Shotgate Farm Southend Road Wickford Essex Archaeological Evaluation
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Shotgate Farm Southend Road Wickford Essex Archaeological Evaluation for Martin Grant Homes CA Project: 660070 CA Report: 12196 August 2012 © Cotswold Archaeology Shotgate Farm, Wickford, Essex: Archaeological Evaluation ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Shotgate Farm Southend Road Wickford Essex Archaeological Evaluation CA Project: 660070 CA Report: 12196 prepared by Alex Thomson, Trainee Archaeologist date 26 July 2012 checked by Roland Smith, Project Manager date 14 August 2012 approved by Roland Smith, Project Manager signed 14 August 2012 date issue 01 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 Unit 4, Cromwell Business Centre, Howard Way, Newport Pagnell, Milton Keynes MK16 9QS t. 01908 218320 e. [email protected] © Cotswold Archaeology Shotgate Farm, Wickford, Essex: Archaeological Evaluation ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- CONTENTS SUMMARY........................................................................................................................4 1. INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................. 5 2. RESULTS (FIGS 2-3) .......................................................................................... 8 3. DISCUSSION....................................................................................................... 8 4. CA PROJECT TEAM ........................................................................................... 8 5. REFERENCES .................................................................................................... 8 APPENDIX A: OASIS REPORT FORM ........................................................................... 10 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Fig. 1 Site location plan (1:25,000) Fig. 2 Trench location plan, including Trenches 1 – 15 from the 2006 excavations (1:5000). Fig. 3 Trench 16, looking east. 3 © Cotswold Archaeology Shotgate Farm, Wickford, Essex: Archaeological Evaluation ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SUMMARY Project Name: Shotgate Farm Location: Wickford, Essex NGR: TQ 7680 9340 Type: Evaluation Date: 25 July 2012 Site Code: SHG 12 Accession Number: SOUMS: A2012.4 In July 2012 an archaeological evaluation was undertaken by Cotswold Archaeology at the request of Martin Grant Homes at Shotgate Farm, Southend Road, Wickford, Essex. One trench was excavated by machine within the footprint of a proposed sports pavilion. No archaeological features or deposits were encountered and there were no artefacts in the excavated spoil. 4 © Cotswold Archaeology Shotgate Farm, Wickford, Essex: Archaeological Evaluation ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1 In July 2012 Cotswold Archaeology (CA) carried out an archaeological evaluation for Martin Grant Homes at Shotgate Farm, Wickford, Essex (centred on NGR: TQ 7680 9340; Fig. 1). The evaluation was undertaken to ascertain the extent of any archaeological deposits within the footprint of a proposed sports pavilion. This proposed building forms part of a wider proposal for the construction of a series of sports pitches and car parking at Shotgate Farm. The wider proposals were the subject of archaeological evaluation undertaken in 2006 (CA 2006a). 1.2 The proposals were the subject of a planning application to Basildon District Council (BDC). A programme of archaeological fieldwork to support the application was recommended by Mr Richard Havis, Senior Historic Environment Officer for Essex County Council (ECC) and archaeological advisor to BDC. A Written Scheme of Investigation (WSI) for the current evaluation was prepared by CA (2011a) and approved by Richard Havis in July 2011. In July 2012 Richard Havis confirmed that the WSI was still valid. 1.3 The evaluation followed the Standard and Guidance for Archaeological Field Evaluation (IfA 2008), the Management of Archaeological Projects (EH 1991) and the Management of Research Projects in the Historic Environment (MORPHE): Project Manager’s Guide (EH 2006). The site 1.4 The site covers approximately 15 ha and comprises an area of scrub and grassland, with areas planted with trees at the north and east. The site is bordered to the north by a sewage works, to the east by Shotgate Farm and surrounding agricultural land, to the south by Southend Road and to the west by further scrub and grassland. 1.5 The site is located at around the 10 m OD contour, in a wider landscape that gently descends towards the east. Higher ground lies to the south-west of the site, on the outskirts of Wickford, and to the north of the site towards Runwell Road. The nearest watercourse is the River Crouch, which flows in an easterly direction 180 m north of the site. 5 © Cotswold Archaeology Shotgate Farm, Wickford, Essex: Archaeological Evaluation ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1.6 The solid geology of the site is London Clay of the Eocene Era. A band of superficial Head deposits extends east-west across the central part of the site (BGS 1976).; these comprise poorly sorted gravels, sands and clays formed mostly by solifluction and/or hillwash and soil creep. Archaeological background 1.7 Six programmes of archaeological works have been carried out in the vicinity of the site. An undated cremation was encountered during a watching brief on a pipeline trench along the western side of the site. Rescue excavations and watching briefs during the late 1960s and 1970s at Beauchamp Farm, west of the site, uncovered evidence of prehistoric, Roman and Saxon settlement. Archaeological works also took place in three areas in the vicinity of the site prior to construction of the A130 and associated roads. Fieldwalking north-east of the site identified prehistoric flint and Roman, medieval and post-medieval pottery. Fieldwalking, evaluation, geophysical survey and excavations to the south-east of the site have identified prehistoric, Roman and medieval activity. Evaluation and excavation south of the site uncovered medieval features and some prehistoric material. 1.8 An heritage impact assessment (HIA) of the site was prepared by CA in 2011 (CA 2011b), updating an earlier desk-based assessment by CA in 2006 (CA 2006a). The HIA was carried out to reflect recent archaeological works in the vicinity, additions to the Essex Historic Environment Record (HER), changes to government planning policy guidance, the results of further archaeological evaluation within the site and current development design proposals. 1.9 The HIA identified areas of prehistoric settlement to the east and west of the site. The projected courses of three possible Roman roads were also projected through the site, and sub-Roman and early Saxon activity is known to have been present to the west and south-east. 1.10 The fields within the site appear to have been farmed as strip fields, as part of a wider open-field system, in the medieval period, prior to enclosure in the post- medieval period. The line of a World War II tank trap runs through the south-east of the site. 1.11 The archaeological evaluation carried out in 2006 (CA 2006b), which comprised three trenches and twelve test-pits, was designed to test for the presence of these 6 © Cotswold Archaeology Shotgate Farm, Wickford, Essex: Archaeological Evaluation ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- potential features, as well as the presence of any further unrecorded archaeological remains within the site. The test pits were also used to establish the depth of topsoil and whether sufficient depths occurred to demonstrate that the construction of the proposed sports pitches would have no impact on potential buried archaeology. No evidence for any archaeological remains was recorded in any of the trenches or test-pits. Archaeological objectives 1.12 The objectives of this evaluation were to establish the presence, character, quality, date and extent of any archaeological remains or deposits within the footprint of the proposed sports pavilion. Any information recovered was to be used to assist Basildon District Council in making an informed judgement on the significance of the archaeological resource, and the likely impact upon it of the proposed development. Methodology 1.13 The fieldwork comprised the excavation of one trench, Trench 16, measuring 12 m by 1.8 m, in the location shown in Figure 2. This trench was excavated within the footprint of the proposed pavilion. The trench, which was proposed to run north to south, was revised slightly