T H A M E S V A L L E Y ARCHAEOLOGICAL S E R V I C E S
The Rectory, Tentelow Lane, Norwood Green, Southall, London Borough of Ealing
Archaeological Evaluation
by Daniel Bray
Site Code: NGS15/222
(TQ 1344 7850) The Rectory, Tentelow Lane, Norwood Green, Southall, London Borough of Ealing
An Archaeological Evaluation
for CgMs Consulting
by Daniel Bray
Thames Valley Archaeological Services Ltd
Site Code NGS15/222
October 2015 Summary
Site name: The Rectory, Tentelow Lane, Norwood Green, Southall, London Borough of Ealing
Grid reference: TQ 1344 7850
Site activity: Archaeological Evaluation
Date and duration of project: 28th September 2015
Project manager: Steve Ford
Site supervisor: Daniel Bray
Site code: NGS 15/222
Area of site: 0.98ha
Summary of results: The evaluation revealed a small quantity of archaeological features. A medieval ditch and possible pit were revealed along with an undated posthole, possible post- medieval ditch and possible remains of a 19th century building along with a modern truncation and services.
Location and reference of archive: The archive is presently held at Thames Valley Archaeological Services, Reading and will be deposited at The Museum of London in due course.
This report may be copied for bona fide research or planning purposes without the explicit permission of the copyright holder. All TVAS unpublished fieldwork reports are available on our website: www.tvas.co.uk/reports/reports.asp.
Report edited/checked by: Steve Ford 01.10.15 Steve Preston 01.10.15
i
Thames Valley Archaeological Services Ltd, 47–49 De Beauvoir Road, Reading RG1 5NR
Tel. (0118) 926 0552; Fax (0118) 926 0553; email [email protected]; website: www.tvas.co.uk The Rectory, Tentelow Lane, Norwood Green, Southall, London Borough of Ealing An Archaeological Evaluation
by Daniel Bray
Report 15/222
Introduction
This report documents the results of an archaeological field evaluation carried out at The Rectory, Tentelow
Lane, Norwood Green, Southall, London Borough of Ealing (TQ1344 7850) (Fig. 1). The work was commissioned by Ms Sally Dicks of CgMs Consulting Limited, 140 London Wall, London, EC2Y 5DN on behalf of Blue Sky Design Services Limited.
A planning application (PP/2015/2659) has been submitted to Ealing Borough Council for demolition of the current building and the construction of a two storey primary school with access from Tentelow Lane and associated bin storage, landscaping and boundary treatment works. An archaeological evaluation has been requested prior to the determination of the planning application.
This is in accordance with the Department for Communities and Local Government’s National Planning
Policy Framework (NPPF 2012), and the Borough Council’s policies on archaeology. The field investigation was carried out to a specification approved by Ms Gill King of Greater London Archaeology Advisory Service
(GLAAS). The fieldwork was undertaken by Daniel Bray and William Attard on 28th September 2015. The archive is presently held at Thames Valley Archaeological Services, Reading and will be deposited at the
Museum of London in due course. The TVAS project code is NGS 15/222
Location, topography and geology
The site is located in Southall within the London Borough of Ealing in west London (Fig. 1). The site is 2km southeast of Southall town centre on the east side of Tentelow Lane and is currently occupied by the rectory building (Fig. 2). The natural geology is mapped as River Terrace 3 deposits (BGS 1981). The site is level and lies at a height of 27.0m above Ordnance Datum.
Archaeological background
The archaeological potential of the site has been identified in a desk based assessment (AA 2015). In summary the site lies within an area that has revealed limited prehistoric activity through to modern times but 1 predominately activity dates to the post-medieval era. A settlement is known to have been established from at least the 12th century AD around the Church of St Mary 100m north of the site. Archaeological watching briefs and excavations have also revealed evidence for medieval activity within the vicinity of the site. The current rectory building is mid 20th century in date and was constructed after the previous Rectory building built by
1814 was destroyed by the Luftwaffe during World War II.
