Archaeology in the Severn Estuary 21 (2010), 47-80 47 CASTING THE NET WIDE: MAPPING AND DATING FISH TRAPS THROUGH THE SEVERN ESTUARY RAPID COASTAL ZONE ASSESSMENT SURVEY By Adrian M. Chadwick and Toby Catchpole Gloucestershire County Council Archaeology Service, Environment Directorate, Shire Hall, Gloucester GL1 2TH. E-mail: [email protected]; [email protected] Gloucestershire and Somerset County Councils Datum), and extends 1 km inland of Mean High have been undertaking the English Heritage Water (MHW). The RCZAS covers parts of the funded Rapid Coastal Zone Assessment Survey modern local authorities of Gloucestershire, South (RCZAS) of the archaeology of the Severn Estuary Gloucestershire, Bristol, North Somerset and in England since 2006. Phase 1 consisted of a Somerset, as well as part of Exmoor National Park desk-based assessment of all known recorded and the Quantock Hills Area of Outstanding historical and archaeological assets within the National Beauty. The work is being undertaken RCZAS area, along with the transcription and by staff of the Gloucestershire County Council analysis of aerial photographic and LiDAR data. Archaeology Service (GCCAS) and the Somerset A pilot stage of GPS-based survey took place Historic Environment Service on behalf of during April-June 2009 in order to test equipment, English Heritage and the relevant local authorities methodologies and logistics for a more extensive and other stakeholders. Phase 2 fieldwork programme undertaken in April -October 2010 and March-April 2011. This England’s Coastal Heritage (Fulford et al report focuses on the numerous fishing structures 1997) identified the Severn Estuary as a priority from different periods that have been recorded area, and along with similar projects around the during aerial and field survey, and builds upon entire English coast (e.g. Paddenberg and Hession previous studies of fishing-related structures and 2008), the Severn Estuary RCZAS was intended activities within the Severn Estuary. It includes to enhance the archaeological record of the coastal the results of the radiocarbon dating of selected zone and inform future Shoreline Management samples taken from these structures. The results Plans (SMPs). The Severn Estuary RCZAS is one of the Severn Estuary RCZAS reinforce the of the largest of these surveys in terms of its area. economic and social importance fishing once had The maritime archaeology of the Severn Estuary to many coastal and riverside communities along below Lowest Astronomical Tide (Chart Datum) the River Severn. has been the subject of a separate report (Burton et al 2007) and a historic seascape characterisation INTRODUCTION has also recently been completed by Cornwall Council and Seazone (Taylor et al 2011). At an The Severn Estuary Rapid Coastal Zone early stage in the project, and based on the results Assessment Survey (RCZAS) is funded by of previous studies, it was recognised that the English Heritage through the National Heritage remains of fishing-related structures would form Protection Commissions Programme (NHPCP). the most numerous category of archaeological The extensive project area of approximately 575 feature encountered during inter-tidal survey km² extends northwards from Beachley near the work. First Severn Crossing to Maisemore Weir upstream of Gloucester, and from Maisemore PHASE 1 DESK-BASED ASSESSMENT Weir south-west to Porlock Weir (Fig. 1). It AND AERIAL SURVEY encompasses the intertidal zone and foreshore down to Lowest Astronomical Tide (Chart 48 Chadwick and Catchpole—Casting the Net Wide Figure 1 The Severn Estuary coastline and the extent of the RCZAS project area. Phase 1 of the project (Mullin 2008; Mullin et al identify new examples. It was undertaken by 2009) comprised a desk-based assessment of GCCAS staff based in Swindon as part of English published books and research articles, local Heritage’s National Mapping Programme (NMP) authority Historic Environment Records (HERs) (Crowther and Dickson 2008; Truscoe 2007). and Records Offices, the Marine and Terrestrial This was intended to complement other NMP Archaeology Databases in the National work and previous research and survey projects in Monuments Record (NMR), the National the region. Hydrographic Office in Taunton, and the Maritime and Coastguard Agency’s Receiver of Despite problems with rectification on some Wrecks. The report provided a record of all extensive but largely featureless intertidal areas, known archaeological sites within the study area, the Severn Estuary RCZAS NMP created 928 new an assessment of current erosion patterns and monument records in the National Monument threats, an overview of coastal change from the Record (NMR) AMIE database, whilst 373 Palaeolithic to the present day, and a list of sites existing records were revised. The assessment of that required field survey. LiDAR data provided by the Environment Agency for two selected areas proved it to be a useful The Phase 1 work included analyses of aerial complementary methodology (Truscoe 2007). photographs and LiDAR data to confirm the The new monument records