Land at Crown Street and Silver Street Reading Berkshire
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Land at Crown Street and Silver Street Reading Berkshire Archaeological Evaluation for CgMs Consulting on behalf of Montpelier Estates Ltd CA Project: 770573 CA Report: 18099 February 2018 Land at Crown Street and Silver Street Reading Berkshire Archaeological Evaluation CA Project: 770573 CA Report: 18099 Document Control Grid Revision Date Author Checked by Status Reasons for Approved revision by A 9/2/18 AH Ray Internal General Edit Richard Kennedy Review Greatorex 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 © Cotswold Archaeology Land at Crown Street and Silver Street: Archaeological Evaluation CONTENTS SUMMARY ..................................................................................................................... 2 1. INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................ 3 2. ARCHAEOLOGICAL BACKGROUND ................................................................ 3 3. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ................................................................................... 8 4. METHODOLOGY ............................................................................................... 9 5. RESULTS (FIGS 2-5) ......................................................................................... 10 6. DISCUSSION ..................................................................................................... 11 7. CA PROJECT TEAM .......................................................................................... 11 8. REFERENCES ................................................................................................... 12 APPENDIX A: CONTEXT DESCRIPTIONS ................................................................... 13 APPENDIX B: OASIS REPORT FORM .......................................................................... 14 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Figure 1 Site location plan (1:25,000) Figure 2 Trench location plan showing archaeological features, and cellars (1:300) Figure 3 Trench 1: photograph Figure 4 Trench 2: photograph Figure 5 Trench 3: photograph 1 © Cotswold Archaeology Land at Crown Street and Silver Street: Archaeological Evaluation SUMMARY Project Name: Land at Crown Street and Silver Street Location: Reading Berkshire NGR: 471872 172854 Type: Evaluation Date: 5-8 February 2018 Planning Reference: 170794 Location of Archive: Reading Museum Site Code: SSCS18 An archaeological evaluation was undertaken by Cotswold Archaeology in February 2018 at of land at the corner of Crown Street and Silver Street, Reading, Berkshire. Three trenches were excavated. Two post-medieval ditches were recorded in Trench 1. The site has been heavily disturbed and built up, with the natural geology encountered at a depth of between 1.55m and 2.1m below the modern surface. Post-medieval backfilled cellars were encountered in Trench 1 and 3. Historic mapping indicates that the corner of Crown Street and Silver Street has been constantly inhabited and redeveloped from the 1600’s onwards, and therefore the likelihood that earlier archaeological potential may have survived such concentrated subsequent development is judged to be low. 2 © Cotswold Archaeology Land at Crown Street and Silver Street: Archaeological Evaluation 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1 In February 2018 Cotswold Archaeology (CA) carried out an archaeological evaluation for CgMs Consulting Ltd at land at the corner of Crown Street and Silver Street, Reading, Berkshire (centred at NGR: 471872 172854, Fig 1). The evaluation was under taken in advance of an application (ref: 170794) which has been made to the local planning authority, for a development which will comprise 74 no 1 bed and 10 no 2 bed assisted living units. 1.2 The evaluation was carried out in accordance with Written Scheme of Investigation (WSI) produced by CA (2018) and approved by Fiona McDonald, Principal Archaeologist for Berkshire Archaeology, the archaeological advisors to Reading Borough Council (RBC). The fieldwork also followed Standard and guidance: Archaeological field evaluation (CIfA 2014). The site 1.3 The proposed development area is approximately 0.317ha, and is currently waste land. The previous buildings on site had been demolished and the site is now used as a Thomas Homes compound. The site is bounded to the north by Crown Street and to the east by Silver Street. To the south and west it is bounded by commercial and industrial units. The site lies at approximately 46.8m above Ordnance Datum (aOD). 