Colley Lane Southern Access Road, Bridgwater, Somerset.

An Archaeological Desk-Based Assessment.

CONTEXT ONE ARCHAEOLOGICAL SERVICES LTD

© Context One Archaeological Services 2008 Colley Lane Southern Access Road, Bridgwater, Somerset.

An Archaeological Desk-Based Assessment for Transport Development Group, Somerset County Council

by

CONTEXT ONE ARCHAEOLOGICAL SERVICES LTD

Brickfield Offices, Maperton, Wincanton, Somerset. BA9 8EG T: 01963 824696 F: 07092 259858 E: [email protected] W: www.contextone.co.uk

COAS reference: COAS/DBA/08/CLB National Grid Reference: NGR 330806 135165 to NGR 330701 135967

Report: Richard McConnell with contributions from Fay Robinson Research: Richard McConnell Graphics: Elizabeth Gardner and Tara Fairclough (map illustrations), Richard McConnell (plates)

April 2008

Context One Archaeological Services Ltd shall retain the copyright of any commissioned reports, tender documents or other projected documents, under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 with all rights reserved, excepting that it hereby provides an exclusive licence to the client for the use of such documents by the client in all matters directly relating to the project as described in the Project Design/Specification/Written Scheme of Investigation.

Front cover image: Page 2 of Colthurst, Symons & Co. Ltd. catalogue c. 1920s/30s © Blake Museum, Bridgwater. (Ref. BWRAB 1975/36 Contents

NON -TECHNICAL SUMMARY ...... i

1. I NTRODUCTION ...... 1

2. S ITE LOCATION , TOPOGRAPHY AND GEOLOGY ...... 2

3. H ISTORICAL AND ARCHAEOLOGICAL BACKGROUND ...... 4

4. WALKOVER S URVEY ...... 10

5. P HOTOGRAPHS ...... 10

6. D ISCUSSION ...... 11

7. A RCHIVE ...... 12

8. COAS A CKNOWLEDGEMENTS ...... 12

9. B IBLIOGRAPHY ...... 12

APPENDIX 1. S OMERSET H ISTORIC E NVIRONMENT R ECORD REPORT FOR ARCHAEOLOGICAL EVENTS WITHIN THE ENVIRONS OF THE S ITE ...... 14

TABLES

TABLE 1. B LAKE M USEUM PHOTOGRAPHIC HOLDINGS RELATING TO C ROSSWAY B RICK & T ILE WORKS AND ENVIRONS ...... 11

ILLUSTRATIONS

FIGURE 1. S ITE SETTING ...... 3

FIGURE 2. S ITE SETTING SHOWING RELEVANT ARCHAEOLOGICAL LANDSCAPE ...... 7

FIGURE 3. S ITE SETTING SHOWING RELEVANT FEATURES OBSERVED ON HISTORIC MAPPING ...... 8

FIGURE 4. C OMPOSITE MAP REGRESSION OF C ROSSWAYS B RICK AND T ILE WORKS ...... 9

PLATES

PLATE 1.E XTRACT FROM 1 ST EDITION O RDNANCE S URVEY MAP , 1886...... 6 Non-technical summary

This report presents the findings of a desk-based assessment undertaken to provide information on the archaeological potential of a proposal to construct a new access road between Marsh Lane/Showground Road junction, Bridgwater, Somerset. The Assessment has been commissioned by the Transport Development Group, Somerset County Council. A site visit was made in addition to consulting desk-based sources.

The proposed route passes through an industrial zone on the southern outskirts of Bridgwater. Archaeologically, the Site and environs are dominated by post-medieval and modern industrial activity. This is emphasised by numerous records relating to the once important brick and tile industry that characterised the economic vitality of Bridgwater until the mid-20 th century. Archaeological and historical records demonstrate that the route will pass through the site of the former Crossway Brick & Tile Works. The brickworks is thought to have been constructed in the late 1840s and operated continuously until the 1960s when most of the buildings were then demolished. To the north of the Parrett, the route is also likely to pass through a loop in the former parish boundary between Bridgwater and North Petherton which is thought to mirror an old bend in the Parrett and is conjectured to have been straightened in the late 16 th century.

Excavations of other brickwork sites in Bridgwater have demonstrated that demolition has largely been restricted to the walls above ground with the floors and foundations often being left intact or certainly well- preserved immediately beneath the surface. In its current form the route will pass through the middle of the brickwork complex. A landing stage or embarkation point for the brickworks may also be exposed alongside the Parrett during bridging works.

