Archaeology South-East ASE An Archaeological Desk-Based Assessment at The Seaford Head Community College, Seaford, East Sussex NGR 548741, 098701 TV 487 987 Lewes District Seaford Parish Prepared for NPS South East Ltd Richard James BA, MIFA Project No. 4082 Report No. 2009170 November 2009 An Archaeological Desk-Based Assessment at The Seaford Head Community College, Seaford, East Sussex NGR 548741, 098701 TV 487 987 Lewes District Seaford Parish Prepared for NPS South East Ltd Richard James BA, MIFA Project No. 4082 Report No. 2009170 November 2009 Archaeology South-East, Units 1 & 2 2 Chapel Place Portslade East Sussex BN41 1DR Tel: 01273 426830 Fax: 01273 420866 [email protected] www.archaeologyse.co.uk Archaeology South-East Seaford Head Community College, Seaford _____________________________________________________________________ Summary A Desk Based Assessment has been prepared for a site at Seaford Head Community College, East Sussex in advance of a proposed new sports hall development. The Site is currently occupied by a hard play area adjacent to existing school buildings. A review of existing archaeological and historical sources suggests that the site has a moderate potential for containing archaeological deposits of prehistoric, Romano-British and post-medieval date. The evidence has been reviewed and recommendations for further mitigation are offered. _____________________________________________________________________ i Archaeology South-East Seaford Head Community College, Seaford _____________________________________________________________________ CONTENTS 1.0 Introduction 2.0 Site Topography and Geology 3.0 Planning Background 4.0 Archaeological and Historical Background 5.0 Cartographic Evidence 6.0 Air Photographs 7.0 Walkover Survey 8.0 Assessment of Archaeological Potential 9.0 Existing Impacts on Archaeological Potential 10.0 Impact of Proposed Development 11.0 Recommendations 12.0 Acknowledgments References Appendix 1: Summary Table of Archaeological Sites _____________________________________________________________________ ii Archaeology South-East Seaford Head Community College, Seaford _____________________________________________________________________ LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Fig. 1 Site Location and Archaeological Data Fig. 2 Site Plan Fig. 3 Thomas Marchant, 1772 Fig. 4 Seaford Tithe, 1839 Fig. 5 OS 25”, 1874 Fig. 6 OS 25”, 1899 Fig. 7 OS 25”, 1910 Fig. 8 OS 25”, 1927 Fig. 9 OS 25”, 1938 Fig. 10 OS 1:2500, 1963-64 Fig. 11 OS 1:2500, 1974-75 Fig. 12 RAF/58/613, 5 April 1951 _____________________________________________________________________ iii Archaeology South-East Seaford Head Community College, Seaford ________________________________________________________________________ 1.0 INTRODUCTION 1.1 Archaeology South-East (a division of the University College London Centre for Applied Archaeology) has been commissioned by NPS South East Ltd to carry out an archaeological appraisal, consisting of a desk based assessment (DBA) and preliminary walkover survey, of the Seaford Head Community College (Lower), Seaford, East Sussex (Figs 1 & 2). The Appraisal Site is proposed for a new sports hall. This report defines the Appraisal Site as the area immediately adjacent to the existing college buildings, as identified on a plan provided by the client. It also considers the wider potential of the College Grounds. 1.2 This report follows the recommendations set out by the Institute of Field Archaeologists in Standards and Guidance for Archaeological Desk- Based Assessments (IFA 2001) and utilises existing information in order to establish as far as possible the archaeological potential of the Appraisal Site. 1.3 The location is shown on Fig. 1. Centred on National Grid Reference 548741, 098701, the Appraisal Site lies on the southern edge of Seaford, to the east of the historic core. The area identified for the Proposed Development comprises an L-shaped area on the western and northern sides of the existing Seaford Community College. The college grounds occupy an area of reclaimed marshland, formerly part of the estuary of the Ouse, with the southern end extending onto part of a small knoll now occupied by Corsica Hall. The high ground of the Blatchington and Sutton Downs lie to the north and Seaford Head to the east. The Appraisal Site is currently occupied by the buildings and playing fields of Seaford Head Community College (Lower) (formerly Seaford Head Lower School), and is bounded by Steyne Road to the north, residential properties bordering Cricketfield Road to the west, Corsica Hall to the south-west, Corsica Close to the south-east and residential properties bordering Fitzgerald Avenue to the east. 1.4 A wider Study Area with a radius of 1km has been considered to place the Appraisal Site in context (Fig. 1). This Study Area includes a large number of Listed Buildings – only those directly affected by the proposed development are considered in this report. 