Land at Poulshot Lodge Farm Poulshot Wiltshire

Heritage Desk-Based Assessment

for Pegasus Planning Group On behalf of Hive Energy Ltd

CA Project: 4375 CA Report: 13386

June 2013

Land at Poulshot Lodge Farm Poulshot Wiltshire

Heritage Desk-Based Assessment

CA Project: 4375 CA Report: 13386

prepared by Donal Lucey, Assistant Heritage Consultant

date June 2013

checked by Richard Morton, Senior Heritage Consultant

date June 2013

approved by Richard Morton, Senior Heritage Consultant

signed

date June 2013

issue 01

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

Cirencester Milton Keynes Andover Building 11 Unit 4 Office 49 Kemble Enterprise Park Cromwell Business Centre Basepoint Business Centre Kemble, Cirencester Howard Way, Newport Pagnell Caxton Close, Andover Gloucestershire, GL7 6BQ MK16 9QS Hampshire, SP10 3FG t. 01285 771022 t. 01908 218320 t. 01264 326549 f. 01285 771033 e. [email protected] © Cotswold Archaeology Land at Poulshot Lodge Farm, Poulshot, Wiltshire: Heritage Desk-Based Assessment

CONTENTS

1. INTRODUCTION ...... 7

Outline ...... 7 Location and landscape context ...... 7 Scope ...... 7

2. METHODOLOGY ...... 8

Assessment of heritage asset significance ...... 12

3. PLANNING POLICY CONTEXT ...... 13

Planning policy and guidance context ...... 13 National Planning Policy Framework ...... 13 Local planning policy ...... 15

4. BASELINE SURVEY ...... 16

Introduction ...... 16 Designated heritage assets ...... 16 Summary of non-designated or potential heritage assets ...... 17 Previous investigations ...... 17 Geology, topography and the palaeoenvironment ...... 17 Geology and palaeoenvironment ...... 17 Palaeolithic and Mesolithic (500,000 – 4000 BC) ...... 18 Neolithic, Bronze Age and Iron Age (4000 BC – AD 43) ...... 18 Roman (AD 43 – AD 410)...... 19 Early Medieval (AD 410 – 1066) and Medieval (1066 – 1529) ...... 20 Post-medieval (1540 – 1800) ...... 21 Modern (1801 – 2000) ...... 21 Undated ...... 23

5. SUMMARY OF HERITAGE SIGNIFICANCE AND POTENTIAL DEVELOPMENT EFFECTS ...... 23

Recorded heritage assets...... 23 Potential heritage assets ...... 24 Summary of development proposals ...... 24 Assessment of potential impacts on heritage assets ...... 25

6. CONCLUSIONS ...... 37

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7. REFERENCES ...... 38

APPENDIX A: GAZETEER OF RECORDED HERITAGE ASSETS AND OTHER ELEMENTS OF THE HISTORIC ENVIRONMENT ...... 41

APPENDIX B: EXTRACT FROM THE HEDGEROWS REGULATIONS 1997 ...... 42

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Fig. 1 Site location plan and location of assessed heritage assets Fig. 2 Recorded heritage assets Fig. 3 Extract from Andrews’ and Drury’s 1773 map of Wiltshire Fig. 4 Extract from 1837 map of Poulshot Parish Fig. 5 Extract from the 1886 1st Edition Ordnance Survey map Fig. 6 Extract from the 1900 2nd Edition Ordnance Survey map Fig. 7 Plan of geophysical survey and trial trench evaluation at Lower Foxhanger’s Farm Fig. 8 1946 Aerial photograph showing ditched trackway in site

Photo Fig. 1 View to site from High Street in Seend Conservation Area Photo Fig. 2 View to site from churchyard in Seend Conservation Area Photo Fig. 3 View to site from eastern boundary of Seend Conservation Area Photo Fig. 4 View to site from Grade II Listed Loiterton Farmhouse Photo Fig. 5 View to site from Grade II Listed Lower Foxhanger’s Farmhouse Photo Fig. 6 View from northern field of site to Caen Hill Locks Scheduled Monument Photo Fig. 7 View from northern field of site to Grade II Listed Poulshot Lodge Photo Fig. 8 View from northern field of site to Grade II Listed Barley Hill Farmhouse Photo Fig. 9 View to site from Barley Hill Lane in Poulshot Conservation Area Photo Fig. 10 View to site from northern boundary of Poulshot Conservation Area Photo Fig. 11 View to site from village green in Poulshot Conservation Area Photo Fig. 12 View to site from 75m south-east of Devizes Castle Scheduled Monument

4 © Cotswold Archaeology Land at Poulshot Lodge Farm, Poulshot, Wiltshire: Heritage Desk-Based Assessment

SUMMARY

Project Name: Land at Poulshot Lodge Farm Location: Poulshot, Wiltshire NGR: ST 96391 60945

In June 2013 Cotswold Archaeology was commissioned by Pegasus Planning Group on behalf of Hive Energy Ltd. to carry out a Heritage Desk-Based Assessment of land at Poulshot Lodge Farm, Poulshot, Wiltshire. The desk-based assessment supports a planning application for a solar park within the site.

Below-ground remains of a post-medieval or modern farmhouse and agricultural building may be present in the western part of the proposed development site. If any below-ground remains (i.e. foundations) are present they would be of very limited heritage value. Below- ground remains of former field boundaries and post-medieval trackways also may be present within the proposed development site; any such remains are not considered to be heritage assets. Below-ground remains of the furrows of destroyed medieval or post-medieval ridge and furrow earthworks are likely to be present throughout most of the proposed development site. Any below-ground remains of these furrows are not considered to be heritage assets.

The baseline survey indicates generally limited evidence for prehistoric and Roman settlement in the wider site vicinity. Medieval settlement was located at nearby villages, and there is little potential for any settlement of that period within the site. Based on the evidence of this assessment it is unlikely that any currently unrecorded buried archaeological remains within the proposed development site would be of sufficient significance to warrant preservation in situ or to preclude development proposals.

An assessment of potential non-physical effects of development upon the setting of designated heritage assets within up to 4km of the site has been carried out. The only designated heritage asset in close proximity to the proposed development site is Barley Hill Farmhouse, a Grade II Listed building. The settings assessment has found that development would alter a part of the setting of the house, which would result in a small degree of harm to its overall value. Consideration of the elements that contribute to the values of other designated heritage assets, including their settings, and the form of the proposed development has found no further potential adverse development effects. As such, development of the site for the use of solar panels (which have a very limited physical impact) would not be contrary to national or local planning guidance regarding

5 © Cotswold Archaeology Land at Poulshot Lodge Farm, Poulshot, Wiltshire: Heritage Desk-Based Assessment archaeological remains, and would not lead to ‘substantial harm’ (as defined by NPPF section 12 Paragraphs 132-134) to any heritage assets.

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1. INTRODUCTION

Outline 1.1 In June 2013 Cotswold Archaeology was commissioned by Pegasus Planning Group on behalf of Hive Energy Ltd. to carry out a Heritage Desk-Based Assessment of land at Poulshot Lodge Farm, Poulshot, Wiltshire, (centred on NGR: ST 96391 60945; Fig. 1). The desk-based assessment supports a planning application for a proposed solar park within the site.

Location and landscape context 1.2 The proposed development area (henceforth termed ‘the site’) is situated a short distance north of the settlement of Poulshot, between the town of Devizes to the east and the village of Seend to the west, and is 32.2ha in size. It comprises four agricultural fields, currently in use as arable land, and a small plantation. Boundaries generally comprise hedgerows and hedgebanks, occasionally ditched, with mature trees, and include a double-ditched field boundary on an east-west alignment in the centre of the site. A stream forms part of the western site boundary, the A361 bounds the site to the north and public paths are situated to the east and south.

Scope 1.3 The assessment focuses upon the cultural heritage resource of the site itself, although the heritage resource of a minimum 500m ‘buffer’ around the site has also been assessed in detail, referred to as the ‘500m study area’ (Fig. 2). A further study area of up to 4km distance from the site has also been utilised in order to identify potential non-physical effects upon the settings of designated heritage assets.

1.4 The main objectives of the desk-based assessment are: • to identify designated heritage assets within the site and study area; • to gather information on non-designated recorded heritage assets; • to assess the above baseline information and offer an analysis of the potential for currently unrecorded heritage assets within the site; • to assess the significance of the heritage assets, including elements of setting that positively contribute to significance; and • assess the potential impact of the proposed development on the settings of designated heritage assets within the wider environs of the site. Heritage assets

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which may have been potentially affected were identified (in line with step 1 of the English Heritage settings guidance), comprising: Seend and Poulshot Conservation Areas; Cane Hill Locks and Devizes Castle Scheduled Monuments; and the Grade II Listed Loiterton Farmhouse, Lower Foxhanger Farmhouse, Poulshot Lodge and Barley Hill Farmhouse.

2. METHODOLOGY

2.1 The methodology for this heritage assessment is based on the guidance provided in the Institute for Archaeologists ‘Standards and Guidance for Historic Environment Desk-Based Assessment’ (IfA 2012).