1.4 The underlying bedrock geology of the area is mapped as Lambeth Group, clay, silt and sand. The superficial deposits are described as Taplow Gravel Formation, sand and gravel. The evaluation encountered silty clay with gravels, and silty sand with gravels. 2. ARCHAEOLOGICAL BACKGROUND 2.1 Wessex Archaeology (WA 2008) produced an Archaeological Desk Based Assessment of the site examining the archaeological resource within a 350m radius of the site in order to provide a context for the discussion and interpretation of the known and potential resource. Below is a summary of the results. 3 © Cotswold Archaeology Land at Crown Street and Silver Street: Archaeological Evaluation Prehistoric (500,000BC-43AD) 2.2 There is limited evidence of prehistoric material to suggest significant early settlement at Reading. The location of the Site on gravel geology in proximity to two significant rivers (River Thames and River Kennet) does offer an increased potential for the recovery of prehistoric material. 2.2 The only other prehistoric evidence outlined by the Sites and Monument Record (SMR) is the recovery of a stray find from Katesgrove, west of Crown Street and Southampton Road. The record comprises two artefacts, a greenstone axe and a ground flint axe. The artefacts have been attributed an Early to Late Neolithic date. Romano-British (43AD-410AD) 2.3 Two records of possible Romano-British activity are recorded within the vicinity; however both are represented by residual material. The first record includes residual Romano-British pottery recovered during excavations at 32-38 Silver Street south of the site. The sherds were found within the fill of a linear feature. The second record comprises a watching brief at 67-73 London Street where residual Roman pottery was recovered. Saxon (AD410-1066) - medieval (AD 1066 -1499) 2.4 The place name suggests a Saxon origin, named after an individual named ‘Reada’, ‘Readingas’ meaning the ‘people of Reada’. Early settlers at Reading were attracted by the flat gravel terraces created by the River Thames and River Kennet in proximity to the ford across the Kennet. Such land provided ideal fertile ground for agricultural production. The town is sited at the convergence of two main road routes, the first running east-west between London and Bristol, the second roughly north-south from the midlands through Oxford to Southampton. This followed the line of Southampton Street which runs west of the site and to which the southern extension of Silver Street joins south of the Site. Southampton Street is listed as ‘Olde Street’ and ‘Horner Street’ from 1272. 2.5 The first documentary records of the town date from the 9th Century. In the year 871, the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle records “in this year…the army came into Wessex to Reading”. At this time, Reading would not have acted as an administrative centre being secondary to the nearby town of Wallingford whose importance is reflected in its fortification. The importance of Reading is however demonstrated by examples of 4 © Cotswold Archaeology Land at Crown Street and Silver Street: Archaeological Evaluation coinage dating from the reign of Edward the Confessor (1042-1066), known to have been minted at Reading. 2.6 At the time of Domesday in 1086, Reading was held by the King and included a small borough and two manors one belonging to the King and one to Battle Abbey. The King’s estate comprised 56 plough teams, 85 peasants, 4 mills and 3 fisheries. 2.7 An abbey was founded at Reading in 1121, by Henry I. The southern extent of Abbey lands was defined by the River Kennet, which flows roughly east-west, 300m north of the site. It is likely that this foundation nurtured the growth of the town. London Street (which runs approximately north-south continuing the northwards alignment of Silver Street) was most likely to be contemporary with the abbey. It is certainly referenced in a document of 1200 as “the new street towards London”. 2.8 By the end of the 12th century Reading was expanding south and eastwards along the roads leading to London and Southampton. To serve the growing population, a daughter church of St Giles was built south of the town centre on the east side of Southampton Street approximately 200m north-west of the Site. A Chaplain of St Giles is referenced in 1190 so it may be asserted that the parish was established at this date. It is however unlikely that it was established in the early part of that century evidenced by a charter of Roger, Bishop of Salisbury dating from 1125 which does not make reference to the parish. By 1220 the church had its own graveyard, a sign that it was a separate parish church. 2.9 Silver Street is first mentioned as ‘Synkarstrete’ in c.1300. Harman in his publication of 1946 undertook a survey of the parish