Brislands Brislands Lane, Four Marks, Alton Hampshire

Brislands Brislands Lane, Four Marks, Alton

Hampshire

Archaeological Evaluation

for CS Partnership LLP

CA Project: 770435

CA Report: 16514

September 2016

Brislands Brislands Lane, Four Marks, Alton Hampshire

Archaeological Evaluation

CA Project: 770435 CA Report: 16514

Document Control Grid Revision Date Author Checked by Status Reasons for Approved revision by A 19.09.2016 T. Brown DDR Draft Edits REG B 26.09.16 T. Brown DDR Final Draft watermark Neil Adam removed SA HCC

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.

CONTENTS

SUMMARY ...... 2

1. INTRODUCTION ...... 3

2. ARCHAEOLOGICAL BACKGROUND ...... 4

3. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ...... 5

4. METHODOLOGY ...... 5

5. RESULTS (FIGS 2-4) ...... 6

6. DISCUSSION ...... 7

7. CA PROJECT TEAM ...... 7

8. REFERENCES ...... 7

APPENDIX A: CONTEXT DESCRIPTION ...... 8 APPENDIX B: OASIS REPORT FORM ...... 9

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Fig. 1 Site location plan (1:1250) Fig. 2 Trench location plan showing modern features (1:500) Fig. 3 Trench 1 looking east (2x1m scale) Fig. 4 Trench 2 looking south (2x1m scale)

1 © Cotswold Archaeology Brislands, Brislands Lane, Four Marks, Hampshire: Archaeological Evaluation

SUMMARY

Project Name: Brislands, Brislands Lane, Four Marks Location: Four Marks, Alton, Hampshire NGR: SU 6600 3383 Type: Evaluation Date: 16 September 2016 Planning Reference: 25699/003 Location of Archive: Hampshire Cultural Trust Accession number: A2016.96 CA Site Code: BBL16

An archaeological evaluation was undertaken by Cotswold Archaeology in September 2016 at Brislands, Brislands Lane, Four Marks, Hampshire. Two trenches were excavated within the footprint of a proposed new residential unit.

Within both trenches the natural geology was revealed beneath 0.15m of topsoil and no archaeological features or artefacts were identified or present. A small number of modern service trenches were recorded within each evaluation trench.

2 © Cotswold Archaeology Brislands, Brislands Lane, Four Marks, Hampshire: Archaeological Evaluation

1. INTRODUCTION

1.1 In September 2016, Cotswold Archaeology (CA) carried out an archaeological evaluation for Robert Maitland at Brislands, Brislands Lane, Four Marks, Hampshire (centred on NGR: SU 6600 3383; Fig. 1).

1.2 Outline planning permission (ref. 25699/003) has been granted by the Local Planning Authority (LPA), East Hampshire District Council, for a replacement dwelling and renovation of an existing mushroom farm warehouse into a workshop/studio

1.3 Following consultation by EHDC with their archaeological planning advisor, Mr Neil Adam, Senior Archaeologist for Hampshire County Council, an archaeological condition was placed on the planning permission. Condition 13 states:

‘That no development shall take place until the applicant has secured the implementation of a programme of archaeological assessment in accordance with a Written Scheme of Investigation that has been submitted to and approved by the Planning Authority. The assessment should take the form of trial trenching within the footprint of the proposed new building.’

1.5 The evaluation was carried out in accordance with Condition 13, and with a detailed Written Scheme of Investigation (WSI) produced by CA (2016) and approved by Neil Adam – the archaeological Advisor to EHDC. The fieldwork also followed Standard and guidance: Archaeological field evaluation (CIfA 2014).

The site 1.6 The proposed development area is approximately 0.57ha, and comprises a sub- rectangular area of land with an existing dwelling, outbuilding and mushroom farm building on the site, bordered by Brislands Lane to the west, domestic housing to the north, and farmland to the east and south. The site lies at approximately 170m AOD, and is relatively level.

1.7 The underlying bedrock geology of the area is mapped as Newhaven Chalk Formation of the Upper Cretaceous age (100.5 – 66 million years ago), with Seaford Chalk Formation, also of the Upper Cretaceous age, located in the northernmost

3 © Cotswold Archaeology Brislands, Brislands Lane, Four Marks, Hampshire: Archaeological Evaluation

corner of the site (BGS, 2016). Superficial deposits of clay with flints are recorded as overlaying the chalk, and this was encountered as mid brown silty clay with flint.

2. ARCHAEOLOGICAL BACKGROUND

2.1 Below is a brief description of the archaeological character of the site and its environs. A detailed description can be found within the Written Scheme of Investigation (CA, 2016).

Prehistoric (500,000 BC – AD 43) 2.2 No prehistoric heritage assets have been identified within the site. However, a small number of Palaeolithic (500,000 – 10,000 BC) and Neolithic (4000 – 2400 BC) flint tools and Bronze Age (2400 – 700 BC) material has been recovered from the Alton area. A small Middle to Late Iron Age settlement (700 – 100 BC) has been recorded on the northern edge of Alton.

Roman (AD 43 – AD 410) 2.3 Several Romano-British findspots have been recorded in the Alton area, including coins, pottery, a lamp, and a paved floor. Artefacts and evidence of a small settlement have been recovered from within the modern limits of Alton.

2.4 A number of Roman roads may meet at a Romano-British town located 1km to the north-east of Alton, near Neatham (believed to be Roman Vindomis). The projected line of the Roman road between London and Winchester crosses the north-eastern corner of the site and is included within the footprint of the proposed new driveway into the New Mushroom Farm Building.

Anglo-Saxon (AD 410 – 1066) 2.5 Alton is believed to have Anglo-Saxon origins. A cemetery from this period was discovered, yielding approximately 50 burials and a similar number of cremations. The Alton Buckle was recovered from this cemetery.

Medieval (1066 – 1539) 2.6 Records relate to the settlements, and royal manors, of Holybourne and Antsy, and earthworks relating to a former churchyard boundary.

4 © Cotswold Archaeology Brislands, Brislands Lane, Four Marks, Hampshire: Archaeological Evaluation

2.7 The presence of a market in Alton was first recorded in the Domesday Book in the 11th century, and a Charter of 1307 gave Alton the right to hold an annual fayre.

Post-medieval (1540 – 1800) 2.8 During this period, Alton hosted a number of breweries and paper-making, tanning and cloth-making industries by the 18th century.

2.9 Historical maps show a number of disused chalk and gravel pits, particularly on the north side of the site. The same mapping survey has shown the site to be used as farmland since at least the early 19th century and contained buildings from the 1930s.

3. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

3.1 The objectives of the evaluation are to provide information about the archaeological resource within the site, including its presence/absence, character, extent, date, integrity, state of preservation and quality, in accordance Standard and guidance: Archaeological field evaluation (CIfA 2014). This information will enable the Local Planning Authority - Hampshire County Council - to identify and assess the particular significance of any heritage asset, consider the impact of the proposed development upon it, and to avoid or minimise conflict between the heritage asset’s conservation and any aspect of the development proposal, in line with the National Planning Policy Framework (DCLG 2012).

4. METHODOLOGY

4.1 The fieldwork comprised the excavation