The route will additionally pass through the possible old bend in the Parrett, at two locations. Groundworks here may well confirm its presence.

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1. INTRODUCTION

1.1. This report presents the findings of a desk-based assessment (hereinafter ‘the Assessment’) undertaken to provide information on the archaeological potential of a proposal to construct a new access road between Marsh Lane/Showground Road junction (NGR 330806 135165) to Colley Lane Industrial Estate (NGR 330701 135967), Bridgwater, Somerset (hereinafter ‘the Site’). The Assessment has been commissioned by the Transport Development Group, Somerset County Council. A site visit was made in addition to consulting desk-based sources.

1.2. The Assessment has been carried out on the advice of Mr Steven Membery, Development Control Archaeologist, Somerset County Council following a consultation request from Ms Naomi Gornall, Project Manager, the Transport Development Group.

1.3. The request for the assessment follows advice given by central Government as set out in Planning Policy Guidance 16: Archaeology and Planning (PPG16) :

“…prospective developers should in all cases include as part of their research into the development potential of a site, which they undertake before making a planning application, an initial assessment of whether the site is known or likely to contain archaeological remains” (para. 19)

“[This] will help to provide prospective developers with advance warning of the archaeological sensitivity of a site. As a result they may wish to commission their own archaeological assessment by a professionally qualified archaeological organisation or consultant. This need not involve fieldwork. Assessment normally involves desk-based evaluation of existing information: it can make effective use of records of previous discoveries, including any historic maps held by the County archive and local museums and record offices, or of geophysical survey techniques.” (Para. 20)

1.4. An archaeological desk-based assessment is defined by the Institute of Field Archaeologists (IFA) as;

“… a programme of assessment of the known or potential archaeological resource within a specified area or site on land, inter-tidal zone or underwater. It consists of a collation of existing written, graphic, photographic and electronic information in order to identify the likely character, extent, quality and worth of the known or potential archaeological resource in a local, regional, national or international context as appropriate” (IFA, 1994, rev.1999)

1.5. The purpose of a desk-based assessment is similarly defined by the IFA and is;

● “…is to gain information about the known or potential archaeological resource within a given area or site (including presence or absence, character and extent, date, integrity, state of preservation and relative quality of the potential archaeological resource), in order to make an assessment of its merit in context, leading to one or more of the following:

● the formulation of a strategy to ensure the recording, preservation or management of the resource

● the formulation of a strategy for further investigation, whether or not intrusive, where the character and value of the resource is not sufficiently defined to permit a mitigation strategy or other response to be devised

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● the formulation of a proposal for further archaeological investigation within a programme of research” (IFA, 1994, rev.1999)

1.6. This assessment report summarises the topographical, archaeological and historical background of the Site and provides an assessment of its current archaeological potential.

2. SITE LOCATION, TOPOGRAPHY AND GEOLOGY

2.1. It is proposed that the Southern Access Road will commence at the junction of Showground Road with Marsh Lane (NGR 330806 135165) and terminate at the junction of Parrett Way and Yeo Lane (NGR 330701 135967) ( Figure 1 & 2 ). The route will pass through an industrial zone on the southern edge of Bridgwater and cover a distance of c. 1km. From the southern end, the route will head north along Marsh Lane before bridging the Taunton and Bridgwater Canal immediately west of the Crossways Swing-Bridge. From here it will traverse waste ground and cross the River Parrett just west of Somerset Bridge (railway) and finally swing north-west into Colley Lane Industrial Estate.

2.2. In common with much of Bridgwater, the British Geological Survey (1994) records the underlying drift geology as being Quaternary alluvium that derives from the floodplain deposits laid down by the River Parrett and its tributaries. As expected in floodplain locales, there is no appreciable difference in land height across the route with values of between 7m and 8m above Ordnance Datum being recorded.

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Figure 1. Site setting 2.3.

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3. HISTORICAL AND ARCHAEOLOGICAL BACKGROUND

3.1. The archaeological and historical background for the Site has been drawn from both primary and secondary sources and a broad list of these is listed below along with the source repository; the results of this research is discussed in the following section. Where archaeological records from the Somerset Historic Environment Record (HER) are discussed they are referenced against a unique PRN number; the full details of relevant entries are reproduced in Appendix 1 and have been mapped in Figure 2 .

