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Archaeological Desk Based Assessment __________ Chigwell Primary Academy and Land east of Vicarage Lane, Chigwell, Essex August 2019 | Project Ref AC01063 Archaeological Desk Based Assessment | 1 Project Number: AC01063A Authored by: Dr Anne Johnson and Charlotte Vallance Date: August 2019 Document version M:\Archaeology Collective\Projects\Projects 1001-1500\Projects 1001-1100\01063 - Chigwell Project, MMA\01063A DBA\Reports Archaeological Desk Based Assessment | 2 Contents 1. Introduction ........................................................................................ 7 2. Archaeological and Historical Background ......................................... 14 3. Proposed Development, Assessment of Significance and Potential Effects ............................................................................................... 25 4. Conclusions ....................................................................................... 28 5. Methodology ...................................................................................... 33 6. Legislation and Planning Framework ................................................. 39 7. Appendix 1 – Site Location ................................................................ 45 8. Appendix 2 –Geology & Topography .................................................. 47 9. Appendix 3 – Historic Environment Record ........................................ 49 10. Appendix 4 – Historic Maps & Images ............................................... 56 Archaeological Desk Based Assessment | 3 Figures Fig. 1.1 Site Location Fig. 1.2 Detailed Site Location Fig. 2.2 Geology: Superficial Deposits Fig. 2.3 Topography Fig 3.1 Designated Heritage Assets within the 1km Study Area Fig. 3.2 Non-Designated Heritage Assets within the 1km Study Area Fig. 4.1 Map by Christopher Saxon 1576 Fig. 4.2 Map by George Sangster 1769 Fig. 4.3 Chapman and Andre A Map of the County of Essex 1777 Fig. 4.4 1839 Chigwell Tithe Plan Fig. 4.5 1872 OS 25-inch Fig. 4.6 1896 OS 25-inch Fig. 4.7 1920 OS 25-inch Fig. 4.8 1966 OS 1:2500 Fig. 4.9 2018 Satellite Image Archaeological Desk Based Assessment | 4 Executive Summary This archaeological desk-based assessment has been prepared by Archaeology Collective, on behalf of Coral Properties Ltd to inform planning proposals for the demolition of existing school buildings associated with Chigwell Primary Academy, the construction of a new school building and sports pitches and the construction of residential development comprising the erection of 59 no. residential dwellings together with associated off-street parking, garden space, new vehicular accesses from High Road (A113) and Vicarage Lane, external landscaping and associated development. The report has confirmed that the application site does not contain any designated heritage assets, such as World Heritage Sites, scheduled monuments, registered parks and gardens, registered battlefields or listed buildings, where there would be a presumption in favour of their physical preservation in situ and against development. The application site has been shown to have a moderate potential for encountering Roman activity, particularly close to the line of the former Roman road to the north. As the site formed part of a farm owned by a Cistercian monastery, there is also a moderate potential for encountering un-stratified finds from the medieval period.. There is low potential for activity from other periods to be encountered on the site. It is considered that if archaeological remains are present within the Site, they will be better preserved outside the footprints of previous and existing buildings where there has been no or limited development. The long-term cultivation of the Site as farmland however may have also disturbed underlying archaeological deposits, the degree to which is currently unknown and would warrant further investigation. Ground moving activities, associated with the proposed development, have the potential to impact on hitherto unknown below-ground archaeological remains. Construction activities can include but are not limited to ground levelling, the excavation of foundation trenches, topsoil stripping, the removal of existing building foundations and surfaces and the installation of infrastructure items. It is considered that the Site is unlikely to contain any extensive archaeological deposits of high significance or value which would require preservation in situ. The conclusions of this assessment and in particular the archaeological recommendations in respect of the determination of the planning application, are in accordance with both local and national planning policy. Archaeological Desk Based Assessment | 5 1.0 Archaeological Desk Based Assessment | 6 1. Introduction