Appendix 4 Heritage Desk Based Assessment
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Pegasus Group ELWY SOLAR ENERGY FARM, ST ASAPH, DENBIGHSHIRE APPENDIX 4 HERITAGE DESK BASED ASSESSMENT P19-2023 | FEBRUARY 2020 ON BEHALF OF SOLARCENTURY February 2020 | EP | P19-2023 Document Management Version Date Author Checked/approved by: Reason for revision Dr Elizabeth Pratt Gail Stoten 1 17th January 2020 - (Senior Heritage Consultant) (Director – Heritage) Dr Elizabeth Pratt Gail Stoten 2 7th February 2020 Redline change (Senior Heritage Consultant) (Director – Heritage) Dr Elizabeth Pratt Gail Stoten 3 18th February 2020 Redline change (Senior Heritage Consultant) (Director – Heritage) Pegasus Group Pegasus House | Querns Business Centre| Whitworth Road | Cirencester | Gloucestershire | GL7 1RT T 01285 641717 | www.pegasusgroup.co.uk Birmingham | Bracknell | Bristol | Cambridge | Cirencester | East Midlands | Leeds | Liverpool | London | Manchester | Newcastle | Peterborough © Copyright Pegasus Planning Group Limited 2011. The contents of this document must not be copied or reproduced in whole or in part without the written consent of Pegasus Planning Group Limited February 2020 | EP | P19-2023 HERITAGE DESK-BASED ASSESSMENT ELWY SOLAR ENERGY FARM, ST ASAPH, DENBIGHSHIRE ON BEHALF OF: SOLARCENTURY PREPARED BY: DR ELIZABETH PRATT (ACIFA) Pegasus Group Pegasus House | Querns Business Centre| Whitworth Road | Cirencester | Gloucestershire | GL7 1RT T 01285 641717 | www.pegasusgroup.co.uk Birmingham | Bracknell | Bristol | Cambridge | Cirencester | East Midlands | Leeds | Liverpool | London | Manchester | Newcastle | Peterborough © Copyright Pegasus Planning Group Limited 2011. The contents of this document must not be copied or reproduced in whole or in part without the written consent of Pegasus Planning Group Limited CONTENTS: INTRODUCTION 1 METHODOLOGY 3 PLANNING POLICY FRAMEWORK 8 THE HISTORIC ENVIRONMENT 12 SETTING ASSESSMENT 19 CONCLUSIONS 46 SOURCES 48 APPENDICES: APPENDIX 1: CONSULTATION RESPONSES APPENDIX 2: GAZETTEER OF HISTORIC ASSETS APPENDIX 3: SELECTED DESIGNATION DESCRIPTIONS APPENDIX 4: FIGURES APPENDIX 5: PHOTOGRAPHS OF FEATURES OBSERVED DURING WALKOVER SURVEY APPENDIX 6: PROCESSED LIDAR FIGURES: FIGURE 1: DIGITAL TERRAIN MODEL FIGURE 2: PREHISTORIC AND ROMAN ASSETS FIGURE 3: MEDIEVAL AND LATER ASSETS FIGURE 4A: EXTRACT OF 1845 GWERNIGRON TITHE MAP FIGURE 4B: HISTORIC LANDHOLDINGS IN 1840 - 1845 FIGURE 5: EXTRACT OF 1900 ORDNANCE SURVEY MAP FIGURE 6: CROPMARKS AND EARTHWORKS VISIBLE ON HISTORIC AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHS P19-2023 │ EP │ February 2020 Elwy Solar Energy Farm, St Asaph FIGURE 7A: DESIGNATED HISTORIC ASSETS WITHIN 5KM RADIUS FIGURE 7B: DESIGNATED HISTORIC ASSETS WITHIN 2KM RADIUS FIGURE 8: PHOTO LOCATIONS PLATES: PLATE 1: SITE LOCATION PLAN (SITE OUTLINED IN RED) ....................................................................................................................... 1 PLATE 2: GLIMPSE OF ST ASAPH CATHEDRAL (CIRCLED) FROM THE FIELD ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF THE TRACK TO GWERNIGRON FARM .............................................................................................................................................................................................................. 20 PLATE 3: COMPONENTS OF GWERNIGRON FARMHOUSE ........................................................................................................................ 22 PLATE 4: REAR WING WITH HIPPED ROOF, MENTIONED IN LISTING DESCRIPTION ............................................................................. 22 PLATE 5: ANOTHER VIEW OF THE REAR WING, WHICH CONNECTS THE 17TH-CENTURY CORE WITH THE LARGE TWO-STOREY BLOCK .. 22 PLATE 6: VIEW OF REAR BLOCK AND ATTACHED WING WITH HIPPED ROOF ......................................................................................... 23 PLATE 7: GWERNIGRON DOVECOTE, VIEWED FROM EAST ..................................................................................................................... 23 PLATE 8: CONVERTED OUTBUILDINGS TO THE WEST OF THE FARMHOUSE ............................................................................................ 24 PLATE 9: CLOSE-RANGING KEY VIEW OF GWERNIGRON FARMHOUSE, FROM THE FARM TRACK TO ITS SOUTH ..................................... 25 PLATE 10: VIEW TOWARDS GWERNIGRON FARMHOUSE (AND DOVECOTE), FROM THE PUBLIC FOOTPATH THROUGH THE SOUTHERN PART OF THE SITE ........................................................................................................................................................................................... 25 PLATE 11: VIEW FROM THE FARMHOUSE’S DRIVEWAY ENTRANCE ACROSS THE SOUTHERN PART OF THE SITE TO THE A55 EMBANKMENT .............................................................................................................................................................................................................. 