Repository Source information The Somerset Archaeological and Natural Tithe maps (microfiche); 6” and 25” Ordnance Survey maps History Society Library, Taunton (SANHS); (microfiche and printed); Somerset Notes and Queries files; Somerset Local Studies Library, Taunton (SLS). Aerial photographs; Victoria County History volumes; Antiquarian prints; Historic photographs (prints and negative plates); Local histories. Somerset Record Office, Taunton.(SRO) Estate maps and rate books; 25” Ordnance Survey maps; Tithe apportionments; historic documents. Somerset Historic Environment Record (HER) - Archaeological records pertaining to Site and environs. online. The Blake Museum, Bridgwater. (BM) Bridgwater brick and tile industry literature, historic photographic search, land leases

3.2. Research has demonstrated that the Site and immediate environs are dominated by the legacy of Bridgwater's once eminent brick and tile industry during the post-medieval and modern periods and it is this aspect of the landscape that is emphasised here . The route of the proposed new road will pass through the site of the former 'Crossway Brick & Tile Works' immediately south of the River Parrett ( Figures 2-4 ) and this particular brickworks is discussed in detail below.

3.3. The brick and tile industry in Somerset is documented from the 17 th century although it was not until the the first half of the 19 th century and the Industrial Revolution that this became a large-scale enterprise (Murless: 9). Bridgwater and outlying districts found themselves at the forefront of brick and tile manufacture in the county largely due to the easy access of alluvial clay and good communication links to the Bristol channel and seaboard via the River Parrett and its tributaries (Murless: 9). During the 19 th century, the distribution of ceramics was supplemented by a new canal system; in Bridgwater this was the Taunton to Bridgwater canal that opened in 1827. There were 19 known brick and tile works in the town and environs and all straddled the Parrett 1 including the Crossway Brick & Tile Works.

3.4. Despite the survival of a town map dating from the late 18 th century 2 and an 1826 map of the wider environs 3, the first detailed cartographic view of the Site only becomes available from the mid-19 th century with the advent of large scale mapping. The Tithe maps of Bridgwater and North Petherton from the 1840s appears to be the earliest of this series and although this is

1Numbers taken from simplified map, 'Brick and Tile Works on the River Parrett' held by The Blake Museum, Bridgwater 2'Bridgwater Castle and its surroundings in the year 1777 from a survey made by Richard Locke' (SRO ref: DD\ SH/149) 3'Plan of the River from Taunton to Bridgewater, the lines of Canal and the County adjacent, 1826' (SRO ref: A\ AKF/2)

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useful in identifying the pattern of land units at that time it shows very few buildings and lacks any descriptions of land use. However, the accompanying Tithe Apportionment provides additional details of land tenure and these include the occupants, field names (if applicable), state of cultivation, size and rent charge. It is here that it is possible to identify the detail of activity across the Site. The route of the proposed new road was dominated by farmland and interestingly, this included the site of the Crossway brickworks. Despite noting a neighbouring brickyard owned by 'John Sealy Esq.' 4, the site itself was recorded as being undeveloped pasture under the ownership of Viscount Portman 5. Significantly however, the tenant was one Thomas Colmer Colthurst, a brick maker known to have been operating in Bridgwater from at least the late 1840s (Murless: 36). Subsequent documentary records show that Colthurst did indeed found the Crossway Brick & Tile Works on the site and which, according to the Tithe Apportionment, could not have been until the late 1840s at the earliest.

3.5. The 1 st edition Ordnance Survey map of 1886 ( Plate 1 ) is the first to depict the brickworks 6 (PRN no. 10610) . The site, annotated as 'Crossway Brick & Tile Works', comprised a reversed 'L' shaped set of structures adjacent to a series of smaller buildings ( Figure 1 ). A branch of the Taunton and Bridgwater Canal into the site is also depicted and it is clear that this extension was constructed for the transportation of ceramic products by barge. The components of a typical brickyard from this period are all here; the brick/tile kilns are shown at the ends of the 'L' shaped buildings which are themselves, long drying sheds. The main double kiln at the northern end is adjacent to what is likely to be a store, perhaps to keep fuel such as coal and wood and other raw materials such as straw. A series of smaller units lining the northern edge of the site and near the Parrett are not so easy to identify but this is helped by the survival of a lease from October 1894 which describes the complex in some detail 7. The lease records these buildings as, '...the messuage or dwelling house called Managers House and double cottage, stables [and] gighouse 8...'. The lease appears to have been necessitated by the death of the former occupier, Thomas Colthurst. The new agreement was between the landowner, Viscount Portman, and Colthurst Symons & Co. Ltd, an enterprise that was the result a partnership between Thomas Colthurst and William Symons in 1857 (Murless: 15). Colthurst Symons developed into one of the most prominent and successful brick and tile manufacturers in Bridgwater and operated five yards in the district during the 19 th and 20 th centuries (Murless: 36).

