Land at Charlton Andover Hampshire
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Land at Charlton Andover Hampshire Archaeological Evaluation for Gleeson Developments Limited CA Project: 770232 CA Report 15541 July2015 Land at Charlton Andover Hampshire Archaeological Evaluation CA Project: 770232 CA Report: 15541 Document Control Grid Revision Date Author Checked by Status Reasons for Approved revision by A 26-06-15 Ray DDR Internal General edits DDR Kennedy review B 01/07/15 Ray DDR Draft for Removal of draft DDR Kennedy issue C 06/07/15 DDR DDR FINAL Approved by HCC DDR Archaeological Officer 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 © Cotswold Archaeology Land at Charlton, Andover: Archaeological Evaluation CONTENTS SUMMARY ..................................................................................................................... 2 1. INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................ 3 2. ARCHAEOLOGICAL BACKGROUND ................................................................ 4 3. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ................................................................................... 6 4. METHODOLOGY ............................................................................................... 7 5. RESULTS (FIGS 2-8) ......................................................................................... 7 6. THE FINDS ........................................................................................................ 8 7. DISCUSSION ..................................................................................................... 9 8. CA PROJECT TEAM .......................................................................................... 10 9. REFERENCES ................................................................................................... 10 APPENDIX B: THE FINDS ............................................................................................. 18 APPENDIX C: OASIS REPORT FORM .......................................................................... 19 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Fig. 1 Site location plan (1:25,000) Fig. 2 Trench location plan showing archaeological features (1:2000) Fig. 3 Trench 6: plan and photograph (1:20) Fig. 4 Trench 6: section and photograph (1:20) Fig. 5 Trench 11: plan and photograph (1:20) Fig. 6 Trench 11: section and photograph (1:20) Fig. 7 Trench 34: plan and photograph (1:20) Fig. 8 Trench 34: section and photograph (1:20) Fig.9 General Working shot Fig.10 General Working shot 1 © Cotswold Archaeology Land at Charlton, Andover: Archaeological Evaluation SUMMARY Project Name: Land at Charlton, Andover Location: Charlton, Andover NGR: SU 3541 4726 Type: Evaluation Date: 22-26 June 2015 Planning Reference: 14/00061/OUTN, APP/C1760/A/14/2222867 Location of Archive: Hampshire Cultural Trust CA Site Code: LCA 15 An archaeological evaluation was undertaken by Cotswold Archaeology in June 2015 on Land at Charlton, Andover. Forty two trenches were excavated equating to a 4% sample of the development site. The trenches were distributed across the proposed development in order to assess the archaeological potential across as wide an area as possible. Trench 6 contained one linear, identified as a probably gully which contained residual worked flint, comprising flakes and bladelets including a distal fragment diagnostic of Mesolithic debitage. There were no other associated features within trench 6. The remaining forty one trenches revealed no archaeological features. Topsoil finds of possible worked flint, flint cores and struck flint were recovered and compromised of a rather thick blade form Trench 41 likely to date to the Mesolithic or Early Neolithic periods along with a dual platform core from Trench 13. Further topsoil finds comprised of a single piece of ceramic building material dating to the Roman and a number of fragments dating to the post-medieval periods. 2 © Cotswold Archaeology Land at Charlton, Andover: Archaeological Evaluation 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1 In June 2015 Cotswold Archaeology (CA) carried out an archaeological evaluation for Gleeson Development Limited at Charlton, Andover (centred on NGR: SU 3541 4726; Fig. 1). 