Ashchurch Vssp
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[project name] Headland Archaeology [project code/job] P20-237 ASHCHURCH VSSP Archaeological Desk-based Assessment for Defence Industry Organisation (DIO) 4th November 2020 Revised 19th March 2021 - 0 - Ashchurch VSSP Headland Archaeology P20-237 ASHCHURCH VSSP Archaeological Desk-based Assessment for Defence Industry Organisation (DIO) 4th November 2020 Revised 19th March 2021 HA Job no.: P20-237 HAS no.: 1395 NGR: 393665, 233807 Parish: Ashchurch Rural Council: Tewkesbury Borough Council Project Manager: Laurence Hayes Author: Jen Richards Fieldwork: Jen Richards Graphics: Jen Richards Approved by: Laurence Hayes - i - Ashchurch VSSP Headland Archaeology P20-237 CONTENTS 1....... INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................. 2 Planning Background ...................................................................................................... 2 Site Description ............................................................................................................... 2 2....... AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ................................................................................................ 2 3....... METHODOLOGY ............................................................................................................ 3 Study areas ..................................................................................................................... 3 Data sources ................................................................................................................... 3 Identification of heritage assets ....................................................................................... 3 Assessment of heritage significance and importance ..................................................... 4 Potential for unknown heritage assets ............................................................................ 4 4....... RESULTS ........................................................................................................................ 5 Previous investigations ................................................................................................... 5 Geology and geomorphology .......................................................................................... 5 Historical background ...................................................................................................... 5 Historic Landscape Characterisation ............................................................................... 7 Results of Site Visit ......................................................................................................... 8 Assessment of heritage significance ............................................................................... 8 5....... PREDICTED EFFECTS OF THE DEVELOPMENT ...................................................... 10 6....... CONCLUSIONS ............................................................................................................ 10 7....... REFERENCES .............................................................................................................. 10 8....... APPENDIX 1: CULTURAL HERITAGE ASSETS WITHIN THE STUDY AREA ............ 11 9....... FIGURES AND PLATES ............................................................................................... 14 - ii - Ashchurch VSSP Headland Archaeology P20-237 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Figure 1 Site location Figure 2 Previous archaeological investigations Figure 3 Non-designated heritage assets within the study area Figure 4 Designated heritage assets within the study area Figure 5 Extract of pre-enclosure map Figure 6 Extract of Tithe map Figure 7 1st Edition Ordnance Survey Figure 8 1955 Ordnance Survey Figure 9 1968 Ordnance Survey Figure 10 1st Metric Edition Ordnance Survey Figure 11 Historic Landscape Characterisation Figure 12 Archaeological potential of the Proposed Development Area Figure 13 National Mapping Programme Data Plate 1 Interior of typical large shed Plate 2 Examples of brick buildings Plate 3 West of site looking southwest from Rugby Road Plate 4 View South between buildings 24 and 25 with pillbox to right Plate 5 View North between buildings 28 and 34 with concrete cap to reservoir on right Plate 6 Thickness of concrete in Liaison Square Plate 7 Typical water attenuation feature adjacent to southern boundary Plate 8 View across sports fields in East of site Plate 9 View East along railway showing change in ground level Plate 10 View West along southern boundary showing change in ground level - iii - Ashchurch VSSP Headland Archaeology P20-237 ASHCHURCH VSSP, TEWKESBURY ARCHAEOLOGICAL DESK-BASED ASSESSMENT Headland Archaeology were commissioned on behalf of the Defence Industry Organisation (DIO) to prepare an archaeological desk-based assessment to support a planning application for proposed demolition and erection/refurbishment of vehicle support and storage facilities at Ashchurch near Tewkesbury. This assessment has found that the Proposed Development Area has historic and archaeological interest as it contains surviving structures relating to its origins as a WWII vehicle depot and barracks. It also has potential for archaeological remains of Roman or late Iron Age date, particularly in the south of the site which has seen less truncation of the natural ground level and is in close proximity to an Iron Age / Romano-British settlement site which was discovered to the south of the A46. The majority of the site has seen at least some degree of truncation as a result of the construction and use of the military vehicle depot, however there are some remaining areas of open space which may still contain archaeological deposits. 1 INTRODUCTION Planning Background RSK are preparing a planning application on behalf of the Defence Industry Organisation (DIO) for proposed demolition and erection/refurbishment of vehicle support and storage facilities at Ashchurch near Tewkesbury (NGR 393665, 233807, post code GL20 8LZ). Tewkesbury Borough Council have requested an archaeological desk-based assessment (DBA) to support the application due to the presence of known sites in the vicinity. Headland Archaeology was commissioned to produce this DBA. Site Description The Proposed Development Area is located on the rural eastern fringe of Tewkesbury between the villages of Ashchurch and Aston Cross. It lies on the north side of the A46 and east of the modern housing estate at Northway. The settlement of Aston on Carrant lies to the northeast, and Pamington to the southeast. The northern boundary is defined by the former route of a branch of the Midland railway. The Ashchurch MoD site boundary covers an area of 80.2ha, within this the Proposed Development Area covers 58.2ha. The site is occupied by several large buildings for the storage and maintenance of military vehicles as well as smaller office buildings and other structures (Figure 1). The eastern two thirds of the site is covered by depot buildings and surrounding hardstanding while to the western third there is less dense development of accommodation buildings and areas of green space. The Proposed Development Area lies at an elevation of c. 20m AOD, raising slightly at the eastern side to c. 25m AOD. The site lies between the courses of the Carrant Brook to the north and the Tirle Brook to the south, both of which drain towards the River Severn which lies west of Tewkesbury. The site is owned by the Ministry of Defence and has been used as a military depot since the 1940s. 2 AIMS AND OBJECTIVES The assessment has been carried out according to the Standard and guidance for historic environment desk- based assessment published by the Chartered Institute for Archaeologists (CIfA 2020), and aims to: • Collate all available written, graphic, photographic and electronic information relevant to the proposed development area; • Describe the nature, extent and significance of the historic environment within the area potentially affected by the development, identifying any uncertainties in existing knowledge; • Determine the potential impact of the proposed development; and • Identify any requirements for further investigation that may be necessary to understand the effects of the proposed development on the historic environment. - 2 - Ashchurch VSSP Headland Archaeology P20-237 3 METHODOLOGY Study areas A study area extending to 500m from the site boundary (Figure 1) was used to gather baseline information on the archaeological resource from the Gloucestershire Historic Environment Record. Data sources The assessment has been based on a study of all readily available documentary sources, following the CIfA Standards and Guidance (CIfA 2020). The following sources of information were referred to: • Designation data from the National Heritage List for England, downloaded from the Historic England website on 25th August 2020; • Descriptions of designated heritage assets in the National Heritage List for England, viewed on the Historic England website; • Archaeological and architectural records (non-designated heritage assets) from the National Record of the Historic Environment, viewed through the Heritage Gateway website (www.heritagegateway.org.uk); • National Mapping Programme data provided by the Gloucestershire HER; • Archaeological records (non-designated heritage assets) and records of previous archaeological investigations held by Gloucestershire HER- obtained as a digital data extract on 25th August 2020; • Historic Landscape Characterisation