3.6. An expansion of the brickworks is evidenced by the depiction of further drying sheds and drying racks that are shown on the 1904 and 1930 25” Ordnance Survey maps. Two versions of the Ordnance Survey map exist for 1966, the first depicting the complex as still extant whilst the other showing the buildings had largely been demolished 9. The demise of the Bridgwater Brick Industry was largely complete by the late 1960s and this does seem a likely date for the closure of the Crossway works. The corner of the 'L' shaped drying sheds appears to have

4' Apportionment of the Rent-Charge in lieu of Tithes in the Parish of Bridgwater in the County of Somerset' (signed 07/05/1847) 5 Apportionment of the Rent-Charge in lieu of Tithes in the Parish of North Petherton in the County of Somerset' (SRO ref: DD\X\COE/3 ) 6 25” Ordnance Survey map, 1 st edition, 1886. Sheet 50.15 (SLS microfiche) 7 Lease 'between the Right Honourable William Henry Berkley Viscount Portman of Bryanstone, Dorset & Colthurst Symons and Company Limited. Brick & Tile Manufacturers.' 04/10/1894 (BM) 8 A 'gighouse' is defined as a carriage store 9 1:2500 Ordnance Survey map, 1966. Sheet ST 3035 SE (SANHS library), 1:2500 Ordnance Survey map, 1966. Sheet ST3035 NE (SANHS library)

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survived demolition and modified to serve as a single building following redundancy of the yard. This building is shown on the 1990 Ordnance Survey map and again on the edition of the following year and is likely to have served as a commercial premises 10 . The latter map depicts the building with a number of small units, that probably represent stores, attached to the eastern side. Modern aerial photographs and a site inspection as part of this assessment from the periphery of the site now show the buildings in a ruinous condition.

Plate 1.Extract from 1st edition Ordnance Survey map, 1886

10 1:2500 Ordnance Survey map, 1990. Sheet ST 3035 (SANHS library), 1:2500 Ordnance Survey map, 1991. Sheet ST 3035 NE (SANHS library)

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Figure 2 . Site setting showing relevant archaeological landscape An Archaeological Desk-Based Assessment – Colley Lane Southern Access Road, Bridgwater, Somerset. 7 CONTEXT O NE

Figure 3. Site setting showing relevant features observed on historic mapping

Figure 2 . Site setting showing relevant archaeological landscape An Archaeological Desk-Based Assessment – Colley Lane Southern Access Road, Bridgwater, Somerset. 8 CONTEXT O NE ______

Figure 4. Composite map regression of Crossways Brick and Tile works

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4. WALKOVER SURVEY

4.1. A walkover survey of the Site was carried out on 3 April 2008 where public access rights permitted. Digital photographs were taken as a record of the survey. The presence of what is conjectured to represent the vestige of the brickworks was confirmed as being in a ruinous state but close inspection of the building was not possible. No other structural evidence or obvious earthworks were identified in the areas observed. tailed site setting showing Tithe transcripts and apportionments

5. PHOTOGRAPHS

5.1. Oblique aerial photographs held by the Somerset Studies Library for Bridgwater were examined to enhance the cartographic evidence for the Crossway brickworks but none were located. The Blake Museum in Bridgwater holds a series of photographs that may show the brickworks and a list of these images are presented below. Due to maintenance work at the Museum, none were accessible at the time of request although a product brochure for Colthurst Symons & Co Ltd dating to the 1920s/30s does contain a small picture of the Crossway works amongst a montage of the Company's branches (see front cover). Although this lacks definition, the arrangement of the buildings represented on Ordnance Survey maps appears to be reflected here including the kilns and associated chimneys.

