HORSBERE BROOK BARNWOOD GLOUCESTER GLOUCESTERSHIRE ARCHAEOLOGICAL EVALUATION For ENVIRONMENT AGENCY CA PROJECT: 3064 CA REPORT: 10035 MARCH 2010 1 HORSBERE BROOK BARNWOOD GLOUCESTER GLOUCESTERSHIRE ARCHAEOLOGICAL EVALUATION CA PROJECT: 3064 CA REPORT: 10035 prepared by Steven Sheldon, Project Supervisor date 05 March 2010 checked by Cliff Bateman, Project Manager date 11 March 2010 approved by Simon Cox, Head of Fieldwork signed date 16 March 2010 issue 01 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] © Cotswold Archaeology Horsbere Brook, Barnwood, Gloucester, Gloucestershire: Archaeological Evaluation CONTENTS SUMMARY........................................................................................................................2 1. INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................. 3 2. RESULTS (FIG 2)................................................................................................ 5 3. DISCUSSION....................................................................................................... 6 4. CA PROJECT TEAM ........................................................................................... 6 5. REFERENCES .................................................................................................... 6 APPENDIX A: CONTEXT DESCRIPTIONS ..................................................................... 7 APPENDIX B: OASIS REPORT FORM............................................................................ 9 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Fig. 1 Site location plan (1:25,000) Fig. 2 Trench location plan (1:1500) 1 © Cotswold Archaeology Horsbere Brook, Barnwood, Gloucester, Gloucestershire: Archaeological Evaluation SUMMARY Project Name: Horsbere Brook Location: Barnwood, Gloucester, Gloucestershire NGR: SO 86661 18870 Type: Evaluation Date: 01-03 March 2010 Location of Archive: Gloucester City Museum Accession Number: GLRCM 2010.14 Site Code: HOB 10 An archaeological evaluation was undertaken by Cotswold Archaeology in March 2010 on land adjacent to the Horsbere Brook, Barnwood, Gloucester, Gloucestershire. Nine trenches were excavated. No archaeological deposits or features, excepting a former course of the Horsbere Brook, were identified during the evaluation. 2 © Cotswold Archaeology Horsbere Brook, Barnwood, Gloucester, Gloucestershire: Archaeological Evaluation 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1 In March 2010 Cotswold Archaeology (CA) carried out an archaeological evaluation for the Environment Agency on land adjacent to the Horsbere Brook, Barnwood, Gloucester, Gloucestershire (centred on NGR: SO 86661 18870; Fig. 1). The evaluation was undertaken in advance of a proposed flood alleviation scheme. 1.2 The evaluation was carried out in accordance with a detailed Written Scheme of Investigation (WSI) produced by CA (2010) and approved by Mr Charles Parry, Senior Archaeological Officer, Gloucestershire County Council (GCC). The fieldwork also followed the Standard and Guidance for Archaeological Field Evaluation issued by the Institute for Archaeologists (2008), the Statement of Standards and Practices Appropriate for Archaeological Fieldwork in Gloucestershire (GCC 1995), the Management of Archaeological Projects (English Heritage 1991), and the Management of Research Projects in the Historic Environment (MORPHE) Project Managers Guide (EH 2006). The site 1.3 The site is approximately 5.25ha and comprises part of an irregular shaped field, bound by the Horsbere Brook to the west, by the Bristol to Birmingham railway line to the north, and by agricultural fields to the south and east (Fig. 2). It lies at approximately 27m AOD, and slopes gently from north to south and from east to west. 1.4 The underlying solid geology of the area is mapped as Lower Lias clays of the Lower Jurassic era (BGS 1975). Mid yellow-brown Lias clay was encountered within all of the excavated trenches. Archaeological background 1.5 The site lies in an area of archaeological potential. Immediately to the north, at Well’s Bridge, evidence for a Roman building and associated ditches was identified during the construction of the A40 Barnwood Bypass (Rawes 1977). Further evidence of later prehistoric and Roman occupation has been revealed along, or in close proximity to, the Horsbere Brook. This includes Hucclecote Villa (SM GCC 3 © Cotswold Archaeology Horsbere Brook, Barnwood, Gloucester, Gloucestershire: Archaeological Evaluation 188) approximately 1.6km to the south-east, Bronze Age and Roman funerary activity, and later prehistoric and Roman settlement at Gloucester Business Park Link Road, a Roman farmstead at Brockworth, and the Roman Villa at Great Witcombe (see Thomas 2003, Fig 1). 