2.2 This desk-based assessment has considered a study area to inform the assessment of below-ground remains of a minimum 500m ‘buffer’ around the site (Fig. 2). The assessment of potential effects on the settings of heritage assets has considered selected assets within a study area of up to 4km from the site (Fig. 1). The size of the study area ensured that data sources provide sufficient information about the site and its surrounding landscape from which to assess known and potential effects on the heritage resource.

2.3 Known heritage assets within the study area discussed in the text are reported in Section 4. A gazetteer of known and potential heritage assets in the study area has been compiled (Appendix A). All assets are referred to in the text by a unique reference number 01, etc... The locations of these assets can be seen on Figure 2.

2.4 The baseline survey involved consultation of readily available archaeological and historical information from documentary and cartographic sources. The major repositories of information consulted comprised:

English Heritage National Heritage List • World Heritage Sites; • Scheduled Monuments; • Listed buildings; • Registered Parks and Gardens; and • Registered Battlefields.

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Wiltshire Historic Environment Record (WHER) • Database of known archaeological sites, findspots, historic buildings and previous archaeological works; and • Published and unpublished documentary sources (including development control site reports).

Wiltshire Records Office • Published documentary sources; and • Historic maps and photographs.

English Heritage Archive Database (EHA) • AMIE (Archives and Monuments Information, England) data including known archaeological sites, findspots and previous archaeological works; and • Aerial photography collections.

Online sources • Including the British Geological Survey (BGS) Geology of Britain Viewer and Local Plan information.

2.5 An inspection of the site was undertaken on 5 June 2013 to identify any visible potential heritage assets not recorded by the baseline sources and to more fully understand the potential constraints, if any, to the proposed development. Heritage assets within the wider study area were also assessed at this time.

The Setting of Heritage Assets – the stepped approach 2.6 This assessment has been guided in its composition by policy contained within the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) (DCLG 2012). The methodology is based on the guidance provided in the English Heritage document The Setting of Heritage Assets (2011). This document pre-dates NPPF and in June 2012 English Heritage issued a Revision Note stating that they were in the process of revising their guidance, but that it “still provides useful advice and case studies”. The Setting of Heritage Assets provides guidance on setting and development management, including assessing the implications of development proposals. A staged approach is recommended for the latter, the first step of which is to identify the heritage assets affected and their settings. The second step is to assess whether, how and to what

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degree these settings make a positive contribution to the significance of the heritage asset(s), i.e. ‘what matters and why’. This includes a description of the key attributes of the heritage asset itself, then considers: • the physical surroundings of the asset, including its relationship with other heritage assets; • the way the asset is appreciated; and • the asset’s associations and patterns of use.

2.7 The third step (where appropriate) is to assess the effect of the proposed development on the significance of assets through the consideration of the key attributes of the proposed development in terms of its: • location and siting; • form and appearance; • additional effects; and • permanence.

2.8 The fourth step is to maximise enhancement and minimise harm, which may be achieved through: • removing or re-modelling an intrusive building or features; • replacement of a detrimental feature by a new and more harmonious one; • restoring or revealing lost historic features; • introducing a wholly new feature that adds to the public appreciation of the asset; • introducing new views (including glimpses or better framed views) that add to the public experience of the asset; or • improving public access to, or interpretation of, the asset including its setting.

2.9 Step five is making and documenting the decision and monitoring outcomes.

2.10 Information on designated heritage assets was obtained from English Heritage’s National Heritage List, the Wiltshire HER and English Heritage Archives.

Step 1 methodology 2.11 Step 1 utilises readily available information to establish whether heritage assets and their settings may be affected by development. Designated heritage assets comprising Scheduled Monuments, Registered Parks and Gardens, and Registered Battlefields within a 4km buffer of the site were examined, as were Listed buildings

10 © Cotswold Archaeology Land at Poulshot Lodge Farm, Poulshot, Wiltshire: Heritage Desk-Based Assessment

and Conservation Areas in the vicinity of the site. A bareground Zone of Theoretical Visibility (ZTV) was utilised in this exercise, which provided the ‘worst case’ scenario in terms of the visibility of the proposed development and the potential designated heritage assets from which it might be visible. Whilst identifying potential assets for assessment it is important to recognise the type and form of the development proposal. The present proposal will comprise solar panels of around 2.65m height, and thus comprises a relatively low-level development, representing a lesser visual alteration than design proposals such as housing or wind turbines. A number of designated heritage assets were identified during this step comprising: • Seend Conservation Area, c. 850m west of the site (Fig. 1, 16); • Poulshot Conservation Area, c. 545m south of the site (Figs. 1 and 2, 17); • Caen Hill Locks, Scheduled Monument, c. 915m north-east of the site (Figs. 1 and 2, 13); • Devizes Castle, Scheduled Monument, c. 3.3km east of the site (Fig. 1, 14); • Loiterton Farmhouse, Grade II Listed, c. 650m west of the site (Figs. 1 and 2, 15); • Lower Foxhanger Farmhouse, Grade II Listed, c. 285m north of the site (Fig. 1, 3); • Poulshot Lodge, Grade II Listed, c. 415m east of the proposed development site (Figs. 1 and 2, 4); and • Barley Hill Farmhouse, Grade II Listed, c. 125m south of the proposed development site (Figs. 1 and 2, 5).

Step 2 and 3 methodology 2.12 The field inspection was undertaken on 5 - 6 June 2013. The site itself was inspected, and the designated assets within the surrounding 4km study area identified within step 1. Each of the heritage assets identified for step 2 and 3 assessment was visited in the field as closely as possible from publically accessible land. Cotswold Archaeology pro forma settings assessment sheets were completed for each heritage asset, and a series of digital photographs taken. A selection of these are reproduced in the present report (Photo Figs. 1 - 12), the locations of which are depicted on Fig. 1. Fig. 1 depicts the proposed development site and the locations of each of the assessed heritage assets and directions of the relevant photographs.

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Assessment of heritage asset significance 2.13 As described below, the significance of a heritage asset is defined in NPPF as the value of a heritage asset to this and future generations because of its heritage interest. The assessment of significance within this report has been undertaken in accordance with the policies and guidance contained in Conservation Principles (EH 2008). The significance of a heritage asset (termed ‘place’ within Conservation Principles) is defined with reference to four areas of value:

• Evidential value, derived from “the potential of a place to yield evidence about past human activity” (English Heritage 2008, 28) and primarily associated with physical remains or historic fabric;

• Historical value, derived from “the ways in which past people, events and aspects of life can be connected through a place to the present” (ibid 28). This can derive from particular aspects of past ways of life. Illustrative historical value provides a direct (often visual) link between past and present people, while associative historical value provides an association with notable families, persons, events or movements.

• Aesthetic value, derived from sensory and intellectual stimulation and including design value, i.e. “aesthetic qualities generated by the conscious design of a building, structure or landscape as a whole” (ibid 30). It may include its physical form, and how it lies within its setting. It may be the result of design, or an unplanned outcome of a process of events; and

• Communal value, derived from “the meanings of a place for the people who relate to it”. Communal value derives from the meanings that an historic asset has for the people who relate to it, or for whom it’s in their collective experience or memory. It may be commemorative or symbolic, such as meaning for identity or collective memory (ibid 31).

2.14 The significance of a heritage asset is typically derived from a combination of some or all of these values, and the setting of a heritage asset can contribute to, or detract from, any of these four values (EH 2011, 32). Within the settings assessment below (Section 7), the contribution setting makes to the significance of the asset is specifically discussed in terms of how it contributes to, or assists in the ability to appreciate, these four forms of value.

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3. PLANNING POLICY CONTEXT

Planning policy and guidance context 3.1 The assessment has been written within the following legislative, planning policy and guidance context: • National Heritage Act 1983 (amended 2002) • Town and Country Planning Act (1990) • Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act (1990) • The Setting of Heritage Assets: English Heritage Guidance (2011) • English Heritage Conservation Principles: policies and guidance for the sustainable management of the historic environment (2008) • National Planning Policy Framework (2012) • PPS5 Planning for the Historic Environment: Historic Environment Planning Practice Guide (2010; despite replacement of PPSs with NPPF the Guide is recognised as still valid and government-endorsed)

National Planning Policy Framework 3.2 The National Planning Policy Framework sets out planning policies relating to ‘conserving and enhancing the historic environment’. It defines the historic environment as ‘all aspects of the environment resulting from the interaction between people and places through time, including all surviving physical remains of past human activity, whether visible, buried or submerged, and landscaped and planted or managed flora.’ It further classifies a ‘heritage asset’ as ‘a building, monument, site, place, area or landscape identified as having a degree of significance meriting consideration in planning decisions, because of its heritage interest.’

3.3 Heritage assets include designated heritage assets and assets identified by the local planning authority (including local listing). Policies relate to both the treatment of the assets themselves and their settings, both of which are a material consideration in development management decision making.

3.4 The NPPF states that “The purpose of the planning system is to contribute to the achievement of sustainable development” and that there are “three dimensions to sustainable development: economic, social and environmental”. The role the environment will play is described as “contributing to protecting and enhancing our natural, built and historic environment; and as part of this, helping to improve

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biodiversity, use of natural resources prudently, minimise waste and pollution, and mitigate and adapt to climate change including moving to a low carbon economy”.

