Land North of Forest Road, Waltham Chase, Hampshire Northern Site
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Land North of Forest Road, Waltham Chase, Hampshire Northern Site Archaeological Evaluation for Bargate Homes Ltd. CA Project: 770559b CA Report: 17393b July 2017 Land North of Forest Road, Waltham Chase, Hampshire Archaeological Evaluation CA Project: 770559b CA Report: 17393b Document Control Grid Revision Date Author Checked by Status Reasons for Approved revision by A 10-7-17 Joe Whelan Ray Internal General Edit Richard Kennedy Review Greatorex 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 © Cotswold Archaeology Land North of Forest Road, Waltham Chase, Hampshire, Northern Site: Archaeological Evaluation CONTENTS SUMMARY ..................................................................................................................... 2 1. INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................ 3 2. ARCHAEOLOGICAL BACKGROUND .............................................................. 4 3. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES .................................................................................. 6 4. METHODOLOGY ............................................................................................... 6 5. RESULTS (FIGS 2-6) ......................................................................................... 7 6. THE FINDS ........................................................................................................ 8 7. DISCUSSION ..................................................................................................... 8 8. CA PROJECT TEAM ......................................................................................... 8 9. REFERENCES ................................................................................................... 9 APPENDIX A: CONTEXT DESCRIPTIONS ................................................................... 10 APPENDIX B THE FINDS .............................................................................................. 11 APPENDIX C: OASIS REPORT FORM .......................................................................... 12 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Figure 1 Site location plan (1:25,000) Figure 2 Trench location plan (1:1,000) Figure 3 General Working Photograph 1 © Cotswold Archaeology Land North of Forest Road, Waltham Chase, Hampshire, Northern Site: Archaeological Evaluation SUMMARY Project Name: Land North of Forest Road, Location: Waltham Chase, Hampshire NGR: 456433 115471 Type: Evaluation Date: 3 – 5 July 2017 Planning Reference: 15/0116/OUT Location of Archive: Hampshire Cultural Trust Site Code: WALT 17 An archaeological evaluation was undertaken by Cotswold Archaeology in July 2017 on land North of Forest Road, Waltham Chase, Hampshire. Thirteen trenches were excavated. The trenches were distributed across the proposed development in order to assess the archaeological potential across as wide an area as possible. All of the trenches were archaeologically sterile other than a single piece of worked flint and a small sherd of prehistoric pottery which were recovered from the topsoil of Trenches 29 and 33. No archaeological finds, features or deposits were found within the remaining trenches, which is indicative of the low archaeological potential of the site as per the archaeological background. 2 © Cotswold Archaeology Land North of Forest Road, Waltham Chase, Hampshire, Northern Site: Archaeological Evaluation 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1 In July 2017 Cotswold Archaeology (CA) carried out an archaeological evaluation for Bargate Homes Ltd. on land north of Forest Road, Waltham Chase, Hampshire (centred at NGR: 456433 115471; Figure 1). 1.2 Planning permission (ref: 15/01106/OUT) was granted by Winchester City Council (hereafter referred to as local planning authority abbreviated to LPA) for the development of 81 residential dwellings and associated works located over two separate sites to the north and south of Forest Road, Waltham Chase, Hampshire (Figures 1 and 2), conditional on a programme of archaeological work: Condition 12 No development/demolition or site preparation shall take place until the applicant or their agents or successors in title has secured the implementation of a programme of archaeological mitigation work (to include an initial phase of evaluation trenching) in accordance with a Written Scheme of Investigation that has been submitted to and approved by the local planning authority in writing. No demolition/development or site preparation shall take place other than in accordance with the Written Scheme of Investigation approved by the LPA. The Written Scheme of Investigation shall include: 1. The programme and methodology of site investigation and recording 2. Provision for post investigation assessment, reporting and dissemination 3. Provision to be made for deposition of the analysis and records of the site investigation (archive) 4. Nomination of a competent person or persons/organisation to undertake the works set out within the Written Scheme of Investigation. Condition 13 Following completion of archaeological fieldwork a report will be produced in accordance with an approved programme including where appropriate post- excavation assessment, specialist analysis and reports and publication. 