St Martin's Chapel Chisbury Wiltshire
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ST MARTIN’S CHAPEL CHISBURY WILTSHIRE PROGRAMME OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL RECORDING For ENGLISH HERITAGE CA REPORT: 05157 OCTOBER 2005 ST MARTIN’S CHAPEL CHISBURY WILTSHIRE PROGRAMME OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL RECORDING CA PROJECT: 2038 CA REPORT: 05157 Author: Laurent Coleman Approved: Clifford Bateman Signed: ……………………………………………………………. Issue: 01 Date: OCTOBER 2005 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] St Martin’s Chapel, Chisbury, Wiltshire: Programme of Archaeological Recording © Cotswold Archaeology CONTENTS SUMMARY........................................................................................................................ 3 1. INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................. 4 The site ................................................................................................................ 4 Archaeological background.................................................................................. 4 Methodology ........................................................................................................ 5 2. RESULTS ............................................................................................................ 5 Trench 1 (Fig. 3 and Fig. 4, Photograph A) ......................................................... 5 Trench 2 (Fig. 3 and Fig. 4, Photograph B) ......................................................... 6 Trench 3 (Fig. 3) .................................................................................................. 6 The Finds ............................................................................................................. 6 The Biological Evidence....................................................................................... 7 3. DISCUSSION....................................................................................................... 7 4. CA PROJECT TEAM ........................................................................................... 7 5. REFERENCES .................................................................................................... 7 APPENDIX 1: CONTEXT DESCRIPTIONS..................................................................... 9 APPENDIX 2: THE FINDS................................................................................................ 9 APPENDIX 3: LEVELS OF PRINCIPAL DEPOSITS AND STRUCTURES...................... 9 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Fig. 1 Site location plan (1:25,000) Fig. 2 Trench location plan (1:500) Fig. 3 Plan of standing building showing trenches 1 to 3 (1:100) Fig. 4 Photographs A and B 2 St Martin’s Chapel, Chisbury, Wiltshire: Programme of Archaeological Recording © Cotswold Archaeology SUMMARY Site Name: St Martin’s Chapel Location: Chisbury, Wiltshire NGR: SU 2799 6602 Type: Programme of archaeological recording Date: 16 August and 27 September 2005 Location of Archive: Wiltshire Heritage Museum, Devizes Site Code: MCC 05 A programme of archaeological recording was undertaken by Cotswold Archaeology (CA) during groundworks associated with renovation work and improvements to visitor access at St Martin’s Chapel, Chisbury, Wiltshire. No features or deposits of archaeological interest were observed during the groundworks and no artefactual material predating the modern period was recovered. 3 St Martin’s Chapel, Chisbury, Wiltshire: Programme of Archaeological Recording © Cotswold Archaeology 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1 In August and September 2005 Cotswold Archaeology (CA) carried out a programme of archaeological recording for English Heritage at St Martin’s Chapel, Chisbury, Wiltshire (centred on NGR: SU 285 665; Fig. 1). 1.2 The programme of archaeological recording was required by English Heritage to record and assess below ground structures and deposits around the south-eastern corner and at the western end of the chapel, and to assess their relation to the above ground structure of the chapel. 