Objectives and methodology
The purpose of the evaluation was to determine the presence/absence, extent, condition, character, quality and date of any archaeological deposits within the area of development. The fieldwork can be employed to provide the detailed information necessary to mitigate the effects of development on these two areas.
The specific research aims of the project are:
To determine if archaeologically relevant levels have survived on this site;
To determine if archaeological deposits of any period are present;
To determine if any Medieval or Post-Medieval settlement evidence is present;
To determine if any prehistoric activity is present; and
To provide information in order to draw up an appropriate mitigation strategy if required.
It was proposed to dig 5 trenches, two measuring 20m long and three measuring 10m long and each 1.60m wide. The trenches were positioned in a random pattern outside the footprint of the existing building. The trenches were to be dug by a JCB-type machine fitted with a toothless ditching bucket and supervised at all times by an archaeologist, with the spoil removed monitored for finds. All potential archaeological deposits were to be hand cleaned and sufficient of the archaeological features and deposits exposed were to be excavated or sampled by hand to satisfy the aims of the project.
Results
Due to the presence of dense trees and tree protection areas on site it was only possible to excavate a total of three trenches (Fig. 2) which ranged in length from 11.00m to 19.00m and were between 0.46m and 0.70m deep.
All trenches were 1.60m wide. A complete list of trenches giving lengths, breadths, depths and a description of sections and geology is given in Appendix 1.
2 Trench 1 (Figs 3, 4 and 7; Pl. 1) Trench 1 was aligned N -S and was 11m long and 0.46m deep. The stratigraphy consisted of 0.27m of topsoil and 0.19m of subsoil overlying natural light brown grey sandy silt geology. Ditch (1) was recorded which was
1.33m wide and 0.18m deep (Pl. 2) and filled with a firm light brown grey sandy silt (52) which produced 4 sherds of 12th century Medieval pottery and a single struck flint. A further five small sherds of abraded and therefore possibly residual medieval pottery fragments were recovered from feature (2) which was on the eastern side of the trench and may represent a shallow undulating pit or a tree throw.
Trench 2 (Figs 3, 4 and 5) Trench 2 was aligned NNE -SSW and was 19.0m long and 0.58m deep. The stratigraphy consisted of 0.36m of topsoil above 0.22m of subsoil above the natural mid yellow brown sandy silt geology. A posthole (3) and large feature (4) were recorded. The posthole was 0.55m in diameter and 0.12m deep (Pl. 3) and was located north of the ditch. Post-medieval brick and tile was recovered. The large feature possibly a ditch was aligned NE -SW and was 3.00m wide and produced medieval and post medieval brick and tile, clinker and slate. It was not seen continuing into trench 1.
Trench 3 (Figs 3 and 7) Trench 3 was aligned NE -SW and was 18.0m long and between 0.45m and 0.70m deep. The stratigraphy at the southern end of the trench consisted of 0.32m of topsoil above 0.13m of subsoil above the natural yellow brown sandy gravel geology. At the northern end of the trench tarmac was present above made ground which came down on to a mid grey clay natural geology. The trench was at its deepest in the middle of the trench where a modern truncation backfilled with bricks, chalk and china. Modern pipes were also present draining into a buried unused manhole. The wall directly north may have been related to this manhole. At the northern end of the trench modern gas services and another brick wall was observed.
Finds
Pottery by Paul Blinkhorn
The pottery assemblage comprised 9 sherds with a total weight of 56g. It was entirely medieval, and was recorded using the conventions of the Museum of London Type-Series (e.g. Vince 1985), as follows:
CAMG Camley Gardens Ware, 1200-1500. 2 sherds, 4g. EMFL: Early Medieval Flint-tempered Ware, 970 – 1100. 1 sherd, 2g. LOND: London-type Ware, early/mid 12th – mid 14th century. 1 sherd, 4g.