Record no.; object Description Location name BWRAB: 1961/62/10; View of Somerset Bridge, across the River Parrett, in about Store & wor & pho S6 photograph 1865 BWRAB: 1962/22; 9 cigarette cards for 'Picture' cigarettes issued by Markham, Store & wor & archive box 16 cigarette card Bridgwater c1910 with views of Bridgwater and environs and Bridgwater A.F.C team; 1) Somerset Bridge 2) 'Judge Jeffries House' St Mary Street 3) Fore Street 4) Blake Gardens 5) St Mary Street 6) Holford Glen 7) The Docks 8) Butterfly Coombe, 9) Bridgwater Albion Football Club (Rugby). BWRAB: 1973/64/4; Somerset Bridge Railway Bridge over River Parrett Store & wor & pho 6.2 photograph BWRAB: 1973/65; Sepia photograph of Somerset Bridge Railway Bridge before Store & education & pho 6.2 photograph erection of footbridge BWRAB: 1989/177; Somerset Bridge Store & wor & pho 6.2 photograph BWRAB: 1997/166; Mug produced to celebrate the coronation of George VI in Store & museum store & box mug May 1937. The mug was presented to Mr Saunders at 618 Somerset Bridge Elementary School when he was about six years old. He lived at 4 Marlborough Avenue with his parents Clifford and Bertha Saunders. BWRAB: 1999/12/1; Mounted b/w group of men with dog in front of building. Store & wor & pho 14.3 photograph Drain pipes stacked back right. In pencil on reveerse 'Mrs Hill Taunton Rd'. Colthurst Symons Somerset Bridge Works.

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Record no.; object Description Location name BWRAB: 1999/12/2; Mounted b/w group photograph of workers at Colthurst Store & education & pho 14.3 photograph Symons and Co. Ltd Brickyard, somerset Bridge pre-1939, men with large bricks, barrow, horse and bicycle. BWRAB: 1999/12/3; Mounted b/w group photograph of workers at Colthurst Store & education & pho 14.3 photograph Symons and Co. Ltd Brickyard, Somerset Bridge c. 1920-1929.

Table 1. Blake Museum photographic holdings relating to Crossway Brick & Tile Works and environs.

6. DISCUSSION

6.1. The proposed route of the Colley Lane Southern Access Road largely passes through an industrial zone on the southern outskirts of Bridgwater. Archaeologically, the Site and environs is dominated by post-medieval and modern industrial activity. This is emphasised by numerous records relating to the once important brick and tile industry that characterised the economic vitality of Bridgwater until the mid-20 th century. Archaeological and historical records demonstrate that the route will pass through the site of the former Crossway Brick & Tile Works sandwiched between the Taunton and Bridgwater Canal and River Parrett. The brickworks is thought to have been constructed in the late 1840s and operated continuously until the 1960s when most of the buildings were then demolished. Part of the drying sheds appears to have been converted as commercial premises but even this is now in a ruinous condition and the site currently occupies waste ground that has been subject to refuse infilling. To the north of the Parrett, the route is also likely to pass through a loop in the former parish boundary between Bridgwater and North Petherton which is thought to mirror an old bend in the Parrett and is conjectured to have been straightened in the late 16 th century ( PRN no. 17118 ).

6.2. Excavations of other brickwork sites in Bridgwater have demonstrated that demolition has largely been restricted to the walls above ground with the floors and foundations often being left intact or certainly well-preserved immediately beneath the surface. In its current form the route will pass through the middle of the brickwork complex impacting the drying sheds and racks, double kiln, store and corner of the 'Managers House' and associated buildings. Other ancillary features might also be encountered such as former clay extraction pits, wells, ponds and temporary stores or racking. A landing stage or embarkation point for the brickworks may also be exposed alongside the Parrett during bridging works. Given the waterlogged conditions here, there is a high potential that any associated timberwork will be well- preserved.

6.3. The route will additonally pass through the possible old bend in the Parrett, at two locations. Groundworks here may well ascertain its presence or absence.

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7. ARCHIVE

7.1. Copies of the desk-based assessment report in both printed and digital versions will be deposited with:

Transport Development Group Historic Environment Service Somerset County Council Somerset County Council County Hall Taunton Castle Taunton Castle Green Somerset Taunton TA1 4DY TA1 4AA

7.2. As part of our commitment to public archaeology, an e-report will be available to view online or download as an Adobe Acrobat™ file from the COAS website at www.contextone.co.uk/somerset.htm following entry onto the County Historic Environment Record (HER) where it will become a publicly accessible document.

8. COAS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

8.1. COAS would like to acknowledge the assistance of Ms Naomi Gornall (Project Manager, Transport Development Group) for supplying core site information. We would also like to thank the staff at the Taunton Local Studies Library, the Somerset Record Office and Jessica Vale and Alison Mason at The Blake Museum, Bridgwater for their help in locating archaeological and documentary sources.