included large location of known archaeological features and to numbers of previously unrecorded V- and U- Archaeology in the Severn Estuary 21 (2010), 47-80 49 shaped intertidal fishing features at Bridgwater logistics of future fieldwork, in addition to Bay, Stert Flats, St Audrie’s Bay, Blue Anchor verifying and characterising known sites and Bay and Minehead Bay. In the inner estuary the identifying new archaeological features not most common features were the remains of putt previously recorded through aerial survey. and putcher ranks. In total the NMP survey Fishing-related remains once again formed the identified 352 fishing structures within the Severn majority of these (Catchpole and Chadwick 2009). RCZAS study area. RCZAS staff were able to take part in several training ‘flights’ of the Burnham-on-Sea rescue PHASE 2a AND 2 FIELD SURVEY hovercraft, allowing them to record stake-built fishing features at Berrow Flats 800 metres out RCZAS fieldwork focuses mostly on the inter- from the MHW level across otherwise tidal zone rather than the coastal hinterland inaccessible deep mud deposits. (Murphy 2007). Phase 2a of the Severn RCZAS consisted of initial pilot fieldwork during April- The main Phase 2 survey took place during June 2009, informed by previous results and April-October 2010 and March-April 2011. As recommendations (Burton et al 2007; Merritt and with the Stage 2a survey, handheld Global Cooper 2005; Murphy 2007). This assessed Positioning System (GPS) equipped data loggers survey methodologies and the practicalities and were used to log the positions and key attributes N 025km © Crown Copyright and database right 2011. Ordnance Survey 100019134. Figure 2 Locations visited and recorded during RCZAS fieldwork. 50 Chadwick and Catchpole—Casting the Net Wide of identified features, usually with sub-metre Table 3 at the end of the paper gives a accuracy, though digital voice recorders for glossary of fishing terms used in the article. additional comments replaced the written forms employed in the Phase 2a pilot. A laser RESULTS rangefinder, Bluetooth-linked to the GPS data loggers, allowed features too difficult or Net and line fishing related features dangerous to access directly to be surveyed. Waterproof cameras with built-in GPS receivers The NMP aerial survey recorded many V- and U- provided positions and orientations for shaped features in Somerset that were photographs. No hovercraft were available for use in Phase 2, but at Berrow Flats and Stert Flats a hired Argocat 8 x 8 tracked All Terrain Vehicle (ATV) proved invaluable for transporting staff, equipment and samples over extensive distances. Previous RCZAS projects in Kent and East Anglia had involved comprehensive survey work over their entire coastlines, but budgetary limitations meant that for the Severn Estuary a targeted approach was undertaken instead in order to locate and characterise as much of the visible archaeological resource as possible. The Phase 1 work, Phase 2a fieldwork, reconnaissance visits and the recommendations of the South West Archaeological Research Framework (SWARF; Figure 3 A broad well-defined net hang line Webster 2008) highlighted areas of high and low at Dunster Beach. archaeological potential. Revised Shoreline Management Plans (SMP2s) for the Severn provisionally interpreted as fish traps of wooden Estuary and North Devon and Somerset areas and stone construction (Crowther and Dickson (Atkins Ltd 2009; Halcrow Group Ltd 2009) and 2008, 102, fig. 5.25). Fieldwork survey, however, the Severn Estuary Flood Risk Management established that some of these are linear and Strategy (Atkins Ltd 2010) were used to prioritise curvilinear arrangements of stone that acted as the areas and groups of features under threat for footrope weights for upright ‘net hangs’. Metal further investigation. In addition, the sheer posts or scaffolding poles are sometimes present numbers of fishing-related features in areas such or lying nearby, but in many cases the wooden or as Dunster Beach and Blue Anchor Bay metal poles have been removed. There are lines necessitated a targeted approach to recording. No and arcs formed by single large boulders spaced 2 excavation was undertaken but a number of wood samples were obtained from fishing structures, some of which have been radiocarbon dated. The results of the first phase of this dating programme, involving 25 samples from nine selected features, are included below. In total an area of 17.62 km2 was directly accessed, including approximately 45% of the total project shoreline of 277 km (Fig. 2). Details of all the features recorded will be provided to the relevant HERs and the NMR and cannot be included here. This paper provides a preliminary description and discussion of the various types of fishing structures recorded together with more detailed accounts of those structures for which radiocarbon dates were Figure 4 A contemporary net hang in use at obtained. Dunster Beach, Somerset. Archaeology in the Severn Estuary 21 (2010), 47-80 51 -15m apart; and also continuous, broader features 2-3 stones in width (Fig.