3 SHER: South Hertfordshire-type Greyware, 1170-1350. 4 sherds, 45g. SSW: Sandy-Shelly Ware, 1140 – 1200. 1 sherd, 1g.
The pottery occurrence by number and weight of sherds per context by fabric type is shown in Appendix 1. The range of fabric types is typical of sites in the region. Almost the entire assemblage consisted of fairly small and abraded bodysherds which are likely to be the product of secondary deposition, and quite possibly residual. The exception is a single relatively large rimsherd from a bowl from context 52. The sherd of London Ware had an orange glaze on the outer surface, and is from a jug. The rest of the assemblage is probably fragments of jars, which is typical of the earlier medieval period.
Ceramic Building Material by Danielle Milbank
Brick and tile fragments (total weight 115g) were recovered from two contexts encountered during the evaluation, including from a sieved soil sample. Two brick fragments weighing 6g were recovered from a sieved sample from posthole 3 (54). These both comprised a very hard, evenly fired fine sandy fabric with a red colour, and the fragments are of 19th century or modern date (Harley type 5) based on the fabric and finish. Ditch 4 (55) contained six fragments of tile (109g), five of which were of a medium-hard fine sandy fabric with a rough underside, and were 11mm thick. One of the pieces has evidence of a peg hole, suggesting it represents plain peg tile of the type produced throughout the later medieval and post medieval periods, and is not closely dateable.
The sixth fragment is of a slightly coarser fabric with fine groggy inclusions and an orange red colour, and one side of the fragment is slightly edge-thickened, more typical of medieval rather than later manufacture, but is likely to represent a residual fragment as the material is durable.
Struck Flint by Steve Ford
A single broken struck flint was recovered from Ditch 1 (52). It was made on a black flint lightly burnt and with a thin cortex. It is from a gravel source. It is not closely datable and is likely to be of later Neolithic or Bronze
Age date.
4 Macrobotanical Plant Material and Charcoal by Jo Pine
Three samples were processed from the evaluation. The samples were sieved to 0.25mm and air dried and the resultant flots examined under a low-power binocular microscope at a magnification of x10m.
Seeds were only recovered from a single sample <1> from ditch 1 (52) and these were a moderate amount of burnt weed seeds.
Charcoal
All three samples contained charcoal. Sample <1> in moderate amounts and samples <2> and <3> contained occasional amounts. The majority of these charcoal fragments are over 2mm and thus have the potential for species identification.
Conclusion
The evaluation has been successful in revealing a small quantity of archaeological deposits and demonstrated the site has some archaeological potential. A medieval ditch and possible pit where revealed along with an undated posthole and a large probably post-medieval ditch to the rear of the existing building. The trench located to the front of the property revealed a modern truncation containing bricks and china, modern services and two parallel walls possibly belonging to an earlier 19th century building.
References
AA 2015, The Rectory, Tentelow Lane, Southall, London Borough of Ealing: Archaeological Desk-Based Assessment, Allen Archaeology Ltd, Lincoln BGS, 1981, British Geological Survey, 1:50000, Sheet 270, Solid and Drift Edition, Keyworth Harley, L S, 1974, ‘A Typology of Brick; with numerical coding of brick characteristics’, J Brit Archaeol Assoc 3rd ser 37, 63–87 NPPF, 2012, National Planning Policy Framework, Dept Communities and Local Govt, London Vince, AG, 1985 The Saxon and Medieval Pottery of London: A review Medieval Archaeology 29, 25-93