9. BIBLIOGRAPHY

British Geological Survey, England & Wales sheet 295: Taunton. Solid and Drift Geology 1994 (scale 1:50000) Collinson, Rev. J., 1791 The History and Antiquities of the County of Somerset

Dunning, R. W., 1992 Victoria County History: Somerset , vol. VI

Department of the Planning Policy Guidance Note 16: Archaeology and Planning , Environment, 1990 London: Her Majesty’s Stationery Office Fitzhugh, R., 1993 Bridgwater and the River Parrett in Old Photographs. Stroud: Alan Sutton Publishing Ltd. Institute of Field Code of Conduct , Reading: IFA Archaeologists (IFA), 1985 (rev. 2000) Institute of Field Code of Approved Practice for the Regulation of Contractual Archaeologists (IFA), 1990 Arrangements in Field Archaeology , Reading: IFA (rev. 2000)

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Institute of Field Standard and Guidance for Archaeological Desk-Based Assessment, Archaeologists (IFA), 1994 Reading: IFA rev. 1999 Murless, B., 2000 Somerset Brick & Tile Manufacturers. A Brief History & Gazetteer, The Somerset Industrial Archaeological Society.

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Appendix 1. Somerset Historic Environment Record report for archaeological events within the environs of the Site.

©Somerset County Council

PRN 10219 Site Name: Champion's brick works, Somerset Bridge, Bridgwater Without Civil Parish: Bridgwater Without Grid Ref: ST 311 360 (ST 33 NW) Details: Remains of old brick works, with kilns, drying sheds and other buildings. {1} Shown as water-filled pits on 1979 map. {2}

References 1 Personal communication - Aston, M Somerset County Council 30.09.75 2 Map - Ordnance Survey 1:10000 1979 ST33NW

PRN 10609 Site Name: Screech Owl or New Yard Brick and Tile Works, North Petherton Civil Parish: North Petherton Grid Ref: ST 316 349 (ST 33 SW) ST 316 351 (ST 33 NW) Details: Brick and tile works with abandoned water-filled clay pits. {1}

References 1 Personal communication - Aston, M Somerset County Council 18.12.75

PRN 10610 Site Name: Somerset Yard Brick and Tile Works, North Petherton Civil Parish: North Petherton Grid Ref: ST 313 355 (ST 33 NW) Details: Brick and tile works with buildings and abandoned water-filled clay pits. {1}

References 1 Personal communication - Aston, M Somerset County Council 18.12.75

PRN 10611 Site Name: Crossways Brick and Tile Works, North Petherton Civil Parish: North Petherton Grid Ref: ST 310 355 (ST 33 NW) Details: Brick and Tile Works with buildings and abandoned water-filled clay pits. {1}

References

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1 Personal communication - Aston, M Somerset County Council 18.12.75

PRN 10612 Site Name: Canal basin, Somerset Bridge, North Petherton Civil Parish: North Petherton Grid Ref: ST 308 356 (ST 33 NW) Details: There is an old canal basin at the old junction of Bridgwater and Taunton Canal (PRN 11865) and the River Parrett which was in use before the canal was directed around the town in 1841. {1} "Old Basin" marked on OSAD 6" map. {2} References 1 Personal communication - Aston, M Somerset County Council 18.12.75 2 Map - Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division 1962 6" ST33NW (SCC Planning Department)

PRN 10613 Site Name: Hamp Bridge Brick and Tile Works, North Petherton Civil Parish: North Petherton, Bridgwater Grid Ref : ST 3090 3591 (ST 33 NW) Details: Buildings of former brick and tile works. {1}

References 1 Personal communication - Aston, M Somerset County Council 18.12.75

PRN 10645 Site Name: Crossways swing bridge, Huntworth Civil Parish: North Petherton Grid Ref: ST 3091 3531 (ST 33 NW) Details: Was presumably connected to the Crossways Brick works (PRN 10611). {1} The replacement of this bridge, as a part of a programme to return the Bridgwater and Taunton Canal to a navigable waterway, involved the removal of its swing mechanism. Unlike similar bridges along the canal, the Crossways example was retained intact through the Second World War. After recording the mechanism in situ, it was removed for storage pending the setting up of a canalside interpretation centre. {2} Was a listed building, see PRN 13616. {3} The bridge was removed in July 1940 as a preliminary demolition (No 4) on the Taunton Stop Line (PRN 15410) but replaced almost immediately to permit access to the brickworks. It does not seem to have been put back correctly on its pivot and was in poor condition in the 1950s. {4}

