PAVILION EXTENSION ST PETER’S GROUND FROCESTER,

ARCHAEOLOGICAL WATCHING BRIEF

For

FROCESTER CRICKET CLUIB

CA REPORT: 06114

OCTOBER 2006

PAVILION EXTENSION, ST PETER’S GROUND FROCESTER GLOUCESTERSHIRE

ARCHAEOLOGICAL WATCHING BRIEF

CA PROJECT: 2223 CA REPORT: 06114

Author: Samantha Thorogood

Approved: Cliff Bateman

Signed: …………………………………………………………….

Issue: 01 Date: 11 OCTOBER 2006

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 Building 11, Kemble Enterprise Park, Kemble, , Gloucestershire, GL7 6BQ Tel. 01285 771022 Fax. 01285 771033 E-mail:[email protected]

Pavilion Extension, St Peter’s Ground, Frocester, Gloucestershire: Archaeological Watching Brief © Cotswold Archaeology

CONTENTS

SUMMARY...... 3

1. INTRODUCTION ...... 4

The site ...... 4 Archaeological background...... 4 Methodology ...... 5

2. RESULTS ...... 5

Footing trenches……………………………………………………………….… .….. 5 Service run and veranda…………………………………………………. … ...... 5

3. DISCUSSION...... 6

4. CA PROJECT TEAM ...... 6

5. REFERENCES ...... 6

APPENDIX 1: CONTEXT DESCRIPTIONS...... 7 APPENDIX 2: THE FINDS...... 7

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Fig. 1 Site location plan (1:25,000) Fig. 2 The site, showing location of groundworks (1:500) Fig. 3 Representative section of ground footings (1:10)

2 Pavilion Extension, St Peter’s Ground, Frocester, Gloucestershire: Archaeological Watching Brief © Cotswold Archaeology

SUMMARY

Site Name: St Peter’s Ground Location: Frocester, Gloucestershire NGR: SO 7705 0332 Type: Watching brief Date: 2-3 October 2006 Planning Reference: S04/10515/FUL Location of Archive: Museum in the Park, , Gloucestershire Site Code: PGF 06

An archaeological watching brief was undertaken by Cotswold Archaeology (CA) during groundworks associated with an extension to the existing cricket pavilion at St Peter’s Ground, Frocester, Gloucestershire.

A limited area of late Roman demolition was revealed sealed by subsoils.

3 Pavilion Extension, St Peter’s Ground, Frocester, Gloucestershire: Archaeological Watching Brief © Cotswold Archaeology

1. INTRODUCTION

1.1 In October 2006 Cotswold Archaeology (CA) carried out an archaeological watching brief for Frocester Cricket Club at St Peter’s Ground, Frocester, Gloucestershire (centred on NGR: SO 7705 0332; Fig. 1).

1.2 The watching brief was undertaken to fulfil a condition attached to planning consent for an extension to the existing cricket pavilion (Planning ref: S04/10515/FUL). The objective of the watching brief was to record all archaeological remains exposed during the development.

1.3 The archaeological fieldwork was carried out in accordance with a written scheme of investigation (WSI) produced by CA (2006) and approved by Council acting on the advice of Charles Parry, Senior Archaeological Officer, Gloucestershire County Council. The fieldwork also followed the Standard and Guidance for an Archaeological Watching Brief issued by the Institute of Field Archaeologists (1999) and the Statement of Standards and Practices Appropriate for Archaeological Fieldwork in Gloucestershire (GCC 1995)

The site

1.4 St Peter’s Ground is located 1.3km to the west of Frocester, immediately north-west of the now largely demolished church of St Peter’s (Fig. 2). The site lies at approximately 30m AOD, and is generally flat.

1.5 The underlying geology of the area is mapped as Third Terrace Gravels of the River Severn of the Pleistocene and recent era.

Archaeological background

1.6 Archaeological interest in the site arises from previous archaeological observations within the adjacent church and churchyard that revealed evidence of Roman occupation indicative of a villa (Kenyon and Leah 2000). The existing cricket pavilion was subject to archaeological investigation during its construction in 1997 and 1998 when further evidence of Roman walls and ditches were identified 1m below the existing ground surface (ibid).

4 Pavilion Extension, St Peter’s Ground, Frocester, Gloucestershire: Archaeological Watching Brief © Cotswold Archaeology

Methodology

1.8 The fieldwork followed the methodology set out within the WSI (CA 2006). An archaeologist was present during intrusive groundworks, comprising the mechanical excavation of footings and service trenches and ground reduction throughout the footprint of the new veranda (Fig. 2).

1.9 Written, graphic and photographic records were compiled in accordance with CA Technical Manual 1: Excavation Recording Manual (1996).

1.10 Subject to the agreement of the legal landowner the finds and site archive will be deposited with Museum in the Park, Stroud, Gloucestershire.

2. RESULTS

Footing trenches

2.1 Natural geological substrate 1004, comprising orange brown silty clay, was revealed throughout the footing trenches at an average depth of 1.00m below the present ground level (BPGL). Within the central area of the footings, it was overlain by Roman demolition layer 1003, predominately comprising limestone fragments and averaging 0.58m in thickness. Sherds of late Roman pottery, ceramic tile and animal bone were retrieved from throughout the demolition deposit.

2.2 Sealing demolition deposit 1003 was subsoil 1002 averaging 0.46m in thickness, which in turn was covered by topsoil 1001.

Service run and veranda

2.3 The associated excavations for the service trench and veranda were more limited in scope (0.25m and 0.20m respectively) and did not penetrate through the subsoils.

5 Pavilion Extension, St Peter’s Ground, Frocester, Gloucestershire: Archaeological Watching Brief © Cotswold Archaeology

3. DISCUSSION

3.1 Roman demolition layer 1003 is analogous to rubble deposits recorded at depths of 0.80m BPGL during the previous archaeological excavations at the site (see contexts 202, 302, 504, 505, Kenyon and Leah 2000). The late Roman pottery recovered during the current works correlates closely in date to phase IV deposits revealed during the preceding excavation and would seemingly represent the (ibid).

4. CA PROJECT TEAM

4.1 Fieldwork was undertaken by Samantha Thorogood, who also compiled this report. The illustrations were prepared by Lorna Gray. The archive has been compiled by Samantha Thorogood, and prepared for deposition by Teresa Gilmore. The project was managed for CA by Cliff Bateman.

5. REFERENCES

Kenyon, D and Leah, M,. 2000 ‘St Peter’s Church: Excavation 1997-1998’ in E Price Frocester. A Romano-British Settlement, It Antecedants and Successors. Volume 1 The Sites. 223-31

CAT 2006 St Peter’s Ground, Frocester, Gloucestershire: Written Scheme of Investigation for an Archaeological Watching Brief

Geological Survey of Great Britain 1972 sheet 235: solid and drift

6 Pavilion Extension, St Peter’s Ground, Frocester, Gloucestershire: Archaeological Watching Brief © Cotswold Archaeology

APPENDIX 1: CONTEXT DESCRIPTIONS

1001 Topsoil: dark greyish brown silty clay. 0.12m thick 1002 Subsoil: mid greyish brown silty clay, stone inclusions. 0.46m thick 1003 Deposit: demolition layer, dark brown silty clay containing medium limestone pieces and ceramic roof tile. 0.40m thick 1004 Natural: orange brown silty clay

APPENDIX 2: THE FINDS

Quantities of Roman pottery, animal bone, ceramic building material, sea shells and iron objects were recovered from demolition spread 1003.

The pottery is consistent with that previously recovered from the current site in 1997-8 (Timby 2000a) and at Frocester Court (Timby 2000b) and would suggest a Late Roman date of late 3rd century to 4th century. The bulk of the assemblage consists of Dorset Black Burnished ware and a local highly micaceous coarseware, Frocester Fabric 55 (Timby, 2000). Forms present include everted rimmed dishes, a ‘fish’ dish and a pedestal based beaker.

Fragments of box flue tile and tegula are present along with two iron masonry nails. Of note is a possible iron rake prong, (Manning, 1985, pp 59).

Animal bone present consists of a sheep upper molar and cow sized metatarsal fragments.

Finds Concordance

Context Artefact type Count Weight (g) Spot-date 1003 Animal bone: cow sized, sheep sized 7 194 LC3-C4 fragments Flue tile 3 168 Tegula 1 88 Misc CBM 1 18 Roman Pottery: micaous local 31 1072 greyware, BB1, Oxfordshire whiteware mortarium, Oxfordshire cc, Severn Valley ware Oyster Shell 2 28 Cockle shell 1 1 Fe Nail 3 56

Bibliography

Timby J 2000(a) ’The Pottery’ in D Kenyon and M Leah ‘St Peter’s Church: Excavation 1997-1998’ in E Price Frocester. A Romano-British Settlement, It Antecedants and Successors. Volume 1 The Sites. 225-8

Timby J 2000(b) ‘Pottery. Roman, pre and post Roman’ in E Price Frocester A Romano-British Settlement, its Antecedents and Successors. Volume 2: The Finds, 125-162

Manning, WH 1985 Catalogue of the Romano-British Iron Tools, Fittings and Weapons in the British Museum. Trustees of the British Museum London.

7 Reproduced from the 2002 Ordnance Survey Explorer map with the permission of Ordnance Survey on behalf of The Controller of Her Majesty's Stationery Office N c Crown copyright Cotswold Archaeological Trust 100002109

site

0 2.5km

COTSWOLD ARCHAEOLOGY

PROJECT TITLE Gloucestershire St Peter's Ground, Frocester, Gloucestershire FIGURE TITLE Site location plan

SCALE PROJECT NO. FIGURE NO. 1:25,000@A4 2223 1 Reproduced from the 2006 Ordnance Survey Superplan map with the permission 771 of Ordnance Survey on behalf of The Controller of Her Majesty's Stationery Office N c Crown copyright Cotswold Archaeological Trust 100002109

A

A

demolition spead 1003

Cricket Pavilion

033

St Peter's Church (remains of)

SO 0 50m

COTSWOLD ARCHAEOLOGY existing pavilion PROJECT TITLE observed groundworks St Peter's Ground, Frocester, Gloucestershire observed archaeological deposit FIGURE TITLE removal of topsoil only The site, showing location of groundworks existing drainage pipe SCALE PROJECT NO. FIGURE NO. 1:500@A4 2223 2 Section AA

SN 30m AOD topsoil 1001

subsoil 1002

demolition deposit 1003

natural clays 1004

01m

COTSWOLD ARCHAEOLOGY

PROJECT TITLE St Peter's Ground, Frocester, Gloucestershire FIGURE TITLE Section AA

SCALE PROJECT NO. FIGURE NO. 1:20@A4 2223 3