Archaeological Evaluation at the Former Horkesley Green Nursery, London Road, Great Horkesley, Colchester, Essex, CO6 4BD
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Archaeological evaluation at the former Horkesley Green Nursery, London Road, Great Horkesley, Colchester, Essex, CO6 4BD August-November 2018 by Dr Elliott Hicks figures by Ben Holloway and Emma Holloway fieldwork by Ben Holloway with Sarah Carter, Robin Mathieson, Alec Wade and James Keeble commissioned by Brad Davies, Mersea Homes NGR: TL 9725 3220 (centre) Planning ref.: 160906 CHER project: ECC3940 CAT project ref.: 16/12g Colchester Museum accession code: COLEM: 2017.7 OASIS ref.: colchest3-273116 Colchester Archaeological Trust Roman Circus House, Roman Circus Walk, Colchester, Essex, CO2 7GZ tel.: 01206 501785 email: [email protected] CAT Report 1341 November 2018 Contents 1 Summary 1 2 Introduction 1 3 Archaeological background 1 4 Aims 2 5 Results 2 6 Finds 4 7 Environmental assessment 4 8 Conclusion 4 9 Acknowledgements 5 10 References 5 11 Abbreviations and glossary 6 12 Contents of archive 6 13 Archive deposition 6 Appendix 1 Context list 8 Figures after p9 EHER summary sheet CAT WSI OASIS summary List of photographs and figures Cover: working shot Photograph 1 F6 oblique view, looking E 3 Photograph 2 F4 sx, looking WNW 3 Photograph 3 F14 sx, looking ENE 4 Fig 1 Site location Fig 2 Evaluation results Fig 3 Trench results Fig 4 Trench results Fig 5 Trench results Fig 6 Feature and representative sections Fig 7 Evaluation results overlain on tithe map, 1831-51 CAT Report 1341: Archaeological evaluation at the former Horkesley Green Nursery, London Road, Great Horkesley, Colchester, Essex – November 2018 1 Summary An archaeological evaluation by trial-trenching (thirty-two trenches) was undertaken at the former Horkesley Green Nursery, London Road, Great Horkesley, Colchester, Essex following the removal of the existing glasshouses and ancillary buildings and prior to their replacement with a new residential scheme comprising 18 private dwellings and four affordable dwellings. Two pits/treethrows, five natural features, a ditch terminus, four pits and eleven ditches were uncovered. None of these features could be accurately dated as no finds were recovered during excavations. It is possible, however, that some of the ditches represented the remains of post-medieval field boundaries depicted on the tithe map of the area compiled during 1831-51. 2 Introduction (Fig 1) This is the report for an archaeological evaluation by trial-trenching at the former Horkesley Green Nursery, London Road, Great Horkesley, Colchester, which was carried out in two phases, from 21st to 23rd August, and from 29th October to 5th November 2018. The work was commissioned by Brad Davies of Mersea Homes to inform a planning application for the replacement of the existing glasshouses and ancillary buildings with a new residential scheme comprising 18 private dwellings and four affordable dwellings, and was undertaken by Colchester Archaeological Trust (CAT). As the site lies within an area highlighted by the CHER as having a high potential for archaeological deposits, an archaeological condition was recommended by the Colchester Borough Council Archaeological Advisor (CBCAA). This recommendation was for an archaeological evaluation by trial-trenching and was based on the guidance given in the National Planning Policy Framework (DCLG 2012). All archaeological work was carried out in accordance with a Brief for trenched archaeological evaluation, detailing the required archaeological work, written by Jess Tipper (CBCAA 2016), and a written scheme of investigation (WSI) prepared by CAT in response to the brief and agreed with ECCPS (CAT 2017). In addition to the brief and WSI, all fieldwork and reporting was done in accordance with English Heritage’s Management of Research Projects in the Historic Environment (MoRPHE) (English Heritage 2006), and with Standards for field archaeology in the East of England (EAA 14 and 24). This report mirrors standards and practices contained in the Institute for Archaeologists’ Standard and guidance for archaeological field evaluation (CIfA 2014a) and Standard and guidance for the collection, documentation, conservation and research of archaeological materials (CIfA 2014b). 