Land at Islington Farm, Wood End Atherstone Warwickshire
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Land at Islington Farm, Wood End Atherstone Warwickshire Archaeological Evaluation for CgMs Heritage (part of RPS Group) on behalf of Summix IFW Developments Limited CA Project: MK0063 CA Report: MK0063_2 May 2019 Land at Islington Farm Wood end, Atherstone Warwickshire Archaeological Evaluation CA Project: MK0063 CA Report: MK0063_1 Document Control Grid Revision Date Author Checked by Status Reasons for Approved revision by A 14/5/19 EJB SRJ Internal Quality Assurance SRJ Review B 03/06/2019 EJB MS External Consultant SRJ Review Comment This report is confidential to the client. Cotswold Archaeology accepts no responsibility or liability to any third party to whom this report, or any part of it, is made known. Any such party relies upon this report entirely at their own risk. No part of this report may be reproduced by any means without permission. © Cotswold Archaeology © Cotswold Archaeology Land at Islington Farm, Wood End, Atherstone, Warwickshire: Archaeological Evaluation CONTENTS SUMMARY ..................................................................................................................... 3 1. INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................ 5 2. ARCHAEOLOGICAL BACKGROUND ................................................................ 9 3. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ................................................................................... 14 4. METHODOLOGY ............................................................................................... 15 5. RESULTS (FIGS 3-8) ......................................................................................... 17 7. THE BIOLOGICAL EVIDENCE .......................................................................... 28 8. DISCUSSION ..................................................................................................... 29 9. CA PROJECT TEAM .......................................................................................... 31 10. REFERENCES ................................................................................................... 31 APPENDIX A: CONTEXT DESCRIPTIONS .................................................................... 33 APPENDIX B: THE PALAEOENVIRONMENTAL EVIDENCE ......................................... 43 APPENDIX C: OASIS REPORT FORM .......................................................................... 45 1 © Cotswold Archaeology Land at Islington Farm, Wood End, Atherstone, Warwickshire: Archaeological Evaluation LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Fig 1. Site location plan (1:25000) Fig 2. Area 1A, looking south-west (photograph) Area 1D, looking north-east (photograph) Fig 3 Trench location plan, showing archaeological features (1:1500) Fig 4. Pit 602: Plan, section and photograph (1:200/1:20) Fig 5. Ditch 1503: Plan, section and photograph (1:200/1:20) Fig 6. Ditch 1903: Plan, section and photograph (1:200/1:20) Fig 7. Pit 2002: Plan, section and photograph (1:200/1:20) Fig 8. Ditch 3103: Plan, section and photograph (1:200/1:20) PLATES Plate 1 Ditch 1303, looking south-east (0.3m scale) Plate 2 Ditch 1603, looking south (1m scale) Plate 3 Pond 4503, looking north-west (1m scales) Plate 4 1888 First Edition Ordnance Survey Map 2 © Cotswold Archaeology Land at Islington Farm, Wood End, Atherstone, Warwickshire: Archaeological Evaluation SUMMARY Project Name: Land at Islington Farm, Wood End Location: Atherstone, Warwickshire NGR: 424820 298210 Type: Evaluation Date: 30th April to 10th May 2019 Planning Reference: North Warwickshire Borough Council PAP/2018/0762 Location of Archive: To be deposited with Warwickshire Museum Site Code: IFA 19 Between April and May 2019, Cotswold Archaeology carried out an archaeological evaluation of land at Islington Farm, Wood End, Atherstone, Warwickshire. The evaluation was undertaken to inform a planning application for the residential development of the site. The fieldwork comprised the excavation of forty-two trenches. Archaeological interest in the site was derived from its location in the north-eastern corner of the medieval parish of Kingsbury, with the parish boundary following both the northern and eastern bounds of the site. A previous geophysical survey of the site did not identify any definite archaeological anomalies, although evidence for modern ploughing was visible across much of the site, as well as old field boundaries, a trackway and the locations of two former ponds. No features, finds or deposits of archaeological significance, or pre-dating the post-medieval to modern period, were recorded during the current evaluation. Where archaeological features were encountered during the current trenching there was a good correlation