1.6 A preceding geophysical survey, undertaken in 2009, identified a curvi-linear anomaly interpreted as a palaeochannel of the Horsbere Brook. This channel correlates with cartographic depictions of the watercourse between 1887 and 1938 (EA 2009). A linear anomaly was also revealed. Archaeological objectives 1.7 The objectives of the evaluation were to provide data on the date, character, quality, survival and extent of the archaeological deposits within the site in order that an informed decision on their importance in a local, regional or national context can be made. This information will clarify whether any remains are of sufficient importance to warrant consideration for preservation in situ, or alternatively form the basis of mitigation measures. Methodology 1.8 The fieldwork comprised the excavation of nine trenches ranging in length from 20m to 40m, in the locations shown on the attached plan (Fig. 2). Trenches 5 and 7 were located over anomalies identified by the preceding geophysical survey. Trench 1 was moved from its original position due to its proximity to an existing hedgerow; trench 2 was moved from its original position due to it being located across the line of a known water main, and trench 9 was moved due to its proximity to an arable field margin. Trench 10 was unexcavated as it could not be accessed. 1.9 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 CA Technical Manual 1: Fieldwork Recording Manual (2007). 4 © Cotswold Archaeology Horsbere Brook, Barnwood, Gloucester, Gloucestershire: Archaeological Evaluation 1.10 Deposits were assessed for their palaeoenvironmental potential in accordance with CA Technical Manual 2: The Taking and Processing of Environmental and Other Samples from Archaeological Sites (2003). No deposits were identified that required sampling. All artefacts recovered were processed in accordance with CA Technical Manual 3: Treatment of Finds Immediately After Excavation (1995). 1.11 The archive from the evaluation is currently held by CA at their offices in Kemble and will be deposited with Gloucester City Museum under accession number GLRCM 2010.14. A summary of information from this project, set out within Appendix B, will be entered onto the OASIS online database of archaeological projects in Britain. 2. RESULTS (FIG 2) 2.1 This section provides an overview of the evaluation results; detailed summaries of the recorded contexts are to be found in Appendix A. 2.2 The natural geological substrate identified within trenches 1-7 comprised mid yellow- brown lias clay with occasional patches of gravel. This was overlain by between 0.1m and 0.2m thickness of subsoil which was itself overlain by the modern ploughsoil. In trenches 8 and 9, the natural geology comprised mid yellow-brown lias clay with occasional patches of gravel and sand. This was overlain by an alluvial deposit, measuring up to 0.5m in thickness, comprising silty clay with occasional flecks of charcoal. This was overlain by between 0.1m and 0.2m thickness of subsoil which was itself overlain by the modern ploughsoil. 2.3 Palaeochannel 503, previously identified by the geophysical survey, was revealed at the western end of trench 5. This was not excavated, but contained a dark, silty clay fill with frequent charcoal flecks and degraded stone throughout. 2.4 Within trench 7 an outcrop of sand and gravel, 703, within the natural clay substrate closely correlated with the location of a linear anomaly depicted by the geophysical survey. 2.5 No artefactual material was recovered during the course of the evaluation. 5 © Cotswold Archaeology Horsbere Brook, Barnwood, Gloucester, Gloucestershire: Archaeological Evaluation 3. DISCUSSION 3.1 Despite the site’s location within an area of archaeological potential, no archaeological deposits or features were identified during the evaluation. A potential archaeological feature previously identified by the geophysical survey was revealed in trench 7, but upon excavation was shown to be an abrupt change in the natural substrate. The palaeochannel representative