References 1 Personal communication - Dennison, E Somerset County Council 03.12.87 2 Description - Anon in Dennison, E "Somerset Archaeology 1987" Proceedings of the Somerset Archaeological and Natural History Society 131 (1987), 229-30 3 Compiler comment - Chris Webster, Somerset Historic Environment Record (1/11/2007)

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4 Correspondence - David Hunt, email to Somerset County Council (24/11/2003)

PRN 11978 Site Name: Second World War pillbox (N35), SE of Hamp Bridge, Bridgwater Civil Parish: North Petherton Part of: PRN 15410 Second World War stop line, The Taunton Stop Line Grid Ref: ST 3047 3563 (ST 33 NW) Details: An inland defences pillbox survives in good condition. {1} This is pillbox N35. {2}

References 1 Personal communication - Hellis, J Fortress Study Group, March 1994. Ref JH.00062 2 Correspondence - David Hunt email to Somerset County Council (25/2/2003)

PRN 11987 Site Name: Second World War pillbox (N36), S of Somerset Bridge, Bridgwater Civil Parish: North Petherton Part of: PRN 15410 Second World War stop line, The Taunton Stop Line Grid Ref: ST 3082 3542 (ST 33 NW) Details: An inland defences pillbox survives in good condition. {1} This is pillbox N36. {2}

References 1 Personal communication - Hellis, J Fortress Study Group, March 1994. Ref JH.00222 2 Correspondence - David Hunt email to Somerset County Council (25/2/2003)

PRN 12398 Site Name: Brickworks, Hamp, Bridgwater Civil Parish: Bridgwater Grid Ref: ST 303 360 (ST 33 NW) Details: Brickpits and buildings along each side of the canal. {1}

References 1 Personal communication - Somerset County Council Aston, M 3.2.76

PRN 12422 Site Name: Bronze age ring find, Bridgwater Civil Parish: Bridgwater Grid Ref: ST 305 356 (ST 33 NW) Details: A possibly Irish penannular gold ring found at Hamp Brick Field in 1848 or 1849. Now in British

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Museum. Pottery found near. See PRN 12421 for alternate site for this find. {1}

References 1 Detailed records - Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division ST33NW14 (SCC Planning Department)

PRN 12441 Site Name: Second World War pillbox (N37), NE of Huntworth Civil Parish: North Petherton Part of: PRN 15410 Second World War stop line, The Taunton Stop Line Grid Ref: ST 3096 3526 (ST 33 NW) Details: OS map shows a pillbox. {1} There is a well preserved concrete type 24 on the E bank of the canal. {2} This is pillbox N37. {3} The pillbox was destroyed, despite protests, in late March 2003 by British Waterways to provide vehicular access to the house. {4} Only partly removed, the back remains. {5}

References 1 Map - Ordnance Survey 1:2500 sheet 2 Personal communication - Webster, CJ SMRO (5.3.1996) 3 Correspondence - David Hunt email to Somerset County Council (25/2/2003) 4 Personal communication - Chris Webster (11/4/2003) 5 Personal communication - Chris Webster, Somerset County Council (11/6/2003)

PRN 14386 Site Name: Rhyne Bridge, Stock Moor Rhyne, North Petherton. Civil Parish: Pawlett Grid Ref: ST 3042 3532 (ST 33 NW) Details: Reinforced concrete slab bridge built in 1926 and designed by Edward Stead, County Surveyor. Copings, stringcourses and quoins are of ashlar masonry with the remainder of the masonry rock faced. The end of the concrete deck is exposed in elevation. The bridge is 5 feet in span. {1}

References 1 Detailed records - Greenfield, D. Somerset's Early Reinforced Concrete Bridges . (1998) Copy in HER File 14360

PRN 14387 Site Name: Hamp culvert, Bridgwater Civil Parish: North Petherton, Bridgwater Grid Ref: ST 3034 3567 (ST 33 NW) Details: Reinforced concrete slab bridge built in 1926 and designed by Edward Stead, County Surveyor. Copings, stringcourses and quoins are of ashlar masonry with the remainder of the masonry rock

An Archaeological Desk-Based Assessment – Colley Lane Southern Access Road, Bridgwater, Somerset. 17 CONTEXT O NE ______faced. The end of the concrete deck is exposed in elevation. The bridge is 3.5 feet in span. {1}