with the results of the preceding geophysical survey, allowing confidence that the evaluation, combined with the geophysical survey provide a true reflection of the archaeological resource present. The evaluation identified undated ditches and agricultural features predominantly concentrated within the central portion of the site. The ditches fit within the general alignment of the surrounding field systems as depicted on historic and current Ordnance Survey 3 © Cotswold Archaeology Land at Islington Farm, Wood End, Atherstone, Warwickshire: Archaeological Evaluation mapping. Based on this cartographic evidence and their morphological characteristics, the ditches likely have their origins within the post-medieval period. The alignments of the ditches suggest a co-axial field system aligned broadly north/south and east/west, with a sub-division orientated north-west/south-east, forming parts of at least two, but likely more contiguous fields. Elements of this field system also appear to form flanking ditches of a possible trackway identified within the central part of the site. A pond located in the south-eastern part of the site is depicted on the 1888 First Edition Ordnance Survey Map and last seen on the Ordnance Survey Map of 1967. Two undated pits were also recorded. 4 © Cotswold Archaeology Land at Islington Farm, Wood End, Atherstone, Warwickshire: Archaeological Evaluation 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1 Between April and May 2019, Cotswold Archaeology (CA) carried out an archaeological evaluation of land at Islington Farm, Wood end, Atherstone, Warwickshire (centred at NGR: 424820 298210; Fig. 1). The evaluation was undertaken at the request of CgMs on behalf of Summex IFW Developments Limited. 1.2 The evaluation was undertaken to inform a planning application (ref: PAP/2018/0762) to North Warwickshire Borough Council (NWBC; the local planning authority) for the residential development (Class C3) of the site, with associated access, landscaping, open space and drainage infrastructure, with all matters reserved save for access. 1.3 The scope of the evaluation, which comprised the excavation of 42 evaluation trenches across approximately 6.4ha of land at Islington Farm, Wood End, was defined during discussions between Matthew Smith, Business Development Director, CgMs Heritage (part of RPS Group) and John Robinson, Warwickshire County Council’s Planning Archaeologist (WCCPA), the archaeological advisor to NWBC. 1.4 This WSI has been guided in its composition by Standard and guidance: Archaeological field evaluation (CIfA 2014), the Management of Research Projects in the Historic Environment (MORPHE): Project Planning Note 3 (English Heritage 2008), the Management of Research Projects in the Historic Environment (MORPHE): Project Manager’s Guide (EH 2015) and any other relevant standards or guidance contained within Appendix B. It was monitored by John Robinson, including a site visit on 7 March 2019. 5 © Cotswold Archaeology Land at Islington Farm, Wood End, Atherstone, Warwickshire: Archaeological Evaluation Fig. 1 6 © Cotswold Archaeology Land at Islington Farm, Wood End, Atherstone, Warwickshire: Archaeological Evaluation The site 1.5 The proposed development site measured approximately 6.4ha in an area, situated to the east of the village of Wood End, near Atherstone in Warwickshire. The site comprised parts of five contiguous land parcels, separated by a vehicular track (Fig. 2). The land parcels comprised part of a large agricultural field, currently utilised as pasture, with smaller paddocks and gardens located within the western part of the site. It is bounded to the north by a grass paddock and Boulters Lane, with arable fields beyond, to the east by the remainder of the pasture field, to the south by residential properties and associated gardens fronting on to Tamworth Road and to the west by further housing developments. The site lies at approximately 135m above Ordnance Datum (aOD) at its southern boundary, sloping downwards to the north and west to c. 124.5m aOD (CgMs 2018). 1.6 The underlying bedrock geology of the area is mapped as Whitacre Member mudstone and sandstone of the Carboniferous Period. This is overlain by superficial Quaternary deposits of Thrussington Member diamicton (BGS 2019). 7 © Cotswold Archaeology Land at Islington Farm, Wood End, Atherstone, Warwickshire: Archaeological Evaluation Fig. 2 8 © Cotswold Archaeology Land at Islington Farm, Wood End, Atherstone, Warwickshire: Archaeological Evaluation 2. ARCHAEOLOGICAL BACKGROUND 2.1 The archaeological and historical background of the site have been detailed within the desk-based assessment (CgMs 2018) and further supplemented by the findings of the previous geophysical survey (SUMO 2019). The following section is summarised from these sources. 2.2 There are no designated archaeological