5 APPENDIX 1: Trench details
Trench Length (m) Breadth (m) Depth (m) Comment 1 11.00 1.60 0.46 0–0.27m topsoil; 0.27m-0.46m subsoil; 0.46m+ natural light brown grey sandy silt natural geology. Ditch 1, Pit/tree throw 2 top of natural geology at 26.1m aOD [Pls 1, 2] 2 19.00 1.60 0.58 0-0.36m topsoil; 0.36-0.58m subsoil; 0.58m+ natural yellow brown sandy silt geology. Posthole 3, Ditch 4 ] top of natural geology at 26.60m aOD [Pl. 3 3 18.00 1.60 0.45-0.70 0-0.32m topsoil; 0.32m-0.45m subsoil; 0.45m+ natural yellow brown sandy gravel geology. At the northern end tarmac and made ground overlay grey clay natural geology. top of natural geology at 26.87m aOD
6 APPENDIX 2: Feature details
Trench Cut Fill (s) Type Date Dating evidence 1 1 52 Ditch Medieval Pottery 1 2 53 Pit/tree throw Medieval? Pottery 2 3 54 Posthole Post medieval? CBM 2 4 55 Ditch Post medieval? Clinker, slate, CBM
7 APPENDIX 3: Pottery Catalogue
EMFL SSW SHER LOND CAMG Cut Deposit No Wt N Wt No Wt N Wt No Wt o o 1 52 1 1 2 34 1 4 2 53 1 2 2 11 2 4 Total 1 2 1 1 4 45 1 4 2 4
8 SITE
79000
SITE
78000
TQ13000 14000 NGS 15/222 The Rectory, Tentelow Lane, Norwood Green, Southall, London Borough of Ealing, 2015 Archaeological Evaluation Figure 1. Location of site within Norwood Green and Greater London. Reproduced from Ordnance Survey Explorer 161 at 1:12500 Ordnance Survey Licence 100025880 78550
SITE
78450
TQ13450
NGS 15/222 N The Rectory, Tentelow Lane, Norward Green, Southall, London Borough of Ealing, 2015 Archaeological Evalation Figure 2. Detailed location of site off Tentelow Lane.
Reproduced from Ordnance Survey Digital Mapping under licence. Crown copyright reserved. Scale 1:1250 proposed school building services 78475 wall 1 modern 1 truncation
3 2 3 greenhouse 4 2
78450
TQ13450 NGS 15/222
N The Rectory, Tentelow Lane, Norwood Green, Southall, London Borough of Ealing, 2015 Archaeological Evaluation
Figure 3. Plan of trenches.
0 25m Trench 1
1 2
2m 8m N
Trench 2
4 3
N
6m 10m 16m not bottomed
NGS 15/222 The Rectory, Tentelow Lane, Norwood Green, Southall, London Borough of Ealing, 2015 Archaeological Evaluation
Figure 4. Plan of trenches.
0 5m Trench 1 Trench 1
SW NE W E 26.1maOD 26.2m
52 53
1 2
Trench 2 Trench 2 NNW SSE E W 26.6m 26.6m
54 55
3 4
NGS 15/222 The Rectory, Tentelow Lane, Norwood Green, Southall, London Borough of Ealing, 2015 Archaeological Evaluation
Figure 5. Sections.
0 1m Plate 1. Trench 1, looking north, Scales: 2m, 1m and 0.1m.
Plate 2. Ditch 1, looking northwest, Scales: 1m and 0.1m. Plate 3. Posthole 3, looking east, Scale: 0.5m.
NGS 15/222 The Rectory, Tentelow Lane, Noorwood Green, Southall, London Borough of Ealing, 2015 Archaeological Evaluation Plates 1 - 3. TIME CHART
Calendar Years
Modern AD 1901
Victorian AD 1837
Post Medieval AD 1500
Medieval AD 1066
Saxon AD 410
Roman AD 43 BC/AD Iron Age 750 BC
Bronze Age: Late 1300 BC
Bronze Age: Middle 1700 BC
Bronze Age: Early 2100 BC
Neolithic: Late 3300 BC
Neolithic: Early 4300 BC
Mesolithic: Late 6000 BC
Mesolithic: Early 10000 BC
Palaeolithic: Upper 30000 BC
Palaeolithic: Middle 70000 BC
Palaeolithic: Lower 2,000,000 BC Thames Valley Archaeological Services Ltd, 47-49 De Beauvoir Road, Reading, Berkshire, RG1 5NR
Tel: 0118 9260552 Fax: 0118 9260553 Email: [email protected] Web: www.tvas.co.uk