3.5 Within the over-arching roles that the planning system will play, a set of 12 “core land-use planning principles” have been developed to underpin place-shaping and decision making. The 10th principle is: • “conserve heritage assets in a manner appropriate to their significance, so that they can be enjoyed for their contribution to the quality of life of this and future generations”

3.6 When determining planning applications local planning authorities should take account of: • “the desirability of sustaining and enhancing the significance of heritage assets and putting them to viable uses consistent with their conservation; • the positive contribution that conservation of heritage assets can make to sustainable communities including their economic vitality; and • the desirability of new development making a positive contribution to local character and distinctiveness.”

3.7 Further to this, local planning authorities can request that the applicant should describe “the significance of any heritage assets affected, including any contribution made by their setting”. The level of detail required in the assessment should be “proportionate to the assets’ importance and no more than is sufficient to understand the potential impact of the proposal on their significance”. “Where a site on which development is proposed includes or has the potential to include heritage assets with archaeological interest, local planning authorities should require developers to submit an appropriate desk-based assessment and, where necessary, a field evaluation.”

3.8 Local planning authorities should take this assessment into account when considering the impact of a proposed development, “to avoid or minimise conflict between the heritage asset’s conservation and any aspect of the proposal”.

3.9 A key policy within the NPPF is that “when considering the impact of a proposed development on the significance of a designated heritage asset, great weight should

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be given to the asset’s conservation. The more important the asset, the greater the weight should be.”

3.10 “Significance can be harmed or lost through alteration or destruction of the heritage asset or development within its setting. As heritage assets are irreplaceable, any harm or loss should require clear and convincing justification. Substantial harm to or loss of a grade II listed building, park or garden should be exceptional. Substantial harm to or loss of designated heritage assets of the highest significance, notably scheduled monuments, protected wreck sites, battlefields, grade I and II* listed buildings, grade I and II* registered parks and gardens, and World Heritage Sites, should be wholly exceptional.”

3.11 However, where a proposed development will lead to “less than substantial harm to the significance of a designated heritage asset”, this harm should be weighed against the public benefits of the proposal.

3.12 With regard to non-designated heritage assets specific policy is provided in that a balanced judgement will be required having due regard to the scale of any harm or loss and the significance of the heritage asset affected.

Local planning policy 3.13 Local planning policy is contained within the Wiltshire and Swindon Structure Plan Saved Policies (saved 2009). Policy HE2, under Other Sites of Historic Interest states: “Features of archaeological or historic interest and their settings should be protected from inappropriate development. Where nationally important archaeological or historic remains, whether scheduled sites or not, are affected by proposed development there should be a presumption in favour of their physical preservation "in situ”.”

3.14 Policy HE5, under Use of Historic Monuments and Sites states: “World Heritage Sites, Scheduled Ancient Monuments, Registered Battlefields, Registered Parks and Gardens and other historic sites should be enhanced, as far as practicable, through appropriate management, interpretation and public access arrangements, having regard to the impact of any new development on the character of the area.”

3.15 Policy HE7, under Conservation Areas and Listed Buildings states: “The architectural and historic heritage of the plan area will be safeguarded from inappropriate development. Development proposals should preserve or enhance the

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character of conservation areas. Development involving listed buildings should have special regard to the desirability of preserving the building, its setting and any features of special architectural or historic interest which it possesses.”

3.16 Further local planning policy is contained within the West Wiltshire District Plan 1st Alteration Saved Policies (saved 2009). Policy C17, Conservation Areas, states: “The special character or appearance of the designated conservation areas and their settings in West Wiltshire, including those shown on the Proposals Map and listed in Appendix A will be preserved and enhanced. The designation of further conservation areas under Section 69 of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 will be considered from time to time where such areas are of special architectural or historic interest in the local context. Proposals will be formulated and published for the preservation and enhancement of the designated conservation areas.”

4. BASELINE SURVEY

Introduction 4.1 This section provides an overview of the historical and archaeological background of the study area, in order to provide a better understanding of the context and significance of the cultural heritage resource that may be affected by development. This assessment then determines the significance of any affected heritage assets (Chapter 5 of this report) and assesses the potential for encountering buried archaeological remains within the proposed development site and predicts their likely nature, extent and condition.

Designated heritage assets 4.3 No World Heritage Sites or sites included on the Tentative List of Future Nominations for World Heritage Sites (January 2012) are situated within the site or its vicinity. Stonehenge, Avebury and Associated Sites World Heritage Site is located c. 12.8km to the north-east of the site.

4.4 There are no Grade I, II* or Grade II Registered Parks/Gardens; Registered Battlefields; or Scheduled Monuments recorded within the site or the 500m study area. No Grade I, II* or II Listed buildings are located within the site. There are four Grade II Listed buildings within the 500m study area: Barley Hill Farmhouse, located

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c. 125m south of the site (Figs. 1 and 2, 5); a milestone, located c. 390m west of the site (Fig. 2, 6); Lower Foxhanger Farmhouse, located c. 285m north of the site (Figs. 1 and 2, 3); and Poulshot Lodge, located c. 415m east of the site (Figs. 1 and 2, 4). Designated heritage assets within the wider site environs identified within step 1 of the settings assessment are summarised in section 2.11 above and illustrated on Figs 1 and 2.

Regional and local designations 4.5 Seend Conservation Area is located, at its closest point, c. 800m west of the site (Figs. 1 and 2, 16) and Poulshot Conservation Area is located c. 550m to the south- east (Figs. 1 and 2, 17).

Summary of non-designated or potential heritage assets 4.6 Potential below-ground remains of a 19th-century farmhouse and farm buildings may be present in the western part of the site (Figs 4 – 6, A). Medieval and post- medieval ridge and furrow earthworks, now-removed, were once present across the site (Fig. 8). There are a number of non-designated heritage assets within the study area. These are discussed in the relevant period sections below.

Previous investigations 4.7 No previous archaeological works have taken place within the site. Three archaeological investigations have taken place within the study area, comprising: • A 2008 desk-based assessment, and 2010 geophysical survey and archaeological evaluation on land at Lower Foxhanger’s Farm (Fig. 2, 1), which recorded a plank-revetted 18th-19th century ditch possibly associated with the original Foxhanger’s Wharf; possible 19th-century clay extraction pits; and post- medieval and undated ditches thought to relate to field boundaries or drainage.

Geology, topography and the palaeoenvironment Geology and palaeoenvironment 4.8 The underlying bedrock geology across the majority of the site is recorded as Kimmeridge Clay Formation Mudstone, which formed in the Jurassic period. An area in the eastern part of the site is underlain by Lower Greensand Group Sandstone, which formed in the Cretaceous period. A narrow band of a superficial deposit of Head Clay, Silt and Gravel, which formed in the Quaternary period, is present in the south-western and central parts of the site.

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Topography 4.9 The proposed development site is partly located across part of a hilltop near the northern site boundary and the top of a plateau in the eastern parts of the site. The central and southern fields are located on the steep north-west facing slope of the plateau, while the western fields are located on flat land at the base of the slope. A hill is located immediately north-west of the site, and the east-west Seend ridge begins to rise above the landscape c. 400m to the west. Summerham Brook passes the site on a north-south course c. 230m to the west. To the north the landscape slopes steeply down to the Kennet and Avon canal before rising again north of the canal. The landscape to the east is relatively flat up to Caen Hill and Furze Hill c. 1.4km to the east. The land to the south rises to Barley Hill (which juts from the plateau) immediately south of the site.

Palaeolithic and Mesolithic (500,000 – 4000 BC) 4.10 There are no recorded finds of Palaeolithic or Mesolithic date within the proposed development site or the study area. The Palaeolithic archaeological record of the region is primarily dominated by lithic find spots, mainly from fluvial deposits such as river gravels. There is also a dense concentration of find spots along the Avon in Wiltshire (Webster 2007, 30). However, “the paucity of Palaeolithic evidence in the Upper Avon and its tributaries is remarkable in contrast with the prolific concentration of sites at Salisbury” (Wymer 1999, 112). The Mesolithic in Wiltshire comprises a rich mixture of minor artefact and assemblage find spots. Mesolithic material tends to be found near waterways, although there are clusters in the south, north-east and north-west of the county (Webster 2007, 56).

Neolithic, Bronze Age and Iron Age (4000 BC – AD 43) 4.11 There are no features of known Neolithic, Bronze Age or Iron Age date within the proposed development site or the study area. The history of the Neolithic and Bronze Age in Wiltshire is dominated by important 3rd and 4th century BC monumental complexes such as Avebury and Stonehenge and their surrounding ritual landscapes. The areas surrounding these monuments contain large numbers of barrows, whose placement seems to have been regulated in relation to earlier monument complexes and local topography, although with an underlying structural principal of circularity (Webster 2007, 79). There are many diverse forms of monuments known across the south-west, from long mounds, earthwork and tor enclosures, cursus and mortuary enclosures in the Early Neolithic, to henges and henge enclosures, palisades, enclosed and free-standing stone and timber circles,

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stone rows, round barrows, cairns etc. (Webster 2007, 95). A number of barrows are situated on Roundway Down c. 4.6km north-east of the site, and extend across the down further to the north-east.