Project Background 1.1 This archaeological desk-based assessment has been prepared by prepared by Dr. Anne Johnson and Charlotte Vallance, Archaeological Consultants at Archaeology Collective on behalf of Coral Properties Ltd. 1.2 The subject of this assessment is Chigwell Primary Academy and Land East of Vicarage Lane, Chigwell, Essex, IG7 6DW , hereafter referred to as the ‘Site’ (Figures 1.1 and 1.2). The area which the Site occupies is approximately 4.5 hectares and is centred at National Grid Reference (NGR) TL 94399 18880. The Site lies at the junction between Vicarage Lane and Chigwell High Road (A113) on the northern outskirts of the historic core of the village of Chigwell, Essex. Administratively, for local government purposes, the Site lies within the boundaries of Epping Forest District Council. 1.3 The purpose of this assessment is to determine and assess the archaeological potential of the Site informed by available historical information and data on designated and non-designated archaeological heritage assets in order to provide sufficient information for the Local Planning Authority to come to an informed understanding of the potential impact of the proposed development proposal on the significance of those assets. 1.4 In addition, the assessment enables stakeholders to assess the archaeological potential of the Site and to consider the need for design, civil engineering and archaeological solutions to the potentials identified where appropriate. 1.5 The report considers only designated and non-designated heritage assets of archaeological interest as recorded in statutory or non-statutory repositories of historic environment data. This may include, but is not limited to: • Finds/findspots of artefactual material (e.g. stone tools); • Finds/findspots of ecofactual material (e.g. animal bone); • Locations, features or objects referenced from historic documents; • Archaeological or palaeoenvironmental deposits; • Sub surface archaeological remains of features, buildings or structures; • Scheduled monuments; and • Registered Battlefields Archaeological Desk Based Assessment | 7 1.6 The report will not address designated or non-designated built heritage. Specifically: • Listed buildings; • Conservation areas; • Registered Parks and Gardens; and • Locally listed buildings. 1.7 Coral Properties Ltd have commissioned Archaeology Collective to establish the archaeological potential of the Site, to identify any particular areas of archaeological potential or significance and to provide guidance on ways to accommodate any relevant constraints identified. This assessment is in accordance with the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) and the procedures set out in CIfA’s ‘Standard and Guidance for Historic Environment Desk-based Assessment’1. 1.8 This desk-based assessment comprises an examination of digital data held by the Essex Historic Environment Record (EHER) together with a range of archives and libraries, Essex Archives, The National Archives, The British Library and The Bodleian Library. The report incorporates the results of a comprehensive map regression exercise in order to review the impacts of existing and previous development on potential underlying archaeological deposits. Consultation of additional sources has been undertaken where necessary. 1.9 This data has been collected for an area comprising a 1km radius of the Site boundary; the ‘study area’. This radius has been selected on the basis of professional judgement to be appropriate to determining the archaeological potential of the Site given its location and character. Location, Geology and Topography 1.10 The irregular-shaped land plot comprises three distinct areas; the grounds of Chigwell Primary Academy, a roughly triangular field in the north and a rectangular field in the east. The Site is bounded by Chigwell High Road to the west, agricultural land to the south and east and residential development to the west. 1 CIfA. Standard and Guidance for Historic Environment Desk-based Assessment 2017 Archaeological Desk Based Assessment | 8 1.11 The core of Chigwell village and the land to the north and east, including the northern field of the Site lies on one of series of hills along the east side of the valley of the River Roding. 1.12 The British Geological Survey identifies the solid geology as London Clay Formation (clay silt and sand), a sedimentary bedrock formed approximately 34 to 56 million years ago in the Palaeogene Period in an environment previously dominated by deep seas . The superficial geology is identified as Lowestoft Formation – Diamicton, superficial deposits (boulder clay and silty clay) formed up to 2 million years ago in the Quaternary Period, in a local environment previously dominated by ice age conditions (Figure 2.1).2 1.13