COWBRIDGE & DISTRICT LOCAL HISTORY SOCIETY March 1983 NEWSLETTER No. 18 This letter from the Glamorgan-Gwent Archaeological Trust seems so important that I have decided to include all of it in the newsletter: Proposed Sports and Recreation Area: Bear Field, Cowbridge As you are probably aware, the Vale of Glamorgan Borough Council has recently applied for planning permission to develop the area known as the Bear Field, Cowbridge, as a Sports and Recreation area. It is the considered opinion of this Trust that the proposed developments will have serious consequences for the archaeology of the area. The Trust's involvement with Cowbridge began in 1977 when excavations at 75 High Street revealed the remains of two Roman buildings below a four­ teenth century merchant's house, proving beyond question that there was Roman civilian occupation at Cowbridge, as well as strong indications of a military presence. The archaeological potential of the town as a whole was underlined in Dr. David Robinson's survey of the archaeology and topography of Cowbridge, published by the Trust in August 1981. Since then, excavations carried out on a number of sites within the town have yielded a considerable amount of fresh evidence concerning the origins of Cowbridge. A large defensive ditch discovered to the rear of the Midland Bank was almost certainly part of the defences of a fort, probably to be identified with a site known from documentary sources as Bovium, whilst on the Arthur John Car Park site the impressive foundations of the fort Bath-house were excavated. Several other sites have proved the existence of a civilian settlement which lasted for over two hundred and fifty years and extended over a large but as yet undefined area. An important clue as to the social status of the civilian settlement is to be found in the stone statue of a lion found in a late Roman ditch at Hopyard Meadow, at the far end of Westgate. This would have been part of a funerary monument of a high-ranking and wealthy military or civilian official resident in the settlement. It seems that Cowbridge belongs to a category of settlement known as a "small town" i.e. a settlement larger than a village but of lesser importance than an administrative centre (such as Caerwent), and as such is of vital importance to the history of Wales, since it is the first settlement of this type to be discovered in the principality. Immediately adjacent to the Bear Field, at the Bear Barn site, excavations revealed a complex series of features dating from the late first to the mid fourth centuries, which provided evidence for extensive occupation in the area, together with several hundredweight of slag, suggesting that part of the settlement's economy was based on iron working. Trial excavation undertaken in the Bear Field in 1979 proved that the area of Roman occupation extended into this area. A geophysical survey undertaken the following year showed the presence of strong magnetic anomalies in each area sampled. The evidence from the Bear Barn site 2. suggests that these anomalies represent the foundations of unusually large timber buildings up to thirty metres in length together with several potential smelting or smithing hearths, the strength of the anomalies being caused by the large quantities of slag present in the backfilled features. The archaeological layers in this area, which covers some 21,000 square metres (c. five and a half acres) begin within a few centimetres of the existing ground surface. Any disturbance of the ground whatsoever would therefore destroy these layers. Following circulation of the Cowbridge District (Draft) Plan in 1981, the Trust was concerned by the virtual absence of references to the great archaeological potential of Cowbridge, and therefore made representation in September 1981 that the following proposal be adopted and incorporated within the plan: (Policy 40 Paragraph 7.20) 'As new development can destroy valuable evidence, planning proposals will be referred to the Glamorgan-Gwent Archaeological Trust for their observations. If a site is considered to be of archaeological significance provision will be made to ensure that information is gained from the site before the remains are lost'. The Bear Field was included in the map of areas of crucial archaeological significance submitted for development control purposes. The Trust has subsequently emphasised that the Bear Field is an area of extreme archaeological sensitivity, and in the view of the Trust it is essential that adequate opportunity be given to undertake detailed open area excavation. Whilst in no way denying the desirability of this development, the Trust is concerned that the proposed starting date of September 1983 will be inadequate for the investigation necessary; it is our opinion that a minimum