Land South of Castle Street Marsh Gibbon Buckinghamshire
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Land South of Castle Street Marsh Gibbon Buckinghamshire Archaeological Evaluation for RPS Group On behalf Edgar Taylor CA Project: MK0133 CA Report: MK0133_1 February 2020 Land South of Castle Street Marsh Gibbon Buckinghamshire Archaeological Evaluation CA Project: MK0133 CA Report: MK0133_1 Site Code: LSCS20 Accession Number: AYBCM:2018.9 Document Control Grid Revision Date Author Checked by Status Reasons for Approved revision by A 03/02/2020 JW&AW Oliver Good Internal General Edit Richard Draft Greatorex 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 South of Castle Street, Marsh Gibbon, Buckinghamshire: Archaeological Evaluation CONTENTS SUMMARY ........................................................................................................................ 2 1. INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................. 3 2. ARCHAEOLOGICAL BACKGROUND ................................................................. 4 3. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES .................................................................................... 6 4. METHODOLOGY ................................................................................................. 6 5. RESULTS (FIGS 2–14) ........................................................................................ 7 6. THE FINDS .......................................................................................................... 7 7. DISCUSSION ....................................................................................................... 9 8. CA PROJECT TEAM ........................................................................................... 9 9. REFERENCES .................................................................................................... 10 APPENDIX A: CONTEXT DESCRIPTIONS ..................................................................... 11 APPENDIX B: THE FINDS ............................................................................................... 12 APPENDIX C: OASIS REPORT FORM ........................................................................... 13 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Fig. 1 Site location plan (1:25,000) Fig. 2 Trench location plan, overlaying proposed development plan (1:400) Fig. 3 Trench location plan, overlaying 1846 Marsh Gibbon Tithe Map (1:1500) Fig. 4 Photographs site overview pre excavation. Fig. 5 Trench 1: photographs Fig. 6 Trench 2: photographs Fig. 7 Trenches 3 and 4: photographs Fig. 8 Trench 5: photographs Fig. 9 Trenches 6 and 7: photographs 1 © Cotswold Archaeology Land South of Castle Street, Marsh Gibbon, Buckinghamshire: Archaeological Evaluation SUMMARY Project Name: Land South of Castle Street, Marsh Gibbon, Buckinghamshire Location: Castle Street, Marsh Gibbon, Buckinghamshire, HP18 0SB NGR: 465124 223045 Type: Evaluation Date: 13-16 January 2020 Planning Reference: 16/03380/AOP Location of Archive: To be deposited with Buckinghamshire County Museum Accession Number: AYBCM:2018.9 Site Code: LSCS20 An archaeological evaluation was undertaken by Cotswold Archaeology in January 2020 at Land South of Castle Street, Marsh Gibbon, Buckinghamshire. Seven trenches were excavated. The evaluation identified an undated gully or tree throw and a natural hollow filled with stone and fragments of modern CBM and pottery that appeared likely to represent ground consolidation adjacent to the current entrance to the site. No other features or deposits of archaeological significance were identified during the evaluation, and only artefactual material associated with Post-medieval/modern period was recovered. 2 © Cotswold Archaeology Land South of Castle Street, Marsh Gibbon, Buckinghamshire: Archaeological Evaluation 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1 In January 2020 Cotswold Archaeology (CA) carried out an archaeological evaluation for RPS Group on behalf of Edgar Taylor at Land South of Castle Street, Marsh Gibbon, Buckinghamshire (centred at NGR: 465124 223045; Fig. 1). 1.2 Planning permission for the development of 9 residential dwellings was granted by Aylesbury Vale District Council (AVDC) (ref: 16/03380/AOP), conditional on a programme of archaeological work. Condition 16: No development shall take place until the applicant, or their agents or successors in title, have secured the implementation of a programme of archaeological work in accordance with a written scheme of investigation which has been submitted by the applicant and approved by the planning authority. The development shall only be carried out in accordance with the approved scheme. Reason: To record or safeguard any archaeological evidence that may be present at the site and to comply with the National Planning Policy Framework. 