Heritage Statement Land Surrounding Woodseat House
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C. Henshaw, Archaeological Consultant P/2014/00228 Received 24/02/14 HERITAGE STATEMENT Land surrounding Woodseat House, Rocester, Staffordshire November 2013 Report No. JMP13 C.Henshaw, Archaeological Consultant Heritage Statement Land surrounding Woodseat House, Rocester, Staffordshire Produced for BHB Architects Ltd on behalf of JCB Ltd Written by Dr Andrew Sargent for Clare Henshaw 3 Wesley Place Poolfields Newcastle-under-Lyme Staffordshire ST5 2NN Tel: 07974 546263 Report No. JMP13 December 2013 © 2013 Clare Henshaw shall retain full copyright of this written report under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 with all rights reserved; excepting that it hereby provide a full licence to the client for the use of this document by the client in all matters relating to the project as described. Heritage Statement for surrounding Woodseat House, Rocester, Staffordshire ii C.Henshaw, Archaeological Consultant CONTENTS Non Technical Summary v Introduction 1 Aims & Objectives 1 Methodology 1 Planning Policy Context 2 The Site 3 Geology and Topography 5 Archaeological & Historical Background 6 Archaeological Potential and Significance 18 Conclusions and Recommendations 20 Acknowledgements 21 Bibliography 21 Figures Figure 1: Site Location 3 Figure 2: Location Map 4 Figure 3: Location Map 4 Heritage Statement for surrounding Woodseat House, Rocester, Staffordshire iii C.Henshaw, Archaeological Consultant Figure 4: Aerial Photograph 5 Figure 5: 1853 Estate Map 14 Figure 6: 1886 OS Map 15 Figure 7: 1901 OS Map 16 Figure 8: 1924 OS Map 17 Figure 9: HER map of Assets within the study area 31 Appendices Appendix 1: Historic Environment Record 22 Heritage Statement for surrounding Woodseat House, Rocester, Staffordshire iv C.Henshaw, Archaeological Consultant NON TECHNICAL SUMMARY A Heritage Statement was produced by C. Henshaw, Archaeological Consultant for Andrew Hayward of Brownhill Hayward Brown Conservation Architects Ltd on behalf of JCB Ltd. The study found potential for Roman archaeology in the northern part of the site, specifically part of the Roman road between Chesterton and Little Chester, and for dispersed rural archaeology relating to the Medieval and Post-Medieval periods across the central and southern parts of the site, in particular the presence of ridge and furrow earthworks. Moreover it is probable that an earthwork enclosure in the central part of the site relates to the earliest significant medieval activity in the area, possibly to be associated with the place-name ‘Woodseat’, and that Woodseat House is located on the site of a medieval farm or settlement. Finally, the site also includes the superimposed relict courses of the Caldon Canal and the Churnet Valley Railway. With the exception of the Roman road and the possible medieval enclosure, none of the potential archaeology on the site is of more than local importance. If any ground along the route of the Roman road or on the site of the medieval enclosure is to be reduced, disturbance of the archaeology can be mitigated via a watching brief. If ground is to be made up on top of the medieval enclosure, a survey of the surviving earthworks there will be required before they are obscured. Heritage Statement for surrounding Woodseat House, Rocester, Staffordshire v C.Henshaw, Archaeological Consultant 1.0 INTRODUCTION 1.1 BHB Architects on behalf of JCB Ltd have commissioned a Heritage Statement concerning land surrounding Woodseat House, Rocester, Staffordshire, to be submitted with a planning application regarding the remodelling of the site into a golf course. Clare Henshaw, Archaeological Consultant, was subsequently appointed to the project 2.0 AIMS & OBJECTIVES OF THE PROJECT 2.1 The aim of this report is to identify and detail the potential for encountering archaeological sites and features and other elements of cultural heritage on the site, to evaluate their importance, and to recommend strategies for further assessment or survey. 3.0 METHODOLOGY 3.1 This Heritage Statement is written in accordance with the IfA’s Standard and Guidance for Archaeological Desk Based Assessment (revised Oct 2008) as well as National Planning Policy Framework (2012). Archaeological assessment has been accomplished through the use of the following sources: HER data, historic maps, and other relevant documentary sources. Heritage Statement for surrounding Woodseat House, Rocester, Staffordshire 1 C.Henshaw, Archaeological Consultant 4.0 PLANNING POLICY CONTEXT 4.1 The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) was published on 27th March 2012 and outlines the Government’s national policies on the conservation of the historic environment. Sections 126 - 128 in the report describes the key role that planning plays in conserving our heritage assets and in the creation of sustainable places. The Government’s overarching aim is the proper conservation of the historic environment and its heritage assets so they can be enjoyed for the quality of life they bring to this and future generations, as well as recognising