fig. 5). This exposed a rubble infill/make-up deposit, 101. This was filling the area between the brick and concrete walls of the Ladies’ toilet block wall and the Men’s toilet entranceway wall. The east/west toilet block wall, 102, was constructed of yellow and red brick, bonded with a yellow sandy mortar. A return, 103, of the same construction forming the front wall was also recorded. 0.06m of topsoil and turf covered the rubble infill, and had been landscaped to continue the rampart profile. 2.2 Part of a breeze block wall forming the rear of a former bin store was also uncovered. The natural geological substrate was not uncovered during the programme of works, nor were any features or deposits pre-dating the 20th century 6 Old Sarum Castle, Near Salisbury, Wiltshire: Archaeological Watching Brief © Cotswold Archaeology uncovered. Despite visual scanning of spoil, no artefactual material predating the modern period was recovered. 3. DISCUSSION 3.1 During the programme of works it was clear that any traces of the Iron Age rampart construction had been obliterated in the immediate environs of the toilet block during the installation of the battle headquarters and its subsequent phases of conversion. The bank had been restored to a profile consistent with undamaged areas, but it was clear that excavation beyond the limits of the existing building was required for its construction. The level of the floor within the toilets confirmed that removal of archaeological material to depth below the modern adjacent rampart height had occurred, and the installation of services in the 1960s, particularly sewerage, had further removed any archaeological deposits (CA 2005). 3.2 Little modification to the block had occurred since the 1940s, despite the conversion into toilets in the 1960s. The two entrance passages survive, and the brick and concrete walls uncovered during the works appeared to be original. Externally
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