Land on Seaton Hill, William Prance Road, Plymouth, PL6 5ZD, 17/01288/FUL Archaeological Field Evaluation
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Land on Seaton Hill, William Prance Road, Plymouth, PL6 5ZD, 17/01288/FUL Archaeological Field Evaluation Prepared for CDS Superstores (International) Limited Tamar House, Thornbury Road, Forresters Business Park, Plymouth, PL6 7LP By Report Number 122 28th November 2017 Black Mountains Archaeology Ltd Land on Seaton Hill, William Prance Road Report No. 122 Archaeological Field Evaluation Contents Page Summary .......................................................................................................................... 3 1 Introduction .................................................................................................................. 4 1.1 Project Background and Proposals ........................................................................... 4 1.2 Objectives ................................................................................................................. 4 1.3 Legislative Framework .............................................................................................. 4 1.4 Location, Topography and Geology .......................................................................... 5 1.5 Archaeological background ...................................................................................... 5 2 Methodology ................................................................................................................ 7 3 Results .......................................................................................................................... 9 3.1 Stratigraphical evidence ........................................................................................... 9 4 Conclusions ................................................................................................................. 12 5 Bibliography ................................................................................................................ 13 6 Appendices ................................................................................................................. 14 6.1 Appendix I Figures .................................................................................................. 14 6.2 Appendix II Plates ................................................................................................... 24 6.3 Appendix III Context Inventory ............................................................................... 36 Acknowledgements and Copyright ................................................................................ 40 Figures Figure 1. Location of archaeological evaluation trenches (T1-T9 as surveyed) overlaid onto proposed development plan. ..................................................................................... 14 Figure 2. Plan of Trench 1 showing Culvert 104 and HV Cable. .............................................. 15 Figure 4. Plan of Trench 3 showing Demolition material 303. ............................................... 17 Figure 5. Plan of Trench 4 showing Foul Drainage Pipe 404. ................................................. 18 Figure 6. Plan of Trench 5 showing Fe Water Pipes. .............................................................. 19 Figure 7. Plan of Trench 6 showing HV cables, Fe Water Main and Tarmac Path (605). ........ 20 Figure 8. Plan of Trench 7 showing Brick Culvert 704. ........................................................... 21 Figure 9. Plan of Trench 8 showing HV cable, Drains (805, 806 and 807) and Manhole (808). .................................................................................................................................... 22 Figure 10. Plan of Trench 9 showing Culverts 906 and 907. ................................................... 23 Plates Plate 1. Trench 1, view to W of Culvert 104. Scale 1m in 0.5m sections. ............................... 24 Plate 2. Trench 1, view to S of Culvert 104. Scale 1m in 0.5m sections. ................................ 24 Plate 3. Trench 1, view to W of HV Cable. Scale 1m in 0.5m sections. .................................. 25 Plate 4. Trench 2, view to N of Ditch 207 and Wall 208. Scale 1m in 0.5m sections. ............. 25 Plate 5. Trench 2, view to E of Ditch 207. Scale 1m in 0.5m sections. ................................... 26 Plate 6. Trench 3, view to N of Demolition 303. Scale 1m in 0.5m sections. ......................... 26 Plate 7. Trench 3, view to S of Demolition 303. Scales in 0.5m sections. .............................. 27 Plate 8. Trench 4, view to E. Scales in 0.5m sections. ............................................................ 27 Plate 9. Trench 4, view to W showing Foul Pipe 404. Scales in 0.5m sections. ...................... 