1.2 The evaluation was undertaken to fulfil the conditions of the outline planning condition granted by Test Valley Borough Council (TVBC) (Refs: 14/00061/OUTN and APP/C1760/A/14/2222867) to Gleeson Developments Ltd for a residential development comprising up to 85 residential dwellings (including up to 40% affordable housing), structural planting and landscaping, informal open space, children’s play areas, surface water attenuation, vehicular access from Goch Way and associated ancillary works. The archaeological condition attached to the appeal award states: No development shall take place (including site clearance) until the Implementation of a programme of archaeological work, in accordance with a written brief and specification for a scheme of investigation and mitigation, which has been submitted by the developer and approved in writing by the local planning authority. The development shall be carried out in accordance with the programme of archaeological work. 1.3 The evaluation was carried out in accordance with a detailed Written Scheme of Investigation (WSI) produced by CA (2015) and approved by Neil Adam, the Archaeological Officer for Hampshire County Council (AOHCC) the archaeological advisors to the Test Valley Borough Council (TVBC). The fieldwork also followed Standard and guidance: Archaeological field evaluation (CIfA 2014), the Management of Archaeological Projects (English Heritage 1991) and the Management of Research Projects in the Historic Environment (MORPHE): Project Manager’s Guide (English Heritage 2006). The site 1.4 The development redline area is c. 6.23ha in extent, and comprises agricultural land, currently used for pasture/grazing, located approximately 1.6km to the north-west of 3 © Cotswold Archaeology Land at Charlton, Andover: Archaeological Evaluation Andover (CA 2013). To the west, the site is bounded by established residential housing, to the north-west by the development extension into the Blue Line footprint (also pasture/grazing land), to the east by Saxon Way and to the south by Goch Way. The site comprises a single field (Fig. 1), across which a series of large electricity pylons run north-south close to the eastern boundary. 1.5 The solid geology of the proposed development site is mapped as undifferentiated chalk sedimentary bedrock of the Lewes Nodular, Seaford Chalk and Newhaven Chalk formations (BGS Online Viewer, consulted March 2013).There are no superficial deposits recorded at the proposed development site, however river terrace deposits of sand and gravel are recorded to the west, south and east of the site boundary, as well as Alluvial deposits of clay, silt, sand and gravel recorded to the south. No deposits of potential palaeo-environmental interest are recorded within the development area. 1.5 The proposed development site rises from a height of 77m above Ordnance Datum (aOD) in the south to 87m aOD in the north. A ridge of high ground runs from the north-east corner of the site across the field towards the housing development off Armstrong Rise. From this high ground, the field slopes (beyond the redline boundary) steeply downhill to the north-west corner of the field boundary and gradually downhill to the south-west corner of the site boundary. 2. ARCHAEOLOGICAL BACKGROUND 2.1 The archaeological background is based on the summary results of the Cotswold Archaeology Desk Based Assessment undertaken in 2013, which was undertaken to cover a study area within a 1km radius of the site. 2.2 Mesolithic flint axes and implements have been recorded on the edge of the site boundary. Due to this close proximity with the site and the density of other similar finds found within the study area, there may be potential for unrecorded Mesolithic remains to survive within the proposed development site, most likely as scatters of artefactual material in the topsoil. 2.3 Six sites within the study area were identified which contained archaeological evidence dating to the Neolithic. Old Down Farm excavations revealed two pits, one containing Neolithic flint, the other containing Peterborough-type pottery. Other 4 © Cotswold Archaeology Land at Charlton, Andover: Archaeological Evaluation Neolithic sites within the study area comprised a flint scatter, a findspot of a stone mace head, a stone adze, and early Neolithic flint scatter and an early Neolithic hollow recorded during the Area 6 Charlton II excavations in 1993 2.4 Three sites within the study area were identified which date specifically to the Bronze Age period, and two sites where Bronze Age evidence has been excavated as part of a multi-period settlement site. The excavations relating to Andover Area 6 revealed an Early Bronze Age pit and pottery of flint-tempered fabrics. Bronze Age cremation burials have also been found at Foxcotte, c.1km west of the site. An Early Bronze Age cremation burial, and Early Bronze Age pits were recorded during the Andover Area Phase II excavations and the Andover Area 6: Employment Park evaluation, and a hoard of bronze implements discovered during the construction of watercress beds. 2.5 There was also a potential for