4.12 In terms of settlement, the evidence from the Early Bronze Age is often insubstantial and usually comprises pits, stakeholes and postholes, and artefact scatters. On the other hand, the differences between ceremonial and occupation activity in this period are not always discernible (Webster 2007, 80). Above-ground evidence for settlement in the river valleys and coastal areas of the south-west has been destroyed or damaged by cultivation in historical times far more than sites on the chalk downlands (Webster 2007, 81). In the Middle Bronze Age more substantial settlements featuring roundhouses began to appear, and small field enclosures were created (Webster 2007, 117). Settlements in Wiltshire usually comprise circular buildings with raised granaries, ponds and fence lines. Both enclosed and open settlements are known of, sometimes with barrows nearby (ibid, 117). Field systems on Salisbury Plain and Marlborough Downs are thought to date to the Middle Bronze Age (ibid, 120).

4.13 Settlement in the Iron Age generally comprises large and comparatively well-known hillfort sites such as Bathampton Camp, and less well-known non-hillfort sites. Settlement patterns changed in the Middle Iron Age, with more complex hillfort defences being erected and smaller enclosed settlements appearing (Webster 2007, 128), although open settlements are also known. Oliver’s Camp, an Iron Age hillfort, is situated on Roundway down c. 4.6km north-east of the site.

Roman (AD 43 – AD 410) 4.14 There is no currently recorded evidence of Roman activity within the proposed development site or the study area.

4.15 The Roman invasion of Britain was followed by a rapid implementation of centralised administration based on towns and cities supported by a network of forts. Well engineered Roman roads enhanced trade and communication. The route of an east- west Roman road is located c. 5.7km north of the site. The site is situated approximately 6km south-east of Sandy Lane, site of the small Roman settlement of Verlucio half-way between Bath (Aquae Sullis) and Mildenhall (Cunetio) on the Speen to Bath Roman road (OS 2001; Margary 1973, 134) In terms of rural settlement, high-status villa sites are common in the south-west of England. Non-

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villa rural sites can be nucleated in form or isolated single settlements (Webster 2007, 152). Generally speaking such sites take the form of enclosed and unenclosed settlements, usually with a poorer material record than villas.

Early Medieval (AD 410 – 1066) and Medieval (1066 – 1529) 4.16 No early medieval activity has been recorded within the proposed development site or the study area. Several blocks of medieval or post-medieval ridge and furrow earthworks (now removed) have been identified within the site from aerial photographs. No further medieval remains have been recorded within the site. A medieval moated site and adjacent ridge and furrow field systems are situated at Summerham c. 320m west of the site (Fig. 2, 6). Documentary evidence suggests that “the moat enclosed a keeper’s lodge at the entrance to the forest of Melksham” (WHER). Further ridge and furrow field systems are located immediately north of the site across the A361 (Fig. 2, 18). Documentary sources record medieval settlement at Foxhanger Farm c. 255m north of the site (Fig. 2, 7).

4.17 There is a growing body of evidence in the south-west which suggests continuing occupation of some rural Roman sites into the Early medieval period (Webster 2007, 171), although new settlements were also established. Rural settlement in Wiltshire is characterised in the medieval period by large, nucleated villages surrounded by open fields (Webster 2007, 195). Villages tended to be associated with nearby manors and churches. The area around the site formed part of the Hundred of Melksham in Early medieval times. The settlement of Poulshot (to the south of the site) probably dates from the Early medieval period, as it was recorded in the Domesday Book as ‘Paueshou.’ The 12th-century parish church is located to the south of the present village, with earthworks nearby suggesting the presence of linear earthworks forming small enclosures, thought to be medieval property boundaries, a moated site and a fishpond (KDC 2004, 7). As indicated by these earthworks, it seems that the settlement of Poulshot may have shifted to the north, away from the church, at some point in the medieval period. There were two manors at Poulshot, so it is possible that one was located at the church while the other was located to the north in the area of the Green, where medieval development seems to have taken place in the 12th or 13th century (KDC 2004, 2). Within the Green today there are possible settlement earthworks (RCHME 1996). Seend (to the west of the site) is not recorded in the Domesday Book, but settlement is recorded there in a documentary source of 1190 AD (KDC 2005, 4). A medieval road ran along the east-

20 © Cotswold Archaeology Land at Poulshot Lodge Farm, Poulshot, Wiltshire: Heritage Desk-Based Assessment

west ridge and Seend, and it seems to have been this road that gave rise to the medieval settlement (KDC 2005, 4).

Post-medieval (1540 – 1800) 4.18 Several blocks of medieval or post-medieval ridge and furrow earthworks (now removed) formerly lay within the site, identified from historic aerial photographs. These no longer survive, and any below-ground remains of furrows would not be of sufficient heritage value to comprise heritage assets. A number of post-medieval heritage assets are present within the wider study area. The West Kennet and Avon Canal, built in stages between 1794 and 1813, passes c. 280m north of the site. The Grade II Listed Lower Foxhanger Farmhouse, built on the site of a probable medieval farmstead, is situated north of the site (Fig. 1, 3), and a Grade II Listed milestone is located by the A361 at Summerham, to the west of the site (Fig. 2, 2). The Grade II Listed Poulshot Lodge, located c. 420m east of the site (Fig. 2, 4) was originally built in the mid-18th century, and modified c. 1900.

4.19 The earliest cartographic source to depict the proposed development site is Andrews’ and Drury’s map of Wiltshire of 1733 (Fig. 3). No buildings are shown within the site, although as this is a large-scale county map it may not depict small structures.

4.20 The pattern of settlement in the region in the post-medieval period was largely based on medieval settlement (Webster 2007, 220). In West Wiltshire, which was dominated by cattle-farming, many areas of land were enclosed in the 16th and 17th centuries (Bettey 2005, 135), as was the case at Poulshot (KDC 2004, 3). Land enclosures were accompanied by the establishment of new, dispersed farmsteads. By 1801, the majority of land within the parish was being used as pasture (Pugh 1953, 58). Many medieval towns were extended in the post-medieval period, often using narrow burgage plots lining linear ribbon developments (Webster 2007, 223). Seend had become an important centre of the wool trade by the end of the post- medieval period (KDC 2005, 5) and Poulshot expanded in the 17th century, although growth had stagnated by the 18th century (KDC 2004, 3).

Modern (1801 – 2000) 4.21 No modern heritage assets are present within the proposed development site, however, a number are present within the study area. Caen Hill Locks (Fig. 2, 12), part of which is a Scheduled Monument (Figs. 1 and 2, 13), were constructed in

21 © Cotswold Archaeology Land at Poulshot Lodge Farm, Poulshot, Wiltshire: Heritage Desk-Based Assessment

1810 and extend east along the canal from c. 330m north of the site. They comprise twenty-nine locks which carry the Kennet and Avon Canal 73m up the steep Caen Hill into Devizes. The now-dismantled Devizes branch railway, built in 1845, passed c. 250m north of the site on a north-west/south-east alignment (Fig. 2, 9). The Grade II Listed Poulshot Lodge, to the east of the site, was extensively remodelled c. 1900 (Fig. 2, 4) and the Grade II Listed Barley Hill Farmhouse immediately to the south of the site (Fig. 2, 5) was constructed in the early-19th century. Four World War Two anti-tank blocks are situated to the north of the site, beyond the railway and canal (Fig. 2, 10).

4.22 The first map to depict the site in detail is the 1837 map of Poulshot Parish (Fig. 4). This map shows two adjoining buildings in the western part of the site, one rectangular and one L-shaped in plan, each situated within small enclosures (Fig. 4, A). The 1838 Tithe map (not illustrated) shows the site in less detail than the 1837 map, and so has not been reproduced in this report. However, the accompanying Tithe Apportionment Register records the field in the eastern part of the site as “Dean Pit” (Fig. 4, D) which may indicate that mining or quarrying took place there (Field 1989, 168). A field outside the site, south of Barley Hill Lane, is recorded as “Upper Coalpit” which indicates that small-scale surface mining may have been taking place in the general area in the post-medieval period (Dixon 2002, 108).

4.23 The 1886 First Edition Ordnance Survey map (Fig. 5) records very little change within the site. A new, small enclosure is shown to the south of the buildings, and a field boundary was removed from the central field to create the larger field which exists today. Two ponds are shown (Fig. 5, B, C), in the central and northern fields (the former, C, is still extant). Of the buildings in the western part of the site (Fig. 5, A), the rectangular building is recorded as brick or stone, presumably a farmhouse, whereas the L-shaped building is recorded as wood or iron (presumably the former) and is probably an agricultural building (Oliver 1993, 50-51).

4.24 The 1900 Second Edition Ordnance Survey map (Fig. 6) again shows very little change within the site, but does appear to record the L-shaped building (Fig. 6, A) as being two separate, abutting structures. It also shows that a rectangular strip of land in the centre of the site, which is now a plantation, had been enclosed by this time, and records a very small pond near the southern tip of the site. The 1924 Third Edition Ordnance Survey map (not illustrated) records that the northern field had been split in two by a north-south field boundary, since removed. According to aerial

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photographic evidence, the buildings in the western part of the site had been demolished by the mid-20th century (OS/67217 F20).

Undated 4.25 A 1946 aerial photograph appears to show a ditched trackway entering the site near the north-east corner, and continuing on a rough north-west/south-east course, before exiting the site to the north (Fig. 8, E). Areas of possible quarrying can be seen in the site in the area of the pond in the northern field – the pond (Fig. 6, B) may have re-utilised a former quarry pit.