26 PLATE 12: VIEW LOOKING SOUTH TOWARDS GWERNIGRON FARM FROM THE SITE – WITH THE DOVECOTE PARTIALLY SCREENED BY VEGETATION .......................................................................................................................................................................................... 27 PLATE 13: PANORAMA FROM THE BOUNDARY OF THE REAR PLOT OF GWERNIGRON FARMHOUSE WITH THE SITE ............................... 27 PLATE 14: EXTRACT OF 1845 TITHE MAP FOR GWERNIGRON (IMAGE COURTESY OF DENBIGHSHIRE ARCHIVES) ................................. 29 PLATE 15: EXTRACT OF 1878 ORDNANCE SURVEY MAP OF PLAS COCH .................................................................................................. 29 PLATE 16: VIEW OF PLAS COCH FROM ITS ACCESS DRIVE FROM THE A525 ........................................................................................... 30 PLATE 17: PRIMARY ELEVATION OF PLAS COCH, VIEWED FROM THE TRACK TO GWERNIGRON FARM ................................................... 30 PLATE 18: GLIMPSE OF REAR ELEVATION OF PLAS COCH, FROM THE EASTERN PART OF THE SITE ....................................................... 31 PLATE 19: ENGRAVING OF PENGWERN HALL, DATED 1795 (NATIONAL LIBRARY OF WALES, CATALOGUE NO. VTLS003373648) .......... 32 P19-2023 │ EP │ February 2020 Elwy Solar Energy Farm, St Asaph PLATE 20: EXTRACT OF 1840 TITHE MAP OF PENGWERN (IMAGE COURTESY OF THE GENEALOGIST) ................................................... 33 PLATE 21: VIEW LOOKING NORTH FROM THE NORTHERN PART OF THE SITE ........................................................................................ 34 PLATE 22: EXTRACT OF 1841 TITHE MAP FOR BODELWYDDAN (IMAGE COURTESY OF THE GENEALOGIST) ........................................... 35 PLATE 23: GLIMPSE OF BODELWYDDAN CASTLE (CIRCLED) FROM THE CENTRAL-SOUTHERN FIELD OF THE SITE ................................. 36 PLATE 24: GLIMPSE OF LONG-RANGING NORTHERLY VIEW FROM THE LODGE AT GLASCOED ACROSS THE PARK TOWARDS THE COAST .............................................................................................................................................................................................................. 37 PLATE 25: PANORAMIC VIEW SHOWING THE CO-VISIBILITY OF THE CHURCH OF ST MARY AND RHUDDLAN CASTLE FROM THE STATION ROAD RIVER BRIDGE ............................................................................................................................................................................. 40 PLATE 26: LOOKING NORTH TOWARDS TWTHILL FROM THE PUBLIC FOOTPATH FROM HYLAS LANE ..................................................... 44 PLATE 27: LOOKING SOUTH TOWARDS TWTHILL FROM THE PUBLIC FOOTPATH FROM ABBEY ROAD .................................................... 44 PLATE 28: PANORAMIC VIEW, LOOKING EAST TO SOUTH TO WEST, FROM THE SUMMIT OF TWTHILL ................................................... 45 P19-2023 │ EP │ February 2020 Elwy Solar Energy Farm, St Asaph Introduction Pegasus Group has been commissioned by Solarcentury to To assess any contribution that the site makes to the heritage significance of proximate prepare a Heritage Desk-Based Assessment for c.117ha of land designated historic assets; and outlying Gwernigron Farm near St Asaph, which is proposed for a solar energy farm (Plate 1). To identify any harm or benefit to known and potential historic assets, which may result from the implementation of the development proposals, along with the level of any harm caused if relevant. These objectives are in line with Sections 6.1.9 and 6.1.26 of the Welsh Planning Policy Wales, Edition 10, Chapter 6 (December 2018; PPW10), which provide that: "Any decisions made through the planning system must fully consider the impact on the historic environment and on the significance and heritage values of individual historic assets and their contribution to the character of place.” “Where archaeological remains are known to exist or there is a potential for them to survive, an application should be accompanied by Plate 1: Site location plan (site outlined in red) sufficient information, through desk-based assessment and/or field evaluation, to allow a Objectives full understanding of the impact of the proposal on the significance of the remains....” The aims of the Heritage Desk-Based Assessment are: This Heritage Desk-Based Assessment has been informed by the To assess the significance of recorded historic assets within the site and to assess the Standard and guidance for historic environment desk-based potential for and likely significance of assessment published by the Chartered Institute for previously-unrecorded archaeological remains within