28 Plate 10. Trench 4, view to S of sample section. Scales in 0.5m sections. ............................. 28 Plate 11. Trench 5, view to S showing natural 506 and redeposited. Scales in 0.5m sections. .................................................................................................................................... 29 Black Mountains Archaeology Ltd Land on Seaton Hill, William Prance Road Report No. 122 Archaeological Field Evaluation Plate 12. Trench 5, view to W of section through bund. Scales in 0.5m sections. ................. 29 Plate 13. Trench 5, view S of x2 Fe Water Pipes Scale in 0.5m sections ................................ 30 Plate 14. Trench 6, view S of 150mm Fe Water Main and HV cable. Scale in 0.5m sections. 30 Plate 15. Trench 6, view W of 150mm Fe Water Main. Scale in 0.5m sections. .................... 31 Plate 16. Trench 6, view S of HV cable. Scale in 0.5m sections. ............................................. 31 Plate 17. Trench 6, view S perimeter bund. Scale in 0.5m sections ....................................... 32 Plate 18. Trench 6, view S of Tarmac Path (605). Scale in 0.5m sections. .............................. 32 Plate 19. Trench 7, view S of Culvert 704. Scale in 0.5m sections. ......................................... 33 Plate 20. Trench 7, view N of Culvert 704. Scale in 0.5m sections. ........................................ 33 Plate 21. Trench 8, view to W of Ditches 805, 806, 807 and Manhole 808. Scale 1m in 0.5m sections. ...................................................................................................................... 34 Plate 22. Trench 8, view to W of HV cable. Scale 1m in 0.5m sections .................................. 34 Plate 23. Trench 9, view N of Culverts 906 and 907. Scale in 0.5m sections. ......................... 35 Plate 24. Trench 9, view E of section. Scale in 0.5m sections. ............................................... 35 Front cover: View to the south west of Trench 8. Black Mountains Archaeology Ltd Land on Seaton Hill, William Prance Road Report No. 122 Archaeological Field Evaluation Summary Black Mountains Archaeology Ltd were commissioned by CDS Superstores (International) Limited to carry out an archaeological field evaluation ahead of a proposed mixed-use development at Land on Seaton Hill, William Prance Road, Plymouth PL6 5ZD to inform on the nature and extent of any archaeological remains on the site (17/01288/FUL). The archaeological field evaluation consisted of the excavation of nine 10m x 2m trenches in areas where low made ground cover has been demonstrated during geotechnical investigation. The present report sets out the results of the archaeological field evaluation in accordance with the advice provided by Dr John Salvatore (Plymouth City Council Archaeologist). The archaeological field evaluation demonstrated the presences of services, culverts and other below ground brick and concrete built structures associated with the area’s former use as an army barracks and MOD residential housing. No deposits or features of archaeological significance were recorded. The evaluation also demonstrated that the site has been significantly disturbed, down to several metres in places, with almost all trenches encountering redeposited natural clay-loams and weathered Upper Devonian Slate bedrock. Due to the level of disturbance found in all trenches the potential for any further archaeological deposits or features surviving across the site must now be considered poor. The field evaluation was undertaken to the professional standards of the Chartered Institute for Archaeologists Standard and guidance for an archaeological field evaluation. Published 2014. Black Mountains Archaeology Ltd Land on Seaton Hill, William Prance Road Report No. 122 Archaeological Field Evaluation 1 Introduction 1.1 Project Background and Proposals 1.1.1 Black Mountains Archaeology Ltd were commissioned by CDS Superstores (International) Limited to carry out an archaeological field evaluation ahead of a proposed mixed-use development at Land on Seaton Hill, William Prance Road, Plymouth PL6 5ZD to inform on the nature and extent of any archaeological remains on the site (17/01288/FUL). The proposed development consists of the erection of an office building (Class B1), retail superstore (Class A1 [bulky goods]), cafe (Class A3), 350 space car park, landscaping and associated works. 1.1.2 The present report sets out the results of the archaeological field evaluation in accordance with the advice provided by Dr John Salvatore (Plymouth City Council Archaeologist). 1.1.3 The field evaluation was undertaken to the professional standards of the Chartered Institute for Archaeologists Standard and guidance for an archaeological field evaluation. Published 2014. 1.2 Objectives 1.2.1 The definition of an archaeological Field