4.26 A complex of undated linear cropmarks is present to the east of the site, c. 80m away at its closest extent (Fig. 2, 11). They appear to represent a ditched trackway, possibly on the same alignment as the trackway within the site (Fig. 8, F), field boundaries and enclosures. Most of the cropmarks appear to respect the post- medieval field boundaries, and some are aligned on a pond/quarry feature within the field. A possible medieval or earlier field enclosure may be present immediately to the west of the site (Fig. 2, 19 and Fig. 8, G), comprising two concentric circular field enclosures centred on a hill, the outer enclosure around the base of the hill forming the western boundary of the proposed development site, with the inner enclosure situated on the hilltop.

5. SUMMARY OF HERITAGE SIGNIFICANCE AND POTENTIAL DEVELOPMENT EFFECTS

Recorded heritage assets 5.1 No documentary evidence exists which suggests the existence of settlement within the proposed development site before the post-medieval period. Below-ground remains of the post-medieval or modern farmhouse and agricultural building may be present in the western part of the proposed development site (Fig. 6, A). These buildings were first recorded in 1837, however they could potentially be earlier in date. The area was subsumed within the surrounding arable field, so the foundations may have been completely removed. However, if any such remains are present they would be of very limited heritage value. .

5.2 Below-ground remains of former field boundaries and post-medieval trackways may be present within the proposed development site; any such remains are not

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considered to be heritage assets. Below-ground remains of the ponds in the northern and southern fields also are not considered to be heritage assets, nor is the existing pond in the central field.

5.3 The boundary of the historic Parish of Poulshot runs along the north side of the A361, therefore the hedgerow forming the northern site boundary which follows the southern side of the A361 does not form an ‘important’ hedgerow under Criteria 1 of Part II of the Hedgerow Regulations 1997 (‘archaeology and history’).

Potential heritage assets 5.4 It is possible that below ground-remains of the furrows of the former medieval or post-medieval ridge and furrow earthworks survive throughout the site. These are not considered to be heritage assets.

5.5 Below-ground remains of the flanking ditches of the ditched trackway recorded on aerial photographs may be present in the northern part of the site (Fig. 8, E). This track is undated, although it does appear to head towards the A361, which is on the line of the medieval road from Devizes, across Summerham Brook and into Seend, and it may represent a medieval droveway. Any associated below-ground remains, such as infilled ditches, would be of very limited heritage value.

Summary of development proposals 5.6 The area within the proposed development site would contain rows of solar panel modules standing approximately 2.23m off the ground. The rows would be spaced a minimum of 5.5m apart, meaning the gaps between rows will be wider than the rows themselves. Solar panel installation requires the insertion of piles, typically c.200mm by c.75mm in cross-section, and usually no deeper than c.2.5m. Cables linking the panels are usually buried in trenches c.500-600mm wide and c.600-1200mm deep. These cables also link the panels to inverters, which are typically constructed on concrete pads without the use of piling. Access tracks and a sub-station are also likely to be required. Overall, the footprint of the development – piling, topsoil stripping, cable-trenching and foundation excavation – is anticipated to be very limited in area (typically a fraction of a per cent of the site).

24 © Cotswold Archaeology Land at Poulshot Lodge Farm, Poulshot, Wiltshire: Heritage Desk-Based Assessment

Assessment of potential impacts on heritage assets Physical impacts 5.7 The only historic features recorded within the site comprise the location of a former possible farm house and outbuildings (demolished in the earlier 20th-century) and the remnant earthwork of a possible former droveway/trackway. Any remains associated with these features would be of very limited heritage value. Given the restricted footprint of development any adverse impacts upon these remains would be highly limited. The evidence of the baseline survey indicates that there is restricted potential for the existence of currently unrecorded buried archaeological remains.

5.8 Previous impacts within the proposed development site derive chiefly from prevailing agricultural practices over the centuries. Predominantly these impacts would have occurred through ploughing. This may have impacted upon the upper horizons of any currently unrecorded buried remains beneath the topsoil layer. Historical ploughing (i.e. the former ridge and furrow) and modern ploughing and levelling of the site is likely to have impacted upon any below-ground archaeological remains. Quarrying may also have taken place within the site, particularly the eastern part of the northern field, which may have resulted in further impacts on any below-ground remains.

Non-physical impacts upon setting 5.9 An initial assessment of potential development effects upon the settings of designated heritage assets in the 4km study area was undertaken during the course of the inspection of the site and the surrounding study area. Three Listed buildings within 500m (Figs. 1 and 2, 3 - 5), and one Listed building (Figs. 1 and 2, 15), two Conservation Areas (Fig. 1, 16, 17), and two Scheduled Monuments within the 4km study area (Fig. 1, 13, 14) were identified within step 1 of this assessment as being potentially sensitive to development within the site. These assets comprise: • Seend Conservation Area, c. 850m west of the site (Figs. 1 and 2, 16); • Poulshot Conservation Area, c. 545m south-east of the site (Figs. 1 and 2, 17); • Caen Hill Locks, Scheduled Monument, c. 915m north-east of the site (Figs. 1 and 2, 13); • Devizes Castle, Scheduled Monument, c. 3.3km north-east of the site (Fig. 1, 14);

25 © Cotswold Archaeology Land at Poulshot Lodge Farm, Poulshot, Wiltshire: Heritage Desk-Based Assessment

• Loiterton Farmhouse, Grade II Listed, c. 650m west of the site (Figs. 1 and 2, 15); • Lower Foxhanger Farmhouse, Grade II Listed, c. 285m north of the site (Fig. 1, 3); • Poulshot Lodge, Grade II Listed, c. 415m east of the proposed development site (Figs. 1 and 2, 4); and • Barley Hill Farmhouse, Grade II Listed, c. 125m south of the proposed development site (Figs. 1 and 2, 5).

Seend Conservation Area (Figs. 1 and 2, 16) Step 1 - The heritage asset and its setting 5.10 Seend Conservation Area is located approximately 900m west of the proposed development site, situated on an east-west Lower Greensand Ridge above the open vale. It is based around medieval and post-medieval linear development along the A361 (High Street where it passes through the village) although it includes post- medieval and modern development north of the road, and green spaces to the south. It also includes some outlying farmsteads. The Conservation Area contains over fifty Listed buildings.

5.11 According to Seend Conservation Area Appraisal (KDC 2005) the main characteristics of Seend are: its ridgeline location which facilitates extensive views to the north and south; a number buildings of “high architectural and historical quality” particularly those south of High Street; the 15th century Parish Church; a high proportion of 15th – 19th-century Listed vernacular buildings, walls, gateways and other features; groups of and individual mature trees along High Street and in the surrounding landscape; important open spaces including the playing fields and churchyard; and the “influence of historical development based on farms and smallholdings to the east and former industrial activity to the west.”

5.12 The wider setting of the Conservation Area is formed by the surrounding open landscape. The ridge reaches a height of 75m AOD which allows “extensive views in all directions” (KDC 2005, 3) from various parts of the Conservation Area.

Step 2 - The contribution of the setting to the significance of the heritage asset 5.13 The significance of the Conservation Area is derived both from the historical and aesthetic value of the buildings it contains as well as its setting. Looking north, from the green spaces to the south of the village, enables the appreciation of the high

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status buildings (such as Seend Manor House and Seend Green House) situated south of High Street, and their immediate settings, which contribute to the aesthetic and historical value of the Conservation Area. Views out of the Conservation Area are generally possible only from the edges, particularly the public rights of way which encircle the village, which allow extensive views of the surrounding agricultural landscape. Views along the High Street and views of the historic properties along it, make a large contribution to the significance of the asset by enhancing its aesthetic and illustrative historical value. Views of the surrounding agricultural fields also make a contribution to the setting of the asset by contributing to its historical and aesthetic value by emphasising its rural origins and character.

Step 3 - The impact of the proposed development 5.14 The proposed development site is located c. 900m to the east of Seend Conservation Area. The development will not visible from the enclosed areas along High Street (Photo Fig. 1) nor will it be visible from the green spaces to the north and south of the village due to topographical and vegetative screening (Photo Fig. 2). However, partial views of parts of the southern half of the proposed solar panels may be possible from the eastern boundary of the Conservation Area, in the area of Hill Farm House (Photo Fig. 3). The development is not closely proximate to the Conservation Area, however, and would in no way physically or visually isolate it. The solar panels would not be dominant or highly conspicuous, and will not compete with or distract from the historic value of the Conservation Area. The low height of the development form ensures that the change in landuse will not lead to changes in the skyline in its vicinity, and it will not be associated with other forms of change such as noise, movement or lighting (which may be associated with other forms of development).

5.15 The extensive views of the wider landscape to the north and south will not be altered, nor will the important ‘key’ internal views. The essential characteristics of the village, comprising its location on the ridgeline, its historic buildings and features, its mature trees, its open spaces and the intelligibility of its historical development in the landscape will not be affected by the proposed development.

5.16 Overall, the proposed development site will be screened from the vast majority of the Conservation Area, apart from potential glimpses which may be possible from its eastern boundary. These partial, distant views of the proposed development site are not considered sufficient to cause any appreciable harm to the overall significance of

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the Conservation Area. Furthermore, the low-lying form of the development will make it a relatively unobtrusive feature in the distant landscape. Therefore, the proposed development will have no impact upon the overall significance of Seend Conservation Area.

