Hullavington Airfield, Wiltshire Archaeological Desk-Based Assessment
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Hullavington Airfield, Wiltshire Archaeological Desk-Based Assessment Dyson Technology Ltd March 2017 90 Victoria Street, Bristol, United Kingdom, BS1 6DP Tel: +44 (0)117 925 4393 Fax: +44 (0)117 925 4239 Email: [email protected] Website: www.wyg.com WYG Environment Planning Transport Limited. Registered in England & Wales Number: 03050297 Registered Office: Arndale Court, Otley Road, Headingley, Leeds, LS6 2UJ Hullavington Airfield, Wiltshire Archaeological Desk Based Assessment Document control Document: Archaeological Desk Based Assessment Project: Hullavington Airfield, Wiltshire Client: Dyson Technology Ltd Job Number: A099314 File Origin: A099314 Hullavington Dyson DBA Revision: Draft Date: February 2017 Prepared by: Checked by: Approved By: Dr Tudor Skinner, Consultant Martin Brown, Principal Simon McCudden, Associate Archaeologist Archaeologist Director Revision: 1 Date: March 2017 Prepared by: Checked by: Approved By: Dr Tudor Skinner, Consultant Martin Brown, Principal Simon McCudden, Associate Archaeologist Archaeologist Director Description of revision: Minor text and formatting revisions. Revision: Date: Prepared by: Checked by: Approved By: Description of revision: A099314 March 2017 www.wyg.com creative minds safe hands Hullavington Airfield, Wiltshire Archaeological Desk Based Assessment Contents 1. Introduction ............................................................................................................... 4 1.1 Aim and Objectives ........................................................................................................ 4 2. Site Location and Conditions ........................................................................................ 5 3. Methodology .............................................................................................................. 5 3.1 Sources Consulted .......................................................................................................... 6 4. Planning Policy Context ............................................................................................... 6 4.1 National Legislation and Guidance ................................................................................... 6 4.1.1 Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act, 1979....................................... 6 4.1.2 Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act, 1990 ............................... 6 4.1.3 National Planning Policy Framework 2012 ............................................................ 7 4.2 Local Policy and Guidance ............................................................................................... 8 4.2.1 Wiltshire Core Strategy (2015) ............................................................................ 8 5. Baseline Data ............................................................................................................. 9 5.1 Designated Sites ............................................................................................................ 9 5.2 Archaeological and Historic Background ..........................................................................10 5.2.1 Archaeological Background and Non-Designated Heritage Assets .........................10 5.2.2 Prehistoric (to 43 AD) ........................................................................................10 5.2.3 Romano-British (AD43 to AD410) .......................................................................12 5.2.4 Early medieval/Anglo-Saxon (410 to 1066 AD) ....................................................13 5.2.5 Medieval Period (1066AD-c.1540AD) ..................................................................14 5.2.6 Post-medieval (1540-1750 AD), Industrial (1750-1900 AD) and Modern (1900- present) ..........................................................................................................15 6. Historic Mapping Survey ............................................................................................ 17 7. Site Walkover Survey ................................................................................................ 18 A099314 March 2017 www.wyg.com creative minds safe hands Hullavington Airfield, Wiltshire Archaeological Desk Based Assessment 8. Heritage Potential and Impacts .................................................................................. 19 8.1 Archaeological Potential .................................................................................................19 9. Mitigation Recommendations and Conclusions ............................................................. 22 9.1 Archaeological Remains .................................................................................................22 Appendices ..................................................................................................................... Frontispiece: Assorted aircraft stored outside Hangars 85 and 86 on 14th April 1946. Photograph courtesy of Dan Gurney. A099314 March 2017 www.wyg.com creative minds safe hands Hullavington Airfield, Wiltshire Archaeological Desk Based Assessment 1. Introduction This Archaeological Desk Based Assessment has been prepared by Dr Tudor Skinner, Consultant Archaeologist, WYG, on behalf of Dyson Technology Ltd as part of a planning application for proposed development at Hullavington Airfield, Wiltshire. The proposal is for the change of use and refurbishment of two hangars for office/research and development use. In addition, a temporary car park is to be constructed between the two hangars. WYG are a Registered Organisation with the Chartered Institute for Archaeologists (CIfA). 1.1 Aim and Objectives In accordance with the Chartered Institute for Archaeologists (CIfA) standard definition of a desk-based assessment (Standard and Guidance for Desk-Based Assessment, 2014): Desk-based assessment will determine, as far as is reasonably possible from existing records, the nature, extent and significance of the historic environment within a specified area. Desk-based assessment will be undertaken using appropriate methods and practices which satisfy the stated aims of the project, and which comply with the Code of conduct and other relevant regulations of CIfA. In a development context desk-based assessment will establish the impact of the proposed development on the significance of the historic environment (or will identify the need for further evaluation to do so), and will enable reasoned proposals and decisions to be made whether to mitigate, offset or accept without further intervention that impact. This study examines the cultural heritage potential of the proposed development site and the surrounding area. The aim of the study is to: Identify recorded cultural heritage sites within the site boundary; Identify the potential for previously unrecorded sites to be present within the site; Identify potential impacts and mitigation strategies where appropriate; and Make recommendations for further work where required. Cultural heritage includes all buried and upstanding archaeological remains, built heritage sites, historic landscapes and any other features that contribute to the archaeological and historic interest of the area, including their settings. However, note that this document only assesses the impacts of the scheme in relation to archaeological and historic landscape remains, and a separate baseline heritage statement has been prepared, which specifically addresses the built heritage and setting impacts of the proposed scheme. A099314 March 2017 www.wyg.com creative minds safe hands Hullavington Airfield, Wiltshire Archaeological Desk Based Assessment This baseline assessment considers the heritage potential within the site itself, the surrounding area and wider local and regional context. In terms of its archaeological content, this assessment does not attempt to plot and review every archaeological find and monument; rather, it aims to examine the distribution of evidence and to use this to predict the archaeological potential of the study area and the likely impacts of the development proposals on those remains. 2. Site Location and Conditions The application site is located on the south east edge of Hullavington Airfield, set between the villages of Hullavington, Stanton St Quintin and Lower Stanton St Quintin in northern Wiltshire, between Malmesbury and Chippenham. It is located in the parish of Malmesbury St Paul Without. The application site itself comprises a roughly trapezoidal parcel of land centred on ST 89697 80804 and set at c. 105m above Ordnance Datum, including two hangars from the former airfield amidst open land. The site is bordered by open land to the south, by Stock Wood to the northwest and by the surviving runways of the airfield to the northeast. It is situated within the wider Hullavington Rolling Lowland Landscape Character Area, noted for its aforesaid aspect, irregular field systems, villages of undressed limestone and dispersed farmsteads (White Consultants 2004). The geology of the development site comprises Jurassic Period sedimentary bedrock belonging to the Cornbrash Formation (Limestone). The southeast edge of the proposed development area borders mudstone from the Forest Marble Formation, also of the Jurassic Period. No drift geology is reported and no borehole surveys have been undertaken within the application site (British Geological Survey 2017). 3. Methodology Impact assessment has been carried out through the consideration of baseline conditions in relation to the elements