References 1 Detailed records - Greenfield, D. Somerset's Early Reinforced Concrete Bridges . (1998) Copy in HER File 14360

PRN 16725 Site Name: Second World War pillbox site (N34), Hamp Brickworks, Bridgwater Civil Parish: Bridgwater Part of: PRN 15410 Second World War stop line, The Taunton Stop Line Grid Ref: ST 3045 3581 (ST 33 NW) Details: A pillbox on the Taunton stopline (PRN 15410) described as ''Built into end of old brick kiln' {1} Shown on maps in the Wills Collection in the National Monuments Record. {2}

References 1Historical reference - PRO WO 199/1803 Progress report : Taunton line, 1940 July- Nov. (30/10/1940) 2 Correspondence - David Hunt, email to Somerset County Council (4/3/2004)

PRN 17118 Site Name: Old Course of River Parrett, Somerset Bridge, Bridgwater Civil Parish: Bridgwater Grid Ref: ST 3090 3591 (ST 33 NW) Details: The old parish boundary between Bridgwater and North Petherton, where a portion of North Petherton parish is was on the north side of the existing river course, may reflect a former 'loop' of the water course that has been naturally or artificially straightened. {1} called 'Old River Ground' {2} Documents in Bristol Record Office record the cutting-off of the loop in 1568. {3}

References 1 Map - Second Edition OS Map, c.1904 2 Mention - Dunning, R. The Victoria History of the County of Somerset Vol VI, page 193 3 Personal communication - Adrian Webb, Hydrographic Office (20/12/2006) 4 Historical reference - Bristol Record Office F/Au/1/9

PRN 18024 Site Name: Malt and Hops, Somerset Bridge, North Petherton Civil Parish: North Petherton Grid Ref: ST 3124 3565 (ST 33 NW) Details: 'Malt and Hops Inn' noted on old OS. {1} Structure depicted but name not. {2}

An Archaeological Desk-Based Assessment – Colley Lane Southern Access Road, Bridgwater, Somerset. 18 CONTEXT O NE ______

References 1 Map - Ordnance Survey Second Edition c.1904 2 Map - Ordnance Survey Mapinfo 2005

PRN 18025 Site Name: Congregational Church, Somerset Bridge, North Petherton Civil Parish: North Petherton Grid Ref: ST 3106 3564 (ST 33 NW) Details: 'Congregational Church' noted on old OS. {1} In the 1860s Bridgwater Congregationalists held cottage services at Somerset Bridge. In 1865 a chapel and school room were built. The chapel was recorded in 1914 but later closed and had become an icecream factory by 1966. The building burnt down in 1984. {2}

References 1 Map - Ordnance Survey Second Edition c. 1904 2 Mention - Dunning, R. (ed) The Victoria History of the County of Somerset . Vol VI 313

PRN 18026 Site Name: Milestone, Rhyne Bridge, North Petherton Civil Parish: North Petherton Grid Ref: ST 3041 3533 (ST 33 NW) Details: 'M.S.' and 'Bridgwater 1, Taunton 9 5/8' noted on old OS. {1} Not shown on modern map. {2}

References 1 Map - Ordnance Survey Second Edition c.1904 2 Personal communication - Talya Bagwell, Somerset Historic Environment Record (2/6/2005)

PRN 22892 Site Name: Hamp bridge, Bridgwater Civil Parish: Bridgwater Part of: PRN 43828 Boathouse, Watts House, Bishop's Lydeard Grid Ref: ST 3039 3570 (ST 33 NW) Details: Road bridge on Bridgwater and Taunton canal leading to Hamp brickworks (PRN 10613). {1} Documents in the National Archives show that Hamp Bridge was prepared as a demolition for the Taunton Stop Line (Demolition 3) with 4 small charge chambers under the E side of the arch containing a total of 30lbs of Ammonal. A horizontal rail road block was situated on the W side of the bridge (Taunton Stop Line Block NRd 2) The road block was declared redundant in Aug 1941. {2}

References 1 Compiler comment - Chris Webster, Somerset Historic Environment Record (30/5/2007) 2 Correspondence - David Hunt to SCC (30/5/2007)

An Archaeological Desk-Based Assessment – Colley Lane Southern Access Road, Bridgwater, Somerset. 19 CONTEXT O NE ______

3 Historical reference - National Archives WO199/1810 Taunton Line: demolition scheme 20 Aug 40

An Archaeological Desk-Based Assessment – Colley Lane Southern Access Road, Bridgwater, Somerset. 20