Poulshot Conservation Area (Figs. 1 and 2, 17) Step 1 - The heritage asset and its setting 5.17 Poulshot Conservation Area is located approximately 550m south-east of the proposed development site and comprises the post-medieval linear settlement along Poulshot Road from the Parish Church in the south to Sillington Lane c. 1.7km to the north. It also includes surrounding green spaces, agricultural land (mainly dairy farms) and modern residences.

5.18 According to Poulshot Conservation Area Appraisal (KDC 2004), the main characteristics of the Conservation Area are: its location in the open vale between Potterne and Steeple; the extensive village green, one of the largest in Wiltshire, with unmade tracks emphasising its rural character; the wide green lane west of and parallel to Poulshot Road; a range of historic buildings including 17th-century cottages and the 17th-century Raven Inn, and 19th-century farmhouses, all set within an open landscape; the 13th-century Parish Church; and the retention of farming activity within the village including some farm buildings of traditional design.

5.19 The setting of the asset is formed by the surrounding “rich pastureland of the Bristol Avon clay vale Landscape Character Area” (KDC 2004, 9). There are also a number of working dairy farms within the Conservation Area, and agricultural land within and adjacent to the village forms an important part of its setting. The green lanes and groups of trees surrounding the village also form an important part of the setting, as do the verges and hedges within the Conservation Area, “particularly where they define boundaries and line roads and tracks within the village” (ibid, 9).

Step 2 - The contribution of the setting to the significance of the heritage asset 5.20 The significance of the Conservation Area is derived both from the historical and aesthetic value of the buildings it contains as well as its setting. The surrounding agricultural landscape contributes to the setting of the asset by enhancing its aesthetic value and adding to its illustrative historical value by enabling its rural post- medieval development to be better understood. Internal views, particularly in the area of the village green contribute to the aesthetic and illustrative historical value of

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the asset for the same reason. These internal views are largely confined to the immediate streetscene or village green due to surrounding houses, hedgerows and trees. External views from the edges of the Conservation Area, particularly the green lanes, take it in the surrounding agricultural landscape, which again enhances the aesthetic and illustrative historical value of the asset.

Step 3 - The impact of the proposed development 5.21 The proposed development site is located c. 550m to the north-west of Poulshot Conservation Area. Due to its low height, the proposed development site will not be visible from the enclosed streetscene along Poulshot Road or from the village green (Photo Fig. 11) due to screening provided by built form and dense vegetation. Views from the green lane to the west and Barley Hill Lane will be screened by modern development, hedgerows and trees (Photo Fig. 9). Views from the northern boundary of the Conservation Area at Sillington Lane will be screened by the high hedgerows lining Poulshot Road (Photo Fig. 10), and views from historic properties on the western side of the northern part of Poulshot Road will be screened by intervening hedgerows, trees and field boundaries. Furthermore, most of the site is located on or below north-west-facing slopes and would not be visible from Poulshot which is set back on the plateau to the south-east. The essential characteristics of the village (its location in the open vale, the village green, the historic buildings, the farming activity and the green lane to the west), will not be affected by the proposed development.

5.22 Thus the proposed development form is not considered to have any adverse impact on any element of the setting which contributes to the significance of the Conservation Area.

Caen Hill Locks, Scheduled Monument (Figs. 1 and 2, 13; NHL: 1004694) Step 1 - The heritage asset and its setting 5.23 The Caen Hill Locks Scheduled Monument is located c. 900m north-east of the proposed development site. It comprises a flight of twenty-nine locks, rising 43m over 4km, with the 17 locks on the hill itself forming the Scheduled section of the locks. The locks are situated on the east-west aligned Kennet and Avon Canal, and were constructed in 1810. Canals played an important part in the growth of industry and trade in Britain in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, and facilitated the transportation of large amounts of agricultural produce from areas like Wiltshire to the expanding industrial towns in the midlands and north. A variety of associated

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structures were required in order for the canals to function, including bridges, warehouses and locks.

5.24 The setting of the Scheduled Monument comprises the trees and hedgerows which line the canal, modern development immediately to the east and south-east, Devizes to the east (into which the canal runs) the A361 c. 150m to the south and the embankment of the dismantled railway further south, and the surrounding agricultural landscape of the Bristol Avon Vale.

Step 2 - The contribution of the setting to the significance of the heritage asset 5.25 The significance of the Caen Hill Locks Scheduled Monument is primarily derived from its built fabric. It also derives some significance from its evidential value, i.e. its potential to yield archaeological and environmental evidence about the past, primarily in relation to its construction. It stands as an impressive example of early 19th-century engineering, but it also derives some significance from its setting. The most important element of the asset’s setting is obviously the Kennet and Avon Canal which it still serves – the Caen Hill Locks fulfil their function to this day. The canal was the reason for the asset’s construction and its original placement here. The asset also has group value with associated canal structures, i.e. the Grade II Listed Marsh Lane Bridge over the canal at the western end of the monument, which was built ten years before the locks.

5.26 Extensive views of the landscape to the west are possible from the eastern part of the monument, on the higher parts of Caen Hill. These views enhance the aesthetic value of the experience of the asset when looking down the locks from the crest of the hill to the east and when travelling west down the canal or the towpaths. The trees and hedgerows either side also serve to direct the eye along the canal when viewing the asset from the east or west.

Step 3 - The impact of the proposed development 5.27 The proposed development will be located c. 900m south-west of the Caen Hill Locks Scheduled Monument. The hilltop in the northern field of the proposed development site is distantly visible on the periphery of views to the south-west from the Scheduled Monument, which are possible from the locks halfway up Caen Hill (Photo Fig. 6). From the asset, the proposed development site forms a small, distant part of the wider vista. It is not anticipated that distant views of the northern part of the proposed development, on the periphery of wider views from the locks, would

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harm the experience of the asset. Therefore, the slight alteration within the setting of the asset caused by the proposed development is not considered of sufficient magnitude to impact upon the significance of the Caen Hill Locks Scheduled Monument.

Devizes Castle, Scheduled Monument (Fig. 1, 14; NHL: 1021375) Step 1 - The heritage asset and its setting 5.28 Devizes Castle Scheduled Monument is located c. 3.3km east of the proposed development site. It is situated at the head of a narrow vale on the western side of Devizes, where the land rises towards the plateau town on which the town is located. It comprises a medieval motte and bailey and defensive moat, and a Victorian folly castle/residence. Motte and bailey castles are Norman fortifications used between the 11th and 13th centuries. They generally comprise a large conical mound of earth or rubble (motte), fortified with a palisade protecting a timber or stone tower atop the motte. An embanked enclosure (bailey) was usually situated adjacent to the motte, and contained further buildings. These monuments are “particularly important for the study of Norman Britain and the development of the feudal system” (scheduling description). The scheduling has been drawn to include as much of the bailey (courtyard) “as is known to have been unaffected by later developments and where archaeological evidence will survive” (scheduling description). The original wooden keep was replaced by a medieval stone castle, and much later by a Victorian folly castle, now a Grade I Listed building, and a Victorian curtain wall (now Grade II Listed) encloses the motte on the line of the medieval fortifications. The Victorian gatehouse is also Grade II Listed. Some remains of the original castle survive and are Grade II Listed. These buildings are all excluded from the Scheduling.

5.29 The setting of the asset is formed by the historic core of Devizes to the east and north, and more modern development on the hilltops to the south and north-west. The castle overlooks a narrow valley containing a small watercourse which opens up towards the south-west, and a sewage treatment works is situated in the valley c. 600m to the west. Belts of mature trees encircle the motte within and without the walls, and further belts of trees are present between the castle and the modern development to the south-west and north-west.

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Step 2 - The contribution of the setting to the significance of the heritage asset 5.30 The significance of the castle is mainly derived from its evidential value, i.e. the physical remains of the castle itself including any buried archaeological remains, which have potential to provide information about medieval fortifications and the feudal system. However, it also derives some significance from its setting. The asset has group value with the Grade I Listed Victorian castle and Grade II Listed Victorian walls and gatehouse, which also allow a reasoned observer to visualise the original fortifications, which contributes to the illustrative historical value of the 19th-century history and use of the asset, as well as contributing to aesthetic value of the experience of the asset. The adjacent town of Devizes also makes a large contribution to the illustrative historical value of the asset as the relationship between the medieval town and the castle can still be seen. The caste functioned originally as a defensive feature for the town, and later as an administrative centre, and this key relationship is apparent to this day.

Step 3 - The impact of the proposed development 5.31 The proposed development site is located c. 3.3km south-west of the asset. Although the castle is not generally open to public, it can be observed that the Scheduled Monument is heavily screened by encircling belts of mature trees, doubtless intended to preserve the privacy of the Victorian residents. This dense vegetation in and around the Scheduled Monument likely restricts wider views from the asset, except perhaps from parts of the curtain wall or upper stories of the Victorian castle, neither of which form part of the scheduling. Furthermore only a small part of the southern area of the Scheduled Monument is situated within the ZTV and the mature trees and curtain wall here restrict views of the wider landscape (Photo Fig. 12). The proposed development is unlikely to be visible from the Scheduled Monument and furthermore will not have an impact on any of the key aspects of the setting of the Scheduled Monument, its relationship with the group of Listed buildings on the motte or with the town of Devizes. Therefore, the proposed development is not anticipated to have any impact on the overall significance of Devizes Castle Scheduled Monument.