the wider social, cultural, economic and environmental benefits of heritage conservation. Recognition is also given to the need for Managed Change - a necessity if heritage assets are to be maintained in the long term. 4.2 Section 129 requests that Local Councils and other development approval bodies should require an applicant to provide a description of the significance of the heritage assets affected by a proposed development. The level of detail should be proportionate to the importance of the heritage asset and no more than is sufficient to understand the potential impact of the proposal on the significance of the heritage asset. It functions as a logical progression to a statement of environmental effects which most councils commonly require. Heritage Statement for surrounding Woodseat House, Rocester, Staffordshire 2 C.Henshaw, Archaeological Consultant 5.0 THE SITE 5.1 The study area, hereafter called ‘the site’, is an approximately triangular area lying west of the River Churnet immediately downstream from Rocester, and is shown in Figure 3. To the southwest the area is bounded by Combridge Lane; to the north by Hollington Road/Station Road; and to the southeast by the B5030 road. The northeast corner of this area does not lie within the site boundary, which excludes the Banks Farm (aka Mince Pie Hall) and Rookery Cottage building complexes. Figure 1: Site Location Heritage Statement for surrounding Woodseat House, Rocester, Staffordshire 3 C.Henshaw, Archaeological Consultant N Figure 2: Location map (not to scale) contains Ordnance Survey data © Crown copyright and database right 2011 N Figure 3: Location map (not to scale) contains Ordnance Survey data © Crown copyright and database right 2011 Heritage Statement for surrounding Woodseat House, Rocester, Staffordshire 4 C.Henshaw, Archaeological Consultant Figure 4: Aerial Photograph 6.0 GEOLOGY & TOPOGRAPHY 6.1 The study site is situated towards the northern edge of a large deposit of Permo-Triassic mudstones, which characterise the region lying between the River Trent to the south and the higher lands of the Peak District to the north. Locally, seasonally waterlogged loamy soils of the Whimple 3 Association have formed on top of the mudstones, although along the site’s southeast and southwest edges the soil morphology is effected by proximity to water courses (Ragg et al. 1984, 319-323). To the southeast, the River Churnet has cut a swathe through the geology, laying down gravels on which well-drained loamy soils of the Wick 1 Association have formed, giving way to the alluvial silts and clays of the Conway Association along the course of the river itself (Ragg et al. 1984, 323-327 & 139-141). To the southwest the lower Alders Brook and Heritage Statement for surrounding Woodseat House, Rocester, Staffordshire 5 C.Henshaw, Archaeological Consultant its tributary, the Nothill Brook, have cut a similar, if smaller, line through the geology, laying down gravels on which alluvial loams of the Wigton Moor Association have formed (Ragg et al. 1984, 329-333). Above its confluence with the Nothill Brook, the Alders Brook flows southwards across the western part of the site. 7.0 ARCHAEOLOGICAL & HISTORICAL BACKGROUND 7.1 The following sections contain an analysis of the Historic Environment Records (HER) that fall within 1.5km of a point at the approximate centre of the study site (NGR SK 094 385). This is integrated with a historic map regression of the site. Please refer to Figure 8 for the locations of HER assets. 7.2 Prehistory (500,000 BC – AD 43) 7.2.1 No evidence for prehistoric activity has yet been discovered within the bounds of the site, although there is some within the 1.5km search radius. Just over 500m southwest of the southwest site boundary a possible Bronze Age barrow is recorded, evidenced by the presence of its ring-ditch, although there is some debate over whether this might be a post-medieval enclosure (HER No. 01571-MST1563). Just under 500m east of the northeast corner of the site, in a field west of Rocester, a Bronze Age necked beaker was found during construction work in 1939 (HER No. 01804-MST1796); a prehistoric flint blade was also found in the vicinity of Rocester, its exact find-spot unknown (HER No. 02202-MST2193). Of more substance, linear features, ring-ditches and a pit alignment have been observed on aerial photographs a short distance south of Rocester, most of which are likely to be prehistoric in date, either Neolithic or Bronze Age, although the pit alignment might be Roman at the latest (HER No. 02533-MST2523). Overall, most if not all evidence for prehistoric activity lies on the narrow peninsula between the Rivers Churnet and Dove on which Rocester sits. This is partly due to the issue of survival: the loamy soils of the peninsula appear not to have been intensively ploughed, whilst many of the more clayey loams to the west of the Churnet are (or were) covered in medieval and post-medieval ridge and Heritage Statement for surrounding Woodseat House, Rocester, Staffordshire 6 C.Henshaw, Archaeological Consultant furrow (see below), which will have obliterated earlier earthworks.