3 Archaeological background The following archaeological background draws on the Colchester Archaeological Trust report archive, the Colchester Essex Historic Environment Record (CHER) and the Essex Historic Environment Record accessed via the Heritage Gateway: Two archaeological desk-based assessments for the development site have been carried out. The first is An archaeological desk-based assessment of the proposed Horkesley Park Heritage and Conservation Centre (Kate Orr, 2008), and the second is Horkesley Green, Nursery Site, Great Horkesley, Essex: Assessment of Archaeological Significance (Adrian Tindall, 2015). Both of these reports were then summarised by Howard Brooks (CAT Report 884) in Horkesley Green: Executive summary of local archaeological and heritage asset sites. The following is a summary of these reports: for full details see Orr (2006) and Tindall (2015). There are no known archaeological sites on the Greenhouse development site. Anecdotal evidence in Orr (p10) suggests that up to 1m of topsoil and subsoil had been 1 CAT Report 1341: Archaeological evaluation at the former Horkesley Green Nursery, London Road, Great Horkesley, Colchester, Essex – November 2018 removed from the site when the glasshouses had to be heightened. Evaluation will give an accurate determination of ground conditions. A number of archaeological sites are located close to the development site. The most important of these is the medieval All Saints Church and a possible deserted medieval (or earlier) village on the cricket pitch, although there is no direct evidence for its existence. Other sites are the fishponds, which may have medieval origins; osier beds or a pond at Rectory Grove; the site of a small building shown on a map of 1813, but now demolished; and the cropmarks of old field boundaries on both the southern and northern edges of the site. The postulated line of a Roman road is also located c 200m to the east. 4 Aim Archaeological evaluation was undertaken at this site to ascertain the extent of any surviving archaeological deposits that may exist on site. 5 Results (Figs 2-3) The evaluation was carried out in two phases as the client wanted the area to the northwest of the site cleared so that debris from the demolition and the clearance of the site could be moved there, in line with the monitor’s request that it not be placed on unexcavated ground. Prior to the commencement of each phase of archaeological work, the glasshouses and associated structures which stood at the two respective areas of the site were demolished down to slab level to facilitate excavations. The only below-ground structures extracted were the concrete footings for the glasshouse stanchions and two underground tanks, which were removed from the site for health and safety reasons. Thirty-two trial-trenches were machine excavated under the supervision of a CAT archaeologist. All trenches were 30m long and 1.8m wide except T1, T3 and T12, which were 20m long and 1.8m wide. Trenches T1-T9 were excavated during the first phase of the evaluation, and the remainder during the second. The majority of the trenches were dug through subsoil (L1, c 0.1-0.62m thick, soft, moist medium grey/brown sandy-silt with 7% stones) onto natural (L2, firm, moist medium yellow/orange/brown sand, encountered at a depth of 0.18-0.62m below current ground level [bcgl]). T1, T2 and T3 were excavated through a topsoil/accumulation layer (L3, c 0.1-0.2m thick, soft, dry light grey/brown sandy-silt with CBM flecks) and L2 onto L3. T30 was excavated through a modern hardcore layer (L4, 0.17-0.36m thick, soft, moist medium grey/brown sandy-silt with frequent CBM, glass etc.) and L1 onto L2. Sondages were excavated in T7, T10, T19, T27 and T31 to ensure that natural had been reached. There were no archaeological remains in T2, T6, T10, T11, T12, T15, T16, T17, T19, T20, T21, T22, T28, T29, T31 or T32. Trench 1 (T1): 20m long by 1.8m wide Undatable ditch F10 was aligned NE-SW and was 1.35m wide and 0.21m deep. This feature continued through to T5 (F8) and T3 (F6) to the east. Trench 3 (T3): 20m long by 1.8m wide Undatable ditch F6 was aligned NE-SW and was 2.2m wide and 0.24m deep. 2 CAT Report 1341: Archaeological evaluation at the former Horkesley Green Nursery, London Road, Great Horkesley, Colchester, Essex – November 2018 Photograph 1 F6 oblique view – looking east Trench 4 (T4): 30m long by 1.8m wide Undatable ditch F7 was aligned NW-SE and was 0.67m wide and 0.25m deep. Natural feature F9 was 0.7m wide and 0.14m deep. Trench 5 (T5): 30m long by 1.8m wide Undatable ditch F8 was aligned NE-SW was 1.03m wide and 0.24m deep. Trench 7 (T7): 30m long by 1.8m wide Undatable pit/treethrow F1 measured 0.49m wide and 0.09m deep. Trench 8 (T8): 30m long by 1.8m wide Undatable ditch F2 was aligned NW-SE was 0.87m wide and 0.19m deep. Undatable pit/treethrow F3 was 0.59m wide and 0.13m deep. Trench 9 (T9): 30m long by 1.8m wide Undatable ditch F4 was aligned WNW-ESE and was 1.9m wide and 0.21m deep. Photograph 2 F4 sx – looking west northwest Trench 13 (T13): 30m long by 1.8m wide Undatable ditch F17 was aligned NNE-SSW and was 1.48m wide and 0.22m deep. Trench 14 (T14): 30m long by 1.8m wide Undatable pit F16 was uncovered. The feature extended beyond the limit of excavation and so its full dimensions could not be ascertained but its exposed extent was 0.69m wide and 0.22m deep. 3 CAT Report 1341: Archaeological evaluation at the former Horkesley Green Nursery, London Road, Great Horkesley, Colchester, Essex – November 2018 Trench 18 (T18): 30m long by 1.8m wide Two undatable ditches, F18 and F19, were uncovered.