Loiterton Farmhouse, Grade II Listed Building (Figs. 1 and 2, 15; NHL: 1243886) Step 1 - The heritage asset and its setting 5.32 The Grade II Listed Loiterton Farmhouse is located c. 650 west of the proposed development site. It is situated on the eastern end of the ridge on which the village

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of Seend is located. Seend Conservation Area is located c. 210m to the north-west o the asset. It comprises a 17th-century (but possibly earlier) two-storey timber-framed farmhouse with a 20th-century roof. Its primary elevations face north-west/south- east.

5.33 The immediate setting of the asset is formed by a large modern farm complex to the west and north. This complex contains a number of modern agricultural buildings. The surrounding agricultural fields also form part of the immediate setting. The wider setting is formed by the vista of the open vale sweeping around from the north-east to the south.

Step 2 - The contribution of the setting to the significance of the heritage asset 5.34 The Grade II Listed Loiterton Farmhouse primarily derives its significance from the historical and aesthetic value of its built fabric, however, it also derives some significance from its setting. The nearby modern farm buildings dominate the setting to the west and north due to their form and appearance, and have a negative impact on the aesthetic value of the experience of the asset. Agricultural fields in the immediate vicinity contribute to the asset’s significance by enabling its origins as a farmhouse to be better understood. The asset’s ridgeline location allows extensive views across the open vale to the south-east, which enhance the aesthetic value of the experience of the asset, and these views may constitute one of the reasons for the asset’s original placement here.

Step 3 - The impact of the proposed development 5.35 The proposed development site is located c. 650m east of the asset. The proposed development will be visible in views east and south-east from the asset (Photo Fig. 4), and will appear as a dark strip in the fields extending from 650m away. The proposed development will thus alter an element within the extensive views from the asset, but they will not prevent an appreciation of these views and would in no way physically or visually isolate it. The solar panels would not be dominant or highly conspicuous, and will not compete with or distract from the historic value of the farmhouse. The low height of the development form ensures that the change in landuse will not lead to changes in the skyline in its vicinity, and it will not be associated with other forms of change such as noise, movement or lighting. Furthermore, views of the agricultural fields in the immediate vicinity will not be affected. The proposed development will thus have a small adverse effect on an

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element of the asset’s setting which contributes to its significance. However, this is not considered to be of sufficient magnitude to cause harm to its overall significance.

Lower Foxhanger Farmhouse, Grade II Listed (Figs. 1 and 2, 3; NHL: 1243484) Step 1 - The heritage asset and its setting 5.36 The Grade II Listed Lower Foxhanger Farmhouse is located c. 280m north of the proposed development site. It is situated on a north-facing slope overlooking the Kennet and Avon Canal. It comprises a mid-18th-century two-storey red brick farmhouse, altered c. 1900.

5.37 The setting of the house is formed by 19th-century farm buildings around a farmyard to the north and modern agricultural buildings immediately to the north-west and north-east. The associated gardens bounded by trees also form part of the setting. The Kennet and Avon Canal passes c. 80m to the north.

Step 2 - The contribution of the setting to the significance of the heritage asset 5.38 The Grade II Listed Lower Foxhanger Farmhouse primarily derives its significance from the historical and aesthetic value of its built fabric, however, it also derives some significance from its setting. The nearby farm buildings contribute to the historical value of the asset by allowing its origins as a farmhouse to be better understood. Agricultural fields in the immediate vicinity also contribute to the asset’s significance for the same reason. The associated garden to the east, which can be seen on historic Ordnance Survey mapping, also contributes to the asset’s significance as it forms a surviving part of its historical setting.

Step 3 - The impact of the proposed development 5.39 The proposed development site is located c. 280 south of the asset. The steeply rising slope to the south of the asset completely screens wider views to the south (Photo Fig. 5). The proposed development will not be visible from the asset due to this topographical screening, and will not alter any element of the asset’s setting which contributes to its significance. Therefore, the proposed development will have no impact on the overall significance of the Grade II Listed Lower Foxhanger Farmhouse.

34 © Cotswold Archaeology Land at Poulshot Lodge Farm, Poulshot, Wiltshire: Heritage Desk-Based Assessment

Poulshot Lodge, Grade II Listed (Figs. 1 and 2, 4; NHL: 1243178) Step 1 - The heritage asset and its setting 5.40 The Grade II Listed Poulshot Lodge is located c. 410m east of the proposed development site. It is situated immediately to the east of the Devizes Road, halfway between the village of Poulshot to the south and the A361 to the north. It comprises a two-storey red brick house, constructed c. 1800 on an earlier core, with 19th- century modifications. The main elevation faces west-north-west across Devizes Road.

5.41 The immediate setting of the house is formed by its associated gardens and 19th- century and modern farm buildings immediately to the north-east. The asset also has a strong relationship with Devizes Road, onto which it faces. The wider setting is formed by the surrounding agricultural fields.

Step 2 - The contribution of the setting to the significance of the heritage asset 5.42 The Grade II Listed Poulshot Loge primarily derives its significance from the historical and aesthetic value of its built fabric, however, it also derives some significance from its setting. The nearby farm buildings contribute to the historical value of the asset by allowing its origins as a farmhouse to be understood. Agricultural fields in the immediate vicinity also contribute to the asset’s significance for the same reason. The asset’s relationship with the 19th-century farm buildings to the north further enhances its illustrative historical value as they form an element of the asset’s surviving 19th-century setting. The associated garden, which can be seen on historic Ordnance Survey mapping, also contributes to the asset’s significance for the same reason. The Devizes Road also contributes to the asset’s significance as it allows the building to be appreciated by passers-by.

Step 3 - The impact of the proposed development 5.43 The proposed development site is located c. 410m west of the asset. Upper storey views of the hill in the northern part of the proposed development site may be possible from the farmhouse (Photo Fig. 7), although the intervening hedgerows screen the majority of the site from the asset. The hedgerows lining the Devizes Road and forming the eastern boundary of the site screen the view from ground level (Photo Fig. 10). Furthermore, much of the site is situated across a north-west- facing slope, and this combination of topography and the hedgerows at the top of the slop will screen the southern half of the site from view. Views of the agricultural fields in the immediate vicinity of the asset will not be affected by the proposed

35 © Cotswold Archaeology Land at Poulshot Lodge Farm, Poulshot, Wiltshire: Heritage Desk-Based Assessment

development. The proposed development will thus alter an element within the extensive views from the asset, but they will not prevent an appreciation of these views and would in no way physically or visually isolate it. The solar panels would not be dominant or highly conspicuous, and will not compete with or distract from the historic value of the farmhouse. The low height of the development form ensures that the change in landuse will not lead to changes in the skyline in its vicinity, and it will not be associated with other forms of change such as noise, movement or lighting. The very small potential alteration to the setting of the building is thus not considered sufficient to have any impact on its overall significance.

Barley Hill Farmhouse, Grade II Listed (Figs. 1 and 2, 5; NHL: 1273008) Step 1 - The heritage asset and its setting 5.44 The Grade II Listed Barley Hill Farmhouse is located c. 120m south of the proposed development site. It is situated immediately to the south of Barleyhill Lane, north- west of the village of Poulshot. Poulshot Conservation area is located c. 410m to the south-east. The asset comprises a two-storey red brick early 19th-century farmhouse, although it may incorporate 17th-century elements.

5.45 The immediate setting of the house is formed by its associated gardens and a farmyard containing 19th-century and modern farm buildings immediately to the south-east. The asset also has a strong relationship with Barleyhill Lane, onto which it faces. The wider setting is formed by the surrounding agricultural fields.

Step 2 - The contribution of the setting to the significance of the heritage asset 5.46 The Grade II Listed Poulshot Lodge primarily derives its significance from the historical and aesthetic value of its built fabric, however, it also derives some significance from its setting. The nearby farm buildings contribute to the historical value of the asset by allowing its origins as a farmhouse to be understood. Agricultural fields in the immediate vicinity also contribute to the asset’s significance for the same reason. The asset’s relationship with the 19th-century farm buildings to the south-east further enhances its historical value as they form an element of the asset’s surviving 19th-century setting.

Step 3 - The impact of the proposed development 5.47 The proposed development site is located c. 120m north of the asset. The majority of the proposed development site will not be visible from the asset due to topographical screening – much of the site is situated on a north-west facing slope,

36 © Cotswold Archaeology Land at Poulshot Lodge Farm, Poulshot, Wiltshire: Heritage Desk-Based Assessment

and the house is set a little way back from the crest of the plateau on which it stands. This factor, with the vegetative screening provided by the densely vegetated field boundaries and mature trees which make up the boundaries of the site and the intervening fields, means that most of the proposed development will be screened from view. However, views of higher areas in the northern field of the site are likely to be possible from the upper storey of the northern elevation of the farmhouse (Photo Fig. 8). The proposed development will thus alter a part of the setting of the asset which contributes to its significance, by altering some of the nearby agricultural fields. The solar panels would not be dominant or highly conspicuous, and will not compete with or distract from farmhouse. The low height of the development form ensures that the change in landuse will not lead to changes in the skyline in its vicinity, and it will not be associated with other forms of change such as noise, movement or lighting. However, the alteration of the agricultural fields in the immediate vicinity would likely result in a limited adverse effect on the historical and aesthetic values of the farmhouse. The alteration to the setting of the asset resulting from the proposed development is thus considered to potentially cause a small degree of harm to the overall significance of the Grade II Listed Barley Hill Farmhouse.

6. CONCLUSIONS

6.1 Below-ground remains of a post-medieval or modern farmhouse and agricultural building may be present in the western part of the proposed development site. These buildings were first recorded in 1837, but could potentially be earlier in date. If any below-ground remains (i.e. foundations) are present they would be of very limited heritage value. Below-ground remains of former field boundaries and post- medieval trackways also may be present within the proposed development site; any such remains are not considered to be heritage assets. Below-ground remains of the ponds in the northern and southern fields also are not considered to be heritage assets, nor is the existing pond in the central field.

6.2 Below-ground remains of the furrows of medieval or post-medieval ridge and furrow earthworks are likely to be present throughout the proposed development site, apart from the northern field. Above-ground remains of these earthworks appear to have been destroyed during the 20th century. Any below-ground remains of furrows are not considered to be heritage assets.

37 © Cotswold Archaeology Land at Poulshot Lodge Farm, Poulshot, Wiltshire: Heritage Desk-Based Assessment

6.3 The baseline survey indicates generally limited evidence for prehistoric and Roman settlement in the wider site vicinity. Medieval settlement was located at nearby villages, and there is little potential for any settlement of that period within the site.

6.4 An assessment of potential non-physical effects of development upon the setting of designated heritage assets has been carried out. The only designated heritage asset in close proximity to the proposed development site is Barley Hill Farmhouse, a Grade II Listed building. The settings assessment has found that development would alter a part of the setting of the house, which would result in a small degree of harm to its overall value (through a limited adverse effect upon its aesthetic and historical values). Consideration of the elements that contribute to the values of other designated heritage assets, including their settings, and the form of the proposed development has found no further potential adverse development effects.

6.5 This assessment has found no evidence for heritage constraints that would preclude development of the site for a solar park or that would influence development design. Development of the site for the use of solar panels would not be contrary to national or local planning heritage guidance, and would not lead to ‘substantial harm’ (as defined by NPPF section 12 Paragraphs 132-134) to any designated heritage assets.

7. REFERENCES

Bettey J. (Ed.) 2005 Wiltshire Farming in the Seventeenth Century

Cotswold Archaeology 2008 Land at Lower Foxhanger’s Farm, Poulshot and Rowde, Wiltshire, Archaeological Desk-Based Assessment

Cotswold Archaeology 2010 Lower Foxhanger’s Farm, Poulshot and Rowde, Wiltshire, Archaeological Evaluation

Dixon N. 2002, ‘Down Poulshot’

English Heritage 2008 English Heritage Conservation Principles: policies and guidance for the sustainable management of the historic environment

38 © Cotswold Archaeology Land at Poulshot Lodge Farm, Poulshot, Wiltshire: Heritage Desk-Based Assessment

English Heritage 2011 The Setting of Heritage Assets: English Heritage Guidance

Field J. 1989 English Field Names, A Dictionary

IfA 2012 Standards and Guidance for Historic Environment Desk-based Assessment

Kennet District Council 2004 Poulshot Conservation Area Statement

Kennet District Council 2005 Seend Conservation Area Statement

Margary I. 1973 Roman Roads in Britain, 3rd Ed.

Oliver R. 1993, Ordnance Survey Maps, a concise guide for historians

OS (Ordnance Survey) 2001 Roman Britain: Historical Map, 5th Ed.

Pugh R. B. (Ed.) 1954 The Victoria History of the Counties of England, A History of Wiltshire vol. VII

Webster C. J. (Ed.) 2007 The Archaeology of South West England, South West Archaeological Research Framework

Wymer J. 1999 The Lower Palaeolithic Occupation of Britain

Cartographic sources

1773 Andrews’ and Drury’s map of Wiltshire Sheet 11 1792 Estate map 1837 Map of Poulshot Parish 1838 Tithe map of Poulshot Parish 1845 Map of whole Parish of Poulshot 1886 First Edition Ordnance Survey map 33.16 1900 Second Edition Ordnance Survey map 33.16 1924 Third Edition Ordnance Survey map 33.16

39 © Cotswold Archaeology Land at Poulshot Lodge Farm, Poulshot, Wiltshire: Heritage Desk-Based Assessment

Aerial photographic sources

RAF/CPE/UK/1821 Frame 4052, 4053

RAF/543/3860 Frame 957 – 959

RAF/540/958 Frame 3228 – 3231

RAF/58/1877 Frame 47 – 50

MAL/71016 Frame 178

OS/70119 Frame 143 – 145

OS/85029 Frame 14, 15

OS/67217 Frame 20 - 21

OS/89094 Frame 16, 17, 38, 39

FSL/71220 Frame 220210, 220211

RAF/543/3859 Frame 998 – 1000

OS/98437 Frame 5282, 5283, 5328, 5329

OS/94087 Frame 55 - 57

40 © Cotswold Archaeology Land at Poulshot Lodge Farm, Poulshot, Wiltshire: Heritage Desk-Based Assessment

APPENDIX A: GAZETEER OF RECORDED HERITAGE ASSETS AND OTHER ELEMENTS OF THE HISTORIC ENVIRONMENT

No. Description Period Status NGR WHER Major (all ST) ref. Source EHA ref. NHL ref. 1 DBA, geophysical survey and evaluation at Post- - 96280 EWI7069 WHER Lower Foxhanger’s Farm medieval 61550 EWI7070 1533630 EHA 1531703 2 Milestone on south side about 17m west of Post- Grade II Listed 395801 1243613 NHL Summerham Bridge medieval 61384 3 Lower Foxhanger Farmhouse Post- Grade II Listed 96791 1243484 NHL medieval 61557 4 Poulshot Lodge Post- Grade II Listed 97228 1243178 NHL medieval/ 60790 modern 5 Barley Hill Farmhouse Modern Grade II Listed 96418 1273008 NHL 60460 6 Summerham Bridge, moat, estate cottage, Medieval - 8767 MWI4879 WHER ridge and furrow and hollow way 6399 212189 EHA 7 Foxhanger Farm, farmstead with medieval Medieval - 96860 MWI4884 WHER origins 61560 8 Kennet and Avon Canal Post- - SU 21668 867813 EHA medieval 63459 9 Devizes Branch Railway Modern - 93830 1359738 EHA 81359 10 Four Second World War anti-tank blocks Modern - 96500 1186798 EHA 61700 11 Complex of linear features, probably Undated - 97014 1378956 EHA ditched trackway, field boundaries and 61149 enclosures visible as cropmarks on aerial photographs 12 Caen Hill Locks Modern - 98302 1011228 EHA 61527 13 Caen Hill Locks Modern Scheduled 98302 1011228 EHA Monument 61527 14 Devizes Castle Medieval Scheduled 00238 1021375 EHA Monument 61323 15 Loiterton Farmhouse Post- Grade II Listed 95376 448350 NHL medieval 60944 16 Seend Conservation Area - Conservation 94551 - Wiltshire Area 61110 Council website 17 Poulshot Conservation Area - Conservation 96985 - WHER Area 59874 18 Area of possible medieval ridge and furrow Medieval - 96657 - Aerial 61374 photogra ph 19 Possible early field enclosure Undated - 96134 - Aerial 61251 photo

41 © Cotswold Archaeology Land at Poulshot Lodge Farm, Poulshot, Wiltshire: Heritage Desk-Based Assessment

APPENDIX B: EXTRACT FROM THE HEDGEROWS REGULATIONS 1997

Extracted From Statutory Instruments 1997 No. 1160 The Hedgerows Regulations 1997, Schedule 1: Additional criteria for determining ‘Important’ hedgerows;

PART II CRITERIA Archaeology and history

1. The hedgerow marks the boundary, or part of the boundary, of at least one historic parish or township; and for this purpose “historic” means existing before 1850.

2. The hedgerow incorporates an archaeological feature which is- (a) included in the schedule of monuments compiled by the Secretary of State under section 1 (schedule of monuments) of the Ancient Monuments and Scheduled Areas Act 1979(g); or (b) recorded at the relevant date in a sites and Monuments Record.

3. The hedgerow- (a) is situated wholly or partly within an archaeological site included or recorded as mentioned in paragraph 2 or on land adjacent to and associated with such a site; and (b) is associated with any monument or feature on that site.

4. The hedgerow- (a) marks the boundary of a pre-1600 AD estate or manor recorded at the relevant date in a sites and Monuments Record or on a document held at that date at a Record Office; or (b) is visibly related to any building or feature of such an estate or manor.

5. The hedgerow- (a) is recorded in a document held at the relevant date at a Record Office as an integral part of a field system pre-dating the Inclosure acts(a); or (b) is part of, or visibly related to, any building or other feature associated with such a system, and that system- (i) is substantially complete; or (ii) is of a pattern which is recorded in a document prepared before the relevant date by a local planning authority, within the meaning of the 1990 Act(b), for the purposes of development control within the authority’s area, as a key landscape characteristic

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