1.5 It should be noted that this form of non-intrusive appraisal cannot be seen to be a definitive statement on the presence or absence of archaeological remains within any area but rather as an indicator of the area’s potential based on existing information. Further non-intrusive and intrusive investigations such as geophysical surveys and machine-excavated trial trenching are usually needed to conclusively define the presence/absence, character and quality of any archaeological remains in a given area. _____________________________________________________________________ 1 Archaeology South-East Seaford Head Community College, Seaford ________________________________________________________________________ 1.6 In drawing up this desk based assessment, cartographic and documentary sources held by the East Sussex Record Office at Lewes have been consulted. Archaeological data was obtained from the Historic Environment Record held by East Sussex County Council. Listed Building and Conservation Area data was acquired from English Heritage and Lewes District Council. Relevant sources held within Lewes reference library and the Archaeology South-East library were utilised, and appropriate Internet databases interrogated. These included: The Defence of Britain Project, The English Heritage NMR Excavation Index and National Inventory, and the Magic website, which holds government digital data of designated sites (Scheduled Ancient Monuments, Registered Historic Parks and Gardens and Registered Historic Battlefields) in GIS map form. 2.0 SITE TOPOGRAPHY AND GEOLOGY 2.1 The site is currently flat and is situated on reclaimed marshland. The northern strip, including part of the modern car park, appears to have been cut into the gentle natural slope. 2.2 According to the British Geological Survey 1:50,000 map (Sheet 334, Eastbourne), the Appraisal Site lies on alluvial deposits relating to the former estuarine harbour. The southern end of the College Grounds lie on a localised spur of Woolwich Beds, an eroded deposit of marine clays overlying the Upper and Middle Chalk. A geotechnical investigation carried out by East Sussex County Council in March 1997 revealed alluvium to a depth of at least 4m with chalk fill in places1. The location of the test-pits in relation to the Appraisal Site is unknown due to the location map in the supplied copy being obscured, although it is likely to be the block immediately to the south. 3.0 PLANNING BACKGROUND 3.1 Town and Country Planning Legislation and Procedures 3.1.1 Government guidance to local authorities is given in Planning Policy Guidance Notes (PPGs). ‘PPG16 covers Archaeology and Planning. PPG 15 “Planning and the Historic Environment”, although concerned principally with listed buildings and conservation areas, also includes references to elements of the historic environment. 1 Site Investigation for Seaford Head Lower School. ESCC Report 2134, April 1997. _____________________________________________________________________ 2 Archaeology South-East Seaford Head Community College, Seaford ________________________________________________________________________ Consideration of detailed planning issues is beyond the remit of this report, but the general background as relating to archaeological matters can be briefly summarised as follows: Archaeological remains should be seen as a finite, and non-renewable, resource...care must be taken to ensure that [they] are not needlessly or thoughtlessly destroyed. (PPG 16 para. 6). Where nationally important remains, whether scheduled or not, and their settings, are affected by proposed development there should be a presumption in favour of their physical preservation. [In the case of] remains of lesser importance...planning authorities will need to weigh the relative importance of the archaeology against other factors including the need for the proposed development (PPG 16 para. 8). If physical preservation in situ is not feasible, an archaeological excavation...may be an acceptable alternative (PPG 16 para. 13). ...the key to the future of the great majority of archaeological sites lies with local authorities, acting within the framework set by central government...Appropriate policies in development plans and their implementation through development control will be especially important. (PPG 16 para 14). 3.2 South East Plan 3.2.1 The South East Plan (published 06/05/2009) sets out strategic policies concerning the whole of the South East Region, and partly replaces the now defunct county-level structure plans. The relevant policy covering the historic environment