1.3 The evaluation was carried out in accordance with a detailed Written Scheme of Investigation (WSI) prepared by Cotswold Archaeology (CA) and RPS Consultancy Services Ltd. (RPS 2019), following discussions with Lucy Lawrence, Archaeology Officer, Buckinghamshire County Council. The fieldwork also followed Standards and guidance: Archaeological field evaluation (CIfA 2014), the Buckinghamshire County Standards(BCAS 2019), the Management of Research Projects in the Historic Environment (MORPHE), Project Planning Note 3 (English Heritage 2008), and the Project Managers Guide (English Heritage 2006). It was monitored by Lucy Lawrence. The site 1.4 The proposed development area is approximately 0.6 ha, and comprises an area of pasture land bounded to the north by Castle Street, by Leopold Farm to the east, modern houses and gardens to the west, and a large field to the south. The site lies at approximately 69m above Ordnance Datum (AOD) and is broadly flat. 3 © Cotswold Archaeology Land South of Castle Street, Marsh Gibbon, Buckinghamshire: Archaeological Evaluation 1.5 The underlying geology of the area is mapped as Peterborough Mudstone Formation formed approximately 164 to 166 million years ago in the Jurassic Period. Natural clay and mudstone deposits were encountered in all trenches. 2. ARCHAEOLOGICAL BACKGROUND 2.1 An archaeological and historical background for the site is a succinct summary of the information garnered from an archaeological Desk-Based Assessment of the site by CgMs (2015) and updated HER (Historic Environment Record) received October 2019. Prehistoric 2.2 A review of the evidence held on the BHER (Buckinghamshire Historic Environment Record) within the 1.25km study area has identified no entries related to activity during the prehistoric period. 2.3 The updated HER data received confirms the absence of prehistoric assets within the search radius. Roman 2.4 There are no entries relating to settlements or structures dating to this period either on the study site or within the 1.25km study area recorded on the BHER. 2.5 A single, highly corroded, Roman coin is noted on PAS (Portable Antiquities Scheme) immediately beyond the 1.25km study area, to the west of the site. 2.6 The updated HER data advises that sherds of abraded Roman pottery were recorded during a recent archaeological evaluation undertaken to the west of the study site at Box Farm MBC34880 and EBC18183. The report (TVAS 2019) states that the pottery was unstratified and found in Medieval furrows. Saxon and Medieval 2.7 The Domesday Book of 1086 contains a reference to a manor and settlement at Marsh (Gibbon), which strongly implies that the settlement was established at some point during the late Saxon period. Pre-Conquest the Manor was held by Ulf son of Burgred, but the village was held by the Abbot of Grestain in 1086. The manor, held 4 © Cotswold Archaeology Land South of Castle Street, Marsh Gibbon, Buckinghamshire: Archaeological Evaluation by the Alien Monks of Grestein, is recorded as containing land for 13 ploughs. The village is recorded as having 11 villagers and 3 slaves. 2.8 The Manor and associated village are located c. 500m to the west of the study site and the sites of two manors are indicated on the BHER. The former, Westbury Manor, approximately 650m south-west of the study site, is associated with the remnants of a moat/pond (MBC1439 and MBC1441 respectively). The other, Marsh Manor (MBC12727), is located approximately 400m to the north-west of the site close to the church and churchyard which are believed to have medieval origins (MBC26554). 2.9 It is likely that the focus of medieval settlement in this area was located c. 500 m to the west of the study site and that it was centred close to the manor recorded in Domesday. The few isolated medieval finds, heavily eroded pottery fragments, collected within the study area are derived from manuring practices (night soil) associated with agricultural exploitation of the landscape. This interpretation is supported by details contained within the BHER which identify numerous fields within the study area which retain traces of earthwork ridge and furrow. Medieval and Post-Medieval 2.10 Jeffrey's map of 1770 is the earliest map depicting the area around Marsh Gibbon. The map indicates that in the late 18th century the site lay to the east of the village centre, with a possibility that a structure occupied part of the street frontage. 2.11 The scale of the 1813 map suggests little change from the 1770’s but Bryant’s