1.3 The archaeological fieldwork was carried out in accordance with a written scheme of investigation (WSI) which was guided in its composition by Mr N. Morrissey of English Heritage (N. Morrissey, pers. comm.), the Standard and Guidance for an Archaeological Watching Brief issued by the Institute of Field Archaeologists (2001) and the Management of Archaeological Projects (English Heritage 1991). The site 1.4 The site is located 0.5km to the south-east of the village of Chisbury, adjacent to modern farm buildings associated with Chisbury Manor Farm (Fig. 2). The site lies at approximately 172m AOD at the eastern edge of the summit of a low hill. To the east, the ground drops into the valley of the River Dun. 1.5 The underlying geology of the area is mapped as Plateau Gravel of doubtful age and origin (BGS 1971). Archaeological background 1.6 Archaeological interest in the site arises from the chapel itself and its location within a multivallate hillfort of probable Iron Age date. An Archaeological Assessment of the chapel, including evaluation trenching, has previously been compiled by Bath Archaeological Trust (BAT 2005). 1.7 The chapel is situated immediately to the east of Chisbury Manor Farm on the summit of a low hill. The hilltop is enclosed by the ramparts of a multivallate hillfort known as Chisbury Camp. The chapel of St Martin lies on the eastern edge of the hilltop, across the line of the hillfort defences, although it remains undetermined 4 St Martin’s Chapel, Chisbury, Wiltshire: Programme of Archaeological Recording © Cotswold Archaeology whether the ramparts were levelled prior to the chapels construction, or it was founded within an existing entranceway. The hillfort and chapel are scheduled together as a single Scheduled Ancient Monument known as Chisbury Camp and St Martin’s Chapel (National Monument Number 26709). 1.8 The chapel is a rectangular building that measures 17.7m east/west by 7.9m north/south and 10.6m to the apex of the roof. It is built of flint with stone quoins and has a thatched roof. The present building dates from the late 13th century although the presence of re-used stones of 12th century date may indicate that an earlier building occupied the site. The chapel has been interpreted as either the chapel of ease to the parish of Great Bedwyn or a free chapel of the Hampshire abbey of St Denys. The building has been out of ecclesiastical use for at least two centuries and was until recently used as a farm building. Methodology 1.9 The fieldwork followed the methodology set out within the WSI (CA 2005). An archaeologist was present during intrusive groundworks, comprising the excavation of a small trench around the exterior of the south-eastern corner of the chapel to enable the repair of a section of the chapel wall and the excavation of a small trench inside the chapel to accommodate a sleeper wall (Fig. 2). 1.10 Written, graphic and photographic records were compiled in accordance with the CA Technical Manual 1: Excavation Recording Manual (1996). 1.11 Subject to the agreement of the legal landowner the finds and site archive will be deposited with Wiltshire Heritage Museum, Devizes. 2. RESULTS Trench 1 (Fig. 3 and Fig. 4, Photograph A) 2.1 The natural geological substrate was not identified due to the limited depth of the trench (0.28m). The earliest deposit encountered was a possible make-up layer 103, comprising flint nodules in a matrix of dark brown sandy clay, identified to the south of the south-eastern corner of the chapel. This was overlain by modern make-up 102 comprising brick and tile rubble, which was in turn overlain by modern concrete 5 St Martin’s Chapel, Chisbury, Wiltshire: Programme of Archaeological Recording © Cotswold Archaeology surface 101. A former repair to the south-eastern corner of the chapel, utilising mortared red bricks, was found to overlie make-up layer 103. Trench 2 (Fig. 3 and Fig. 4, Photograph B) 2.2 The natural geological substrate was not identified due to the limited depth of the trench (0.4m). The earliest deposit encountered again comprised a layer of flint nodules in a matrix of dark brown sandy clay, 204, that is comparable to deposit 103 identified within trench 1. To the west, layer 204 was cut by construction cut 203 for modern concrete underpinning 202. This was in turn overlain by topsoil 201. Trench 3 (Fig. 3) 2.3 The natural geological substrate was not identified due to the limited depth of the trench (0.2m). Wall footing 307 for the southern wall of the chapel, comprising flint nodules in a white mortar matrix, projected 0.28m beyond the internal face of the wall. Two poorly consolidated clay layers, 304 and 305 (recorded in BAT trench 5 as context 54) were also identified and were covered by modern detritus 301, some of which must also represent the backfill of the evaluation trenches excavated by BAT (see Fig. 3). At the northern end of the trench, brick and concrete plinth 306 and a modern water pipe 303 were identified within poorly defined construction cut 302. With the exception of wall footing 307, all of the above deposits had previously been observed in BAT trenches 3 and 5. The Finds 2.4 Small quantities