of twelve months will be necessary in order to accomplish what will be the largest open area excavation to be undertaken in Wales. The Trust has therefore sought permission to meet members of the Vale of Glamorgan Borough Council in order to outline the extreme importance of the area and to stress the necessity of detailed investigation prior to any development taking place. At present the Trust has no funds available for work in the Bear Field. This is partly due to the extremely short notice given regarding the proposed developments. Whilst it is anticipated that it will be possible to get support from the Manpower Services Commission to cover labour costs, there will still be a shortfall in respect of servicing costs. The Trust will therefore be looking to local community and local authority funds to make good this shortfall. In the past the Trust has enjoyed considerable support from the people resident in Cowbridge and the Vale of Glamorgan. We now appeal to you to give your support to the Trust's request for adequate time and funding to undertake the excavation of an area which promises to yield new information of national archaeological importance. If the opportunity is not taken now, this information will be lost forever. / Yours sincerely, G. Dowdell DIRECTOR WHAT CAN WE DO ? The answer it would seem, is to write to our local Vale councillors so that they are aware of the weight of public opinion on this point. That some excavations have been started in the Bear field doesn’t alter the fact that time is needed. 3 BULLDOZER THREAT TO TOBACCO TRADE RELIC ? DID YOU KNOW THAT...? This article from the Western Mail of 17th February Many thanks to Councillor highlights the probable demolition of the fortified Selwyn Davies for the tobacco warehouse at Aberthaw. If you have any interesting notes which follow: influence with the Welsh Office, try to persuade them to put a preservation order on it; at worst, Did you know that: go and see it before it disappears. A Council bye-law passed late in the last century forbade the sweeping of pavements after 8 am. As far as I am WALES’S LAST testament By JOHN MORGAN aware it has not been revoked. to its illicit 17 th century would have been sold when the market tobacco trade with America price was high. Its members say that All pupils at the Grammar is in danger of being lost for Spencer was taking something of a ever to the bulldozer. gamble by importing tobacco into School whether boarders or Ironical!?, it was only when the Aberthaw because Charles I had ordered dayboys, Church boys or that all tobacco should be imported only bulldozers moved in that archaeolo­ into Custom House Quay in London. nonconformists, had to attend gists discovered that Marsh House in the Vale of Glamorgan was a unique However, the Civil War in part ended Church for half an hour in the building with a rich history dating Spencer's trade with the West Indies, morning on Saints Days. All although the trust believes that the loss of back to 1636. his ship, the 100-ton “Great Thomas” to Saints Day was popular for then Last autumn the Central Electricity Turkish pirates in 1639, was probably the Generating Board decided to demolish main reason. we had a half day off. the house, which until recently was an old cowshed, because it was in danger of fall­ Because of this wealth of history, both ing down and was on land earmarked for the Glamorgan-Gwent Archaeological There is a well in the West tipping spent fuel ash from Aberthaw Trust and the Barry Preservation Society End near the telephone kiosk power station. and Civic Trust are anxious to avoid any During the demolition an official from further demolition of the building and from whence traction engines the Royal Commision on Ancient Monu­ want the Secretary of State for Wales, Mr ments happened to be passing by on his Nicholas Edwards, to extend the six- and steam rollers drew their way to visit a relative. He alerted the month preservation order, which runs out water. I am informed that it authorities because Marsh House was an in April. unlisted building, and a temporary six- was used up to 1938. month ban on further demolition was slapped on it after pressure from local Decision civic groups. There were three pumps in Investigations by the Glamorgan- The chairman of the Barry Preserva- Cowbridge - one near the police Gwent Archaeological Trust revealed the tion Society, Mr Richard Thomas, said cowshed was once a large county house that if there was any possibility of the station, one in Town Hall Square building being preserved, however which was fortified for use as a store for and one in Eastgate near the tobacco illegally imported into Wales. remote, then the Secretary of State should Thomas Spencer, a merchant of impose a stay of execution in order for Eastgate Hotel.