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The Historic Environment Consultancy ARCHAEOLOGICAL The Historic Environment Consultancy ARCHAEOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT For THE QUEEN’S HEAD 34 WATERMOOR ROAD CIRENCESTER GLOUCESTERSHIRE National Grid Reference: SP02710129 Colin Lacey BA MSc PIfA 04/10/2010 ARCHAEOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT for THE QUEEN’S HEAD, 34 WATERMOOR ROAD CIRENCESTER, GLOUCESTERSHIRE by Colin Lacey BA MSc PIfA 04/10/2010 Site Name The Queen’s Head Address 34 Watermoor Road, Cirencester County Gloucestershire NGR SP02710129 Function Disused public house Archaeological Po tential High TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. Introduction ........................................................................................ 3 1.1 The Client .................................................................................... 3 1.2 Confidentiality and Copyright ............................................................. 3 1.3 Location ....................................................................................... 3 1.4 The Site ....................................................................................... 5 2. Archaeological Background ...................................................................... 7 2.1 Prehistoric .................................................................................... 8 2.2 Roman ......................................................................................... 8 2.3 Post-Roman - Medieval ..................................................................... 9 2.4 Post-Medieval ................................................................................ 9 2.5 Undated Archaeological Evidence ......................................................... 9 2.6 Sites & Monuments Record ................................................................. 9 3. Deposit Survey .................................................................................... 10 4. Archaeological Potential ........................................................................ 10 5. Appendix: Analysis of Historic Maps ........................................................... 12 5.1 Methodology ................................................................................. 12 5.2 1885 Ordnance Survey ..................................................................... 14 5.3 1902 Ordnance Survey ..................................................................... 15 5.4 1925 Ordnance Survey ..................................................................... 16 5.5 Modern Ordnance Survey .................................................................. 17 TABLE OF FIGURES Figure 1: General Location Plan (not to scale) ..................................................... 4 Figure 2: Detailed Location Plan (red line, not to scale) .......................................... 4 Figure 3: Map of Roman Cirencester, approximate site location indicated .................... 7 Figure 4: Plan of site with OD levels and estimated route of foul drain, 1:200 @ A4 ........ 11 Figure 5: 1885 Ordnance Survey plan ............................................................... 14 Figure 6: 1902 Ordnance Survey plan ............................................................... 15 Figure 7: 1925 Ordnance Survey plan ............................................................... 16 Figure 8: Modern Ordnance Survey plan ............................................................ 17 TABLE OF PLATES Plate 1: Southeast aspect .............................................................................. 5 Plate 2: Northwest aspect ............................................................................. 6 1. Introduction 1.1 The Client This report was commissioned by Julian Phillips of Abberley Design for and on behalf of GM MacEchern & DM Backhouse who are the landowners. 1.2 Confidentiality and Copyright This document is to remain confidential for a period of 12 months or until it forms part of a formal planning application or until otherwise indicated by The Client. The copyright of this report belongs to The Historic Environment Consultancy and The Client. No liability to third parties is accepted for advice and statements made in this report. All Ordnance Survey maps included in this report are Crown Copyright, All Rights Reserved. They are reproduced under license number 100047006. 1.3 Location The site is located on the corner of Watermoor Road and Stepstairs Lane, Cirencester. The general location is shown in Figure 1 and the specific location in Figure 2. Figure 1: General Location Plan (not to scale) Figure 2: Detailed Location Plan (red line, not to scale) 1.4 The Site The site is the yard to the rear of a disused public house, The Queen’s Head. The yard is noticeably higher than the surrounding area, on an area of made ground. The surface of the yard is a combination of modern paving and concrete slab. Cutting through the site, running northwest-southeast, a 20 th century foul water drain is located. Its approximate location is known from the locations of inspection hatches. Plate 1: Southeast aspect Plate 2: Northwest aspect 2. Archaeological Background The site is located in the Cirencester South conservation area. Prior to the arrival of the Romans, the area was located in the territory of the Dobunni tribe, whose capital was at Bagendon, some six miles northwest of Cirencester. In AD 43-44, a Roman fort was constructed at Cirencester, thought to be one of the earliest in Britain. Later, the Roman town of Corinium Dobunnorum was constructed around modern Cirencester. Corinium had an amphitheatre, still visible to the southwest of the modern town. Corinium is considered to have been the second largest Roman town in Britain and is thought to have been responsible for administration of the southwest of the country. The town was a centre for craft and manufacture. Figure 3: Map of Roman Cirencester, approximate site location indicated 1 The site lies immediately adjacent to the road on the northeast side of Insula VII, at the southern end of the Roman town. The town grid system was set out in the first century AD. Where it runs past the site, Watermoor Road is thought to follow the route of Ermin Street – a significant Roman road connecting Gloucester with Silchester, via Cirencester. 1 Reproduced from Wacher, J. 1995. The Towns of Roman Britain . London: BCA (pg 305) Cirencester is the meeting point of several Roman roads - the aforementioned Ermin Street, Akeman Street, the Foss Way and the White Way. Cirencester remained an important settlement throughout the Saxon period, and in the 12 th century Cirencester Abbey was founded, and during the Civil War was an important strategic location. Despite the wealth of Roman remains in the area, there is comparatively little evidence for post Roman activity. The town is thought to have declined in the fourth century, after which evidence is sparse. A summary of archaeological evidence within the vicinity of The Queen’s Head follows: 2.1 Prehistoric There is some evidence for late Iron Age or early 1st century activity on Victoria Road, c. 280m northeast of the site. 2.2 Roman The site is located a short distance inside the substantial Roman walls and defences in the southeast part of the Roman town. Bastions / towers in the walls are noted on Stepstairs Lane with a single tower c. 190m ESE of the site and a pair of towers 75m to the south. Approximately 180m east of the site, the remains of a possible wooden tower were revealed, considered likely to predate the Roman town walls. The Watermoor Road area is rich in Roman remains including buildings, pavements, water courses and roads with innumerable finds of ceramic, coins and domestic debris throughout. Both high and low status buildings are known within the town. Where it runs past the site, Watermoor Road is thought to follow the route of Ermin Street – a significant Roman road connecting Gloucester with Silchester, via Cirencester. The tombstones of three Roman civilians were excavated in 1971 during the Stepstairs redevelopment, 145m SSE of the site. No burials were noted, however an inhumation burial was recorded at Church Street, 60m east of the site, at a depth of 0.9m and an undated coffined burial is noted 195m to the northwest. 30m south of the site, evidence for the early civilian occupation of Corinium was revealed, including a second century well. Contemporary with this, immediately to the west of the site, a Roman building with garden, rubbish pits containing domestic refuse and an oven containing organic remains was excavated. A Roman roadside building, suggested to be a portico, was recorded c. 170m east of the site. The height of the known Roman archaeology within the vicinity varies from as little as 100mm (107.78mAOD) to 1.40m (105.75mAOD) below the present ground level. In certain areas, Roman remains are also fairly dense: The excavation of two holes 65cm square by 45cm deep c. 130m north of the site revealed a Roman mortar spread probably reflecting the presence of a Roman building nearby as well as a quantity of Roman tesserae, a fragment of pila and 5 bronze coins. A Roman villa and well are noted on the first edition Ordnance Survey map, some 65m NNE of the site. 2.3 Post-Roman - Medieval Medieval dark earth deposits are known across the area, some overlying natural despite being within the Roman town, suggesting the area in which they were found was a garden during the Roman occupation. One such deposit was found c. 50m west of the site. Evidence for the robbing of Roman stone during the medieval period is know from St Michael’s Field, 230m NNW of the site, along with medieval
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