3 © Cotswold Archaeology Land North of Forest Road, Waltham Chase, Hampshire, Northern Site: Archaeological Evaluation 1.3 The fieldwork was undertaken in two separate phases on land both to the north and to the south of Forest Road. This report details the results of the northern evaluation. 1.4 The evaluation was carried out in accordance with a detailed Written Scheme of Investigation (WSI) produced by CA (2017) and approved by Tracey Matthews, Archaeologist at the Historic Environment Team, Winchester City Council. The fieldwork followed Standard and guidance: Archaeological field evaluation (CIfA 2014). The site 1.5 The proposed development is situated immediately to the east of the village of Waltham Chase, and approximately 1.7km to the south of Bishop’s Waltham. The development comprises land to the north of Forest Road, Waltham Chase, Hampshire. 1.6 The northern site is approximately 1.5ha in area and currently comprises a single pasture field, subdivided into three paddocks by wooden fences. The site boundaries are a mixture of wooden fence and hedgerows. A modern residential development bounds the site to the west, whilst agricultural fields lay to the north and east. Forest Road lies along the southern boundary. A timber built stable block and a small area of hard standing are situated to the south-western aspect of the site. 1.8 The British Geological Survey indicates several bedrock deposits underlie the site. To the north and south London clay formation is present, while Bognor sand member is located in the central area. Each of these deposits formed during the Palaeogene period, approximately 34-56 million years ago. No superficial deposits are recorded in the site areas (BGS 2017). The natural bedrock revealed during the 2. ARCHAEOLOGICAL BACKGROUND 2.1 The archaeological background given below is a succinct summary of the archaeological background taken from a Heritage Statement prepared for the site by Cotswold Archaeology (CA 2015). 4 © Cotswold Archaeology Land North of Forest Road, Waltham Chase, Hampshire, Northern Site: Archaeological Evaluation Prehistoric (pre-AD 43) 2.2 Within the wider environs of the site, find spots of worked flint have been recovered from The Dean (c.1.3km to the north), and Sandy Lane (c.1.2km to the south). More comprehensive evidence of Mesolithic occupation, including pits and a flint working surface, has been identified at Palace Stables in Bishop Waltham (c. 2.1km to the north-west). 2.3 Remains dating to the Neolithic and Bronze Age periods are limited to isolated find spots, including a Neolithic flint axe found at Shedfield (c.700m to the south), and an Early Bronze Age axe and pottery sherds recovered to the south-west c.830m from sites. A single flake of unspecified date was recovered from the Northbrook Nitrates pipeline route. In the wider landscape, Bronze Age funerary activity is represented by two scheduled bowl barrows at Hoe Farm (NHLE ref. 1013078- c. 1.7km to the north of the site), while a further barrow is located at Little Shore lane, (c. 1.8km to the north-west). Romano-British (AD 43 - AD 410) 2.4 During the Roman period the area fell into the wider rural hinterland of Venta Belgarum (Winchester), and was dissected by a network of Roman roads. The course of a Roman road which connects Wickham to Venta Belgarum (c. 1.5km to west) is likely a key influence in the development of local rural settlement patterns. A possible villa is located at Locks Farm (c. 1.6km to the north/west), and a coin hoard was recovered at Forest Farm (c. 820m to the north-west of the site). A further collection of coins, possibly deriving from the aforementioned hoard, has been found at Mill house directly north of the site. Early medieval (AD 410 – AD 1066) and medieval (AD 1066 – 1539). 2.5 No early medieval activity is recorded in close proximity to the site, with the nearest documented settlement in this period located at Bishop’s Waltham (c. 1.7km to the north of the sites), which originated as a monastic establishment, and continued