Grange Farm, Widmer End, Hughenden, Buckinghamshire
An Archaeological Evaluation
for British Flora
by Andy Taylor
Thames Valley Archaeological Services
Ltd
Site Code GFH 05/63
July 2005 Summary
Site name: Grange Farm, Widmer End, Hughenden, Buckinghamshire
Grid reference: SU 8825 9602
Site activity: Evaluation
Date and duration of project: 8th and 11th June 2005
Project manager: Helen Moore
Site supervisor: Andy Taylor
Site code: GFH 05/63
Area of site: Approximate 3.71 ha
Summary of results: Four undated gullies were encountered in trench 1, and two 2nd century AD ditches and an undated gully were recorded in trench 4. No archaeological finds or features were observed in trenches 2 and 3, or the stripped area and exposed section. No metal finds were retrieved during the metal detecting survey of the spoilheap.
Monuments identified: Two Roman ditches, five undated gullies and a modern ditch.
Location and reference of archive: The archive is presently held by Thames Valley Archaeological Services Ltd, 47–49 De Beauvoir Road, Reading, RG1 5NR, and will be deposited with Buckinghamshire County Museum in due course.
This report may be copied for bona fide research or planning purposes without the explicit permission of the copyright holder
Report edited/checked by: Jennifer Lowe9 01.08.05 Helen Moore9 01.08.05
i Grange Farm, Widmer End, Hughenden, Buckinghamshire An Archaeological Evaluation
by Andy Taylor
Report 05/63
Introduction
This report documents the results of an archaeological field evaluation carried out at Grange Farm, Widmer End,
Hughenden, Buckinghamshire (SU 8825 9602) (Fig. 1). The work was commissioned by Mr Jonathan North of
British Flora, Grange Farm, Widmer End, Hughenden, Buckinghamshire, HP15 6AD.
Planning applications have been submitted to Wycombe District Council for the construction of an agricultural building (app no 05/6287) and erection of polytunnels and associated landscaping (app no 05/6043).
As a requirement of the planning process and the District adopted local plan on archaeology (HE19), an archaeological evaluation was requested.
This is in accordance with the Department of the Environment’s Planning Policy Guidance, Archaeology and Planning (PPG16 1990), and the Districts policies on archaeology. The field investigation was carried out to a specification approved by Mr David Radford, Archaeological Officer with Buckinghamshire County
Archaeological Service (Radford 2005). The fieldwork was undertaken by Andy Taylor and Leon Fern on the
8th and 11th July 2005 and the site code is GFH 05/63. The archive is presently held at Thames Valley
Archaeological Services, Reading and will be deposited with Buckinghamshire County Museum in due course.
Location, topography and geology
The site is located on a roughly rectangular parcel of land associated with Grange Farm, Widmer End,
Hughenden and lies to the north east of High Wycombe. The land is currently scrubland, and will be used for polytunnels (Fig. 2). Originally the site had a gentle slope from the north to the south but much of this had already been stripped and or terraced away before the evaluation began. The underlying geology consists of clay with flints (BGS 1971), which was observed in all trenches. The site lies at a height of c.175m above Ordnance
Datum.
1 Archaeological and historical background
Finds of prehistoric struck flint are recorded from the area, possibly suggesting presence of contemporary occupation sites within the vicinity. A basal sherd of Roman pottery has also been found just to the west of the site.
The site lies adjacent to the suggested location of the medieval hamlet of Pirenore, which was fee of Great
Kingshill and parcel of the manor of Wendover. The estate was sold to Missenden Abbey in about 1275, and appears to have been the first estate in Kingshill that the abbey acquired, according to documentary evidence.
Documentary evidence tells us that a Baldwin de Pirenore was the earliest tenant during the later 12th century. A previous owner had been a John Brand, and despite changes of ownership, the name of Brand’s Fee has remained attached to the land (Bucks SMR). Earthworks survive in the field to the north-east of Grange Farm that may be the remains of house platforms and structures relating to the deserted settlement.
The surviving farmhouse is a grade II listed medieval cruck-built structure with the earliest part of it dating from the 15th-16th centuries.
