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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. i CONTEXT O NE __________________________________________________________________________________________ 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 An Archaeological Desk-Based Assessment – Colley Lane Southern Access Road, Bridgwater, Somerset. 1 CONTEXT O NE __________________________________________________________________________________________ ● the formulation of a proposal for further