Gloucester Quays Gloucester
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
GLOUCESTER QUAYS GLOUCESTER ARCHAEOLOGICAL EVALUATION CA PROJECT: 1602 CA REPORT: 03144 Author: Mark Brett Approved: Cliff Bateman Signed: ……………………………………………………………. Issue: 01 Date: 24 October 2003 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 Headquarters Building, Kemble Business Park, Cirencester, Gloucestershire, GL7 6BQ Tel. 01285 771022 Fax. 01285 771033 E-mail: [email protected] Gloucester Quays, Gloucester: Archaeological Evaluation © Cotswold Archaeology CONTENTS SUMMARY........................................................................................................................4 1. INTRODUCTION........................................................................................................ 6 The site ................................................................................................................ 6 Archaeological background.................................................................................. 7 Archaeological aims and objectives..................................................................... 8 Methodology ........................................................................................................ 9 2. RESULTS................................................................................................................... 12 Llanthony Wharf: Area B...................................................................................... 12 Llanthony Wharf: Area C...................................................................................... 14 Baker’s Quay: Area D .......................................................................................... 15 3. DISCUSSION ............................................................................................................. 16 Introduction .......................................................................................................... 16 Medieval............................................................................................................... 16 Late medieval/early post-medieval ...................................................................... 17 Post-medieval ...................................................................................................... 17 Modern................................................................................................................. 18 4. CA PROJECT TEAM.................................................................................................. 19 5. REFERENCES........................................................................................................... 19 APPENDIX 1: CONTEXT DESCRIPTIONS...................................................................... 21 APPENDIX 2: THE FINDS BY ED McSLOY..................................................................... 30 APPENDIX 3: THE BIOLOGICAL EVIDENCE BY THERESA GILMORE ........................ 34 1 Gloucester Quays, Gloucester: Archaeological Evaluation © Cotswold Archaeology APPENDIX 4: LEVELS OF PRINCIPAL DEPOSITS AND STRUCTURES...................... 35 APPENDIX 5: STRATIGRAPHIC MATRICES .................................................................. 36 2 Gloucester Quays, Gloucester: Archaeological Evaluation © Cotswold Archaeology LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Fig. 1 Site location plan Fig. 2 Trench location plan, showing recorded archaeological features Fig. 3 Trench B3; plan Fig. 4 Trench B3; sections Fig. 5 Trench B4; plan Fig. 6 Trench B4; sections Fig. 7 Trench C1(a); plan and section Fig. 8 Trench C2; plan Fig. 9 Trench C2; section Fig. 10 Trench D1; plan Fig. 11 Trench D3; plan Fig. 12 Trenches B3 and B4; photographs Fig. 13 Trenches B4 and C2; photographs 3 Gloucester Quays, Gloucester: Archaeological Evaluation © Cotswold Archaeology SUMMARY Site Name: Gloucester Quays Location: Gloucester NGR: SO 8255 1800 Type: Evaluation Date: 18 August – 15 September 2003 Planning Reference: 02/00271/OUT Location of Archive: Gloucester City Museum and Art Gallery Accession no. 2003.44 Site Code: GQG 03 An archaeological evaluation was undertaken by Cotswold Archaeology between August and September 2003 at the request of Scott Wilson (on the behalf of British Waterways and Peel Developments (UK) Ltd) at Gloucester Quays, Gloucester. In compliance with an approved project design, a total of 10 trenches were excavated throughout the proposed development area. The evaluation identified archaeological deposits and features dating from the medieval period (and evidently related to Llanthony Priory), through to those associated with the construction of the Gloucester and Berkeley Canal (later the Gloucester and Sharpness Canal) at the end of the 18th century, and the associated industrial development of the site in the 19th and 20th centuries. The earliest features include a mortared limestone wall, with abutting accumulated layers, dating to the 13th to 15th centuries, and a channel dated at the earliest to the medieval period. Numerous deposits associated with the post-medieval development of the site were encountered. These included a burial soil in which quantities of disarticulated human bone, and at least one fully articulated inhumation were identified. Lengths of walling, associated stone surfaces and a culvert dating to this period were also revealed. Various other accumulated and dumped layers were also recorded, a number of the latter evidently 4 Gloucester Quays, Gloucester: Archaeological Evaluation © Cotswold Archaeology representing material excavated during the construction of, and the subsequent widening of, the canal. Later deposits encountered included a number of levelling horizons associated with the construction of the many railway lines that serviced the quays. Other features associated with the later development of the site included brick-built culverts, one of which evidently still conveys water underneath the canal, and a number of brick-wall foundations representing the remains of structures associated with the local canal trade as well as house footings dated to the nineteenth century. The evaluation has characterised the archaeological potential of the study area, and has indicated that deposits dating from the medieval period survive, in places, at a depth of approximately 1.6m below the modern ground surface. The upper limit of post-medieval deposits is approximately 0.9m below the existing ground surface. Later industry-related deposits lie immediately beneath the current ground surface in certain areas. 5 Gloucester Quays, Gloucester: Archaeological Evaluation © Cotswold Archaeology 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1 Between August and September 2003 Cotswold Archaeology (CA) carried out an archaeological evaluation for Scott Wilson (on behalf of British Waterways and Peel Developments (UK) Ltd) at Gloucester Quays, Gloucester (centred on NGR: SO 8255 1800; Fig. 1). The evaluation was undertaken to support an application for outline planning permission for a mixed use regeneration scheme. 1.2 The evaluation was carried out in accordance with a brief for archaeological recording prepared by Gloucester City Council Planning Services and with a subsequent detailed project specification produced by Scott Wilson (2003c). Class 7 Consent was also granted by English Heritage for the works. The fieldwork followed the Standard and Guidance for Archaeological Field Evaluations issued by the Institute of Field Archaeologists (1999). It was monitored by Robert Iles, English Heritage, and by Richard Sermon, City Archaeologist, Gloucester City Council. A site visit was made by Mr Iles on 2nd September 2003 and Mr Sermon visited on 26th August and 2nd September 2003. The site 1.3 The proposed development encloses an area of approximately 25ha on the south- western periphery of Gloucester, some 0.8km from the modern city centre (Fig. 1). It is currently occupied by 19th and 20th-century industrial and commercial premises and includes areas of car-parking and rough ground. It also contains the scheduled ancient monument of Llanthony Priory (Glos. SAM 337), a medieval monastic site with extant remains. The proposed development area has, in previous stages of archaeological assessment, been divided into three areas; Monk Meadow, Llanthony Wharf and Baker’s Quay, as shown on Figure 2. The current evaluation was undertaken solely within the Llanthony Wharf and Baker’s Quay areas. It is intended that Monk Meadow be evaluated separately. 1.4 The site lies at approximately 10m AOD, and is generally flat, excepting the flanks of the canal where the ground rises slightly. The underlying geology of the area is mapped as Lower Lias Clays overlain by Estuarine Alluvium in the north and west of the proposed development area (IGS 1975). The natural substrate was revealed in all but one of the evaluation trenches. 6 Gloucester Quays, Gloucester: Archaeological Evaluation © Cotswold Archaeology Archaeological background 1.5 The archaeological and historical background of the proposed development area has been subject to a considerable degree of assessment to support the planning application. This work includes site visits, desk-based studies, geophysical survey and archaeological recording of geotechnical investigations (JSAC 2001; Hughes 2003; Hughes and Rhodes 2003; Scott Wilson