Buckinghamshire Sites and Monuments Record
A search was made at Buckinghamshire sites and monuments record for a radius of 500m around the site. A total of 13 sites and findspots were recorded. The results from this search are listed in Appendix 3, and summarized below; their locations are plotted on Figure 1.
Prehistoric
Seven entries related to the prehistoric period [2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 9]. All of these were stray finds of prehistoric worked flints generally Neolithic to late Bronze Age in date. Six flint flakes and a tranchet arrowhead [2] were found 350m east of Grange Farm. An artefact scatter was located in a field to the north east of Grange Farm [3].
This comprised three worked flints found 2m apart and four distinct flint scatters were located during subsequent field walking. Eight flint flakes were found to the west of Grange Farm [4], and a double platform core and 2 flakes [5] were found to the south of Grange Farm. One side scraper and two flakes of black flint [6] dating from the Neolithic to early Bronze Age, and 16 flakes of the same period were found 400m east north east of Grange
Farm. Five flint flakes [7] were found to the north east of Grange Farm, and three flint flakes [9] were found
450m north north east of Grange Farm.
2 Roman
One sherd of Romano-British colour coated ware [8] possibly from the Oxford area and dating to the 3rd to 4th centuries AD was found in 1982 when a group dug to find a Hampden bomber.
Medieval
Grange Farmhouse at Widmer End [1] dates from the 15th to early 16th centuries. It was altered in the 17th and
19th centuries. The right bay has collapsed exposing the central cruck. Some timber framing is left with brick infill to the upper storey, and the remainder has been rebuilt in brick. It is Grade II listed.
The possible deserted medieval settlement of Pirenore [10] is thought to lie in a triangular parcel of land to the north-east of Grange Farm, however the exact location of this settlement is unknown. There are earthworks in the form of low banks 1-2m high within the field marked on a map in the SMR in a north-south orientation; how accurately these have been surveyed in is, however, unclear. A sherd of possible medieval pottery was also found in the area.
Post-Medieval
Three extractive pits [11, 12, 13] are marked on the first edition OS maps, and are 19th century to modern in date.
20th Century
In 1982 a group carried out an excavation to find a Hampden bomber dating from the Second World War. Bits of the bomber and crew were recovered [8].
Cartographic sources
A search was made in Aylesbury Record Office for maps relating to the site. The Tithe map of 1844 (not illustrated) shows no detail of any physical remains on or near the site. However the Tithe Award is more descriptive, as plot 990 which is the triangular parcel of land where the suggested settlement exists, is called
Banking Meadow. Plot 989, which covers the site, was called Little Grange Field. It is described as arable and was owned by John Newman and John Macbean.
The First Edition Ordnance survey map surveyed between 1874 and 1877 (Fig. 6), also shows no earthworks in or around the area. The site is a field, possibly arable. The same is true for the Ordnance Survey editions of 1898, 1925 and 1975.
3 Objectives and methodology
The purpose of the evaluation was to determine the presence/absence, extent, condition, character, quality and date of any archaeological deposits within the area of development. In particular the work undertaken involved clearing a stripped area to evaluate any archaeological features that may have been exposed; cleaning and recording of exposed sections that may contain archaeological features; trial trenching of areas that remained to be terraced and a walkover and metal detecting survey of the spoilheaps.
Specific aims of the evaluation were; a) To determine if archaeologically relevant levels have survived on site. b) To determine if archaeological deposits of any period are present. c) To determine if any deposits relating to the presence of late Saxon or medieval occupation of the hamlet of
Pirenore are present.
Four trenches were dug using a 360º type machine fitted with a toothless grading bucket. All were dug under constant archaeological supervision and all spoilheaps were monitored for finds.
The stripped area and the section of the terraced area were monitored for archaeological deposits and finds and a metal detector survey of the spoilheap from the stripped area was also carried out.
A complete list of trenches giving lengths, breadths, depths and a description of sections and geology is given in Appendix 1. A complete list of features are detailed in Appendix 2.
Results (Fig 3-5)
Trench 1 (Plate 4)
This trench consisted of topsoil overlying clay and flint natural and was aligned east-west. Three gullies were identified (1-4). Feature (1) was a terminus, aligned approximately north west south east, through which a slot measuring 1.00m in length, 0.46m wide and 0.11m deep was excavated. No finds were recovered from its light grey brown silty clay fill (51). This continued into an adjacent gully, also aligned north west south east. A slot (3 and 4) was dug in order to determine the relationship between the two, although no clear relationship was recorded. No finds were retrieved from either of the features. A further gully (2), aligned roughly north south and parallel to (3) was identified. A slot measuring 0.87m in length, 0.46m wide and 0.23m deep was dug through it.
Again no dating evidence was retrieved from its light grey brown silty clay fill (52).
4 Trench 2
This trench consisted of topsoil directly overlying clay with flint natural. It was aligned south-west north-east.
No archaeological finds or features were observed in this trench.
Trench 3
Trench three consisted of topsoil directly overlying clay with flint natural. It was aligned east west. No archaeological finds or features were observed in this trench.
Trench 4 (Plates 1-3)
This trench consisted of topsoil overlying clay with flint natural. It was aligned north-east south-west. Three ditches and a gully were identified in this trench. Ditch (5) was partly machined out due to the difficulty of digging through the flint natural; this was carried out in consultation with the archaeological monitor. It measured 2.15m wide and 0.97m deep and contained three fills (55, 56, 57). The upper fill (55) was a light grey brown silty clay measuring 0.30m thick and contained 32 sherds of 2nd century Roman pottery. Fill (56) was an orangey brown silty clay and contained 82 sherds of 2nd century Roman pottery. The primary fill (57) was a black silty clay layer, which contained no finds. Gully (6) was cut by a modern gully, neither of which were excavated. Ditch (7) was again machined and contained a mid grey brown silty clay (59). This produced 2 sherds of 2nd century Roman pottery.
Metal Detector Survey
The metal detector survey produced no metal finds.
The Stripped Area
The stripped area (Fig. 3) which had been cleared with a toothless grading bucket, was examined for archaeological features. At the western side of this area the topsoil and natural geology had been dug to a depth of 1.65m. The stratigraphy consisted of 0.30m of topsoil onto 1.35m of the natural clay geology. The area sloped up from west to east, and the eastern end was 1.35m deep. No archaeology was visible either in plan or in section.
5 Finds
Pottery by Paul Blinkhorn
The pottery assemblage comprised 116 sherds with a total weight of 582g. It was all of Romano-British date, and was recorded using the coding system of the Milton Keynes Archaeological Unit type-series (Marney 1989), as follows:
F1a: Wheel-thrown shell-tempered ware. 1st – 2nd century AD. 78 sherds, 213g. F2: Soft Pink Grogged ware, 2nd – 4th century AD. 8 sherds, 65g. F28: Local Romano-British Greyware , 2nd century AD. 24 sherds, 250g. F45: Grogged Shelly Ware, 1st – 2nd century AD. 6 sherds, 54g.
The pottery occurrence by number and weight of sherds per context by fabric type is shown in Table 1
(Appendix 4). Each date should be regarded as a terminus post quem.
The assemblage was generally in a poor condition, with all the sherds abraded to a greater or lesser degree.
This seems likely to be a result of the soil conditions rather than any major disturbance of the archaeological strata. All the shelly sherds were heavily leached, with the inclusions in the main represented by voids. However, nearly all the pottery from deposit 56 in cut 5 comprised the broken fragments of a single, near-complete vessel in fabric 1a, indicating that it is a primary deposit.
Burnt Flint (Appendix 5)
Two pieces of burnt flint weighing 47g were recovered from trench 4, ditch (5), fill (56).
Slag (Appendix 6)
Two piece of slag were recovered from Trench 4, ditch 5 fill 55, and weighed 8g.
Fired Clay (Appendix 7)
One piece of fired clay weighing 6g was recovered from Trench 4, ditch (5) fill (55), and two pieces were found in ditch (7) fill (59) weighing 4g.
Conclusion
Archaeological features were located in evaluation trenches 2 and 4, with no features observed in the stripped area and terraced sections. The ditches and gullies identified in trench 1, contained no dating evidence, and could date from any period from the prehistoric to the Post-medieval. The ditches and gullies observed in Trench 4,
6 which was situated adjacent to the suggested location of the medieval hamlet of Pirenore, were dated to the
Roman period 2nd century AD and produced 116 sherds of pottery in total. The Roman date of these features is perhaps surprising given their close proximity to the presumed medieval settlement in the field immediately to the east. It is distinctly possible in the light of these findings that the earthworks visible in this field may date from the Roman period and may not be of a medieval date, as initially thought.
A search of the Buckinghamshire SMR did not greatly add to our knowledge of the Roman or medieval periods in this area, as few stray finds or archaeological sites from either period are located in the near vicinity.
A sherd of Roman 3rd to 4th AD century pottery was found to the west of the site, but no other Roman finds are recorded. Similarly, a possible medieval pottery sherd is marked on a map in the SMR (Figure 1) to the east of the site, but no further artefacts are recorded.
A large number of prehistoric flints have been found in the near vicinity, which could suggest that sites dating from the Neolithic or Bronze Age may exist in this area. The undated gullies in Trench 1 may possibly indicate the existence of prehistoric activity, however they could also be Roman or medieval.
It would seen likely that further Roman or multiperiod features, possibly associated with the earthworks in the field to the east, will be found in the area of Trench 4 and the proposed potting shed. Any further ground reduction or excavation in this area will impact on these archaeological features and deposits. Similarly if further work is proposed in the area of Trench 1 archaeological deposits, of unknown date, may be disturbed.
References BGS, 1971, British Geological Survey, 1:50000, Sheet 255, Drift Edition, Keyworth Marney, PT, 1989, Roman and Belgic Pottery from Excavations in Milton Keynes, 1972-82 Buckinghamshire Archaeol Soc Monog Ser 2 PPG16, 1990, Archaeology and Planning, Dept of the Environment Planning Policy Guidance 16, HMSO Radford, D, 2005, Grange, Farm, Widmer End, Hughenden, Buckinghamshire, Brief for an Archaeological Evaluation, Buckinghamshire County Archaeological Service
7 APPENDIX 1: Trench details 0m at S or W end
Trench No. Length (m) Breadth (m) Depth (m) Comment 1 21.50m 2.30 E=0.29m Contained 4 undated gullies (1-4). Trench was aligned east west. W=0.33m Silty clay topsoil 0.24m deep above 0.24-0.29m orange clay with flints. Plate 4 2 21.50m 2.30 SW=0.42m Contained no archaeological features. Trench was aligned south-west NE=0.43m north-east. Mid brown silty clay topsoil 0.40m thickness above orange clay with flints. 3 22.60m 2.30 W=0.42m Contained no archaeological features. Aligned east west. Mid brown E=0.43m silty clay topsoil 0.35-0.37m depth above orange clay with flints. 4 30.20m 2.30 SW=0.40m Aligned north-east south-west. Contained four features ditches 5 and 7 NE=0.35m and gully 6. Ditches 5 and 7 produced pottery dating to the 2nd century AD. A modern ditch was also recorded (unexcavated). Topsoil 0.35- 0.40m deep, above orange clay with flints. Plate 1-3
8 APPENDIX 2: Feature details
Trench Cut Fill (s) Type Date Dating evidence 1 1 51 Gully terminus Undated none 1 2 52 Gully slot Undated none 1 3 53 Gully slot Undated none 1 4 54 Gully slot Undated none 4 5 55 Ditch slot Roman 2nd C? Pottery 4 5 56 Ditch slot Roman 2nd C Pottery 4 5 57 Ditch slot undated none 4 6 58 Gully unexcavated undated none 4 7 59 Ditch slot Roman 2nd C? Pottery
9 APPENDIX 3: SMR records in the vicinity of the site
No. SMR Reference NGR Period Type Comment 1 0212802000 SU8825 Medieval/Post Farmhouse C15 th-16th century, altered 17th and 19th centuries. 9585 Medieval now derelict Right bay has collapsed. 2 0613100004 SU8859 Prehistoric Findspot 6 flint flakes, and 1 tranchet arrowhead 9581 3 0613100000 SU8843 Prehistoric Artefact 3 worked flints found 2m apart. Subsequent field 9600 early Neolithic scatter walking identified 4 distinct flint scatters. 4 0624900000 SU8806 Prehistoric Findspot 8 flint flakes 9586 5 0624800000 SU8823 Prehistoric Findspot 1 double platform core and 2 flakes 9555 6 0613100001 SU88589610 Prehistoric Findspot 1 side scraper and 2 flakes of black flint 7 0613100002 SU8852 Prehistoric Findspot 5 flint flakes 9627 8 0595600000 SU8794 20th century and Findspot c.1982 group dug to find a Hampden Bomber, bits 9580 Roman and crew were recovered, 1 basal sherd of RB colour coat c3rd-4th century AD was also recovered. 9 0613100003 SU8836 Prehistoric Findspot 3 flint flakes 9627 10 0212800001 SU8830 Medieval Findspot and The possible deserted Medieval settlement of 9590 settlement Pirenore. 11 0875800000 19th century to Extractive pit Shown on 1st Edition OS modern 12 0875800000 19th century Extractive pit Shown on 1st Edition OS 13 0876100000 SU 8758000 19th century Extractive pit Shown on 1st Edition OS
10
APPENDIX 4: Pottery occurrence by number and weight (in g) of sherds per context by fabric type
BA F1a F2 F28 F45 Cut Deposit No Wt No Wt No Wt No Wt No Wt Date Spoil heap 1 137 U/S 5 55 1 8 1 2 6 61 21 108 3 40 2nd C? 5 56 77 211 2 4 3 14 2nd C 7 59 2 5 2nd C? Total 1 8 78 213 8 65 24 250 6 54
11 APPENDIX 5: Burnt Flint
Trench No Cut Deposit No Weight (in g) 4 5 56 2 47
12 APPENDIX 6: Slag
Trench no Cut Deposit No Weight (in g) 4 5 55 2 8
13
APPENDIX 7: Fired clay
Trench No Cut Deposit No Weight (in g) 4 5 55 1 6 4 7 59 3 4
14 SITE
97000
9 7
13 SITE 6
96000 3
10 4 1 2 8 14 12
5 11
SU87000 88000 GFH 05/63 Grange Farm, Widmer End, Hughenden, Buckinghamshire, 2005 Archaeological Evaluation
Figure 1. Location of site within Hughenden and Buckinghamshire.
Reproduced from Ordnance Survey Pathfinder 1138 SU89/99 at 1:12500 Ordnance Survey Licence 100025880 Grange Farm, Widmer End, Hughenden, Buckinghamshire, 2005
N
Widmer End
SITE
96000
High Wycombe Four Ashes Grange Farm
955000
SU87500 88000 88500 89000
0 500m
Figure 2. Location of site GFH 05/63 Grange Farm, Widmer End, Hughenden, Buckinghamshire, 2005
96100
N
2 34 1
1 3 2
96000
Stripped area
7 4 6
5 Grange Farm
95900
SU88100 88200 88300 88400 88500
0 100m Figure 3. Location of trenches and features GFH 05/63 Grange Farm, Widmer End, Hughenden, Buckinghamshire, 2005
Trench 1 N
4
2 12m 17m 3 1
N
Trench 4
hand dug 5 6 (not excavated)
2m 6m 12m machine dug Modern
Trench 4 (continued)
7 N
15m 19m
0 5m
Figure 4. Plans GFH 05/63 Grange Farm, Widmer End, Hughenden, Buckinghamshire, 2005
SW NE W E 179.77m 179.89mAOD 51 52 1 2
S NW E N S 179.91m
53 54 3 4
SW NE 179.03m
50
55
56
Natural
57
5
NE SW 179.57m
50
59 Natural
7
0 2m
Figure 5. Sections GFH 05/63 SITE
GFH05/63 Grange Farm, Widmer End, Hughenden Buckinghamshire 2005 An Archaeological Evaluation
Figure 6. 1st Edition Ordnance Survey Surveyed 1874-1877 Plate 1. Trench 4 looking north 2m scale.
Plate 2. Ditch 7 Trench 4 south-east facing section, 2m scale
GFH05-63 Plate 3. Ditch 5 Trench 4, south-east facing section, 2m scale
Plate 4. Gully terminus 2, Trench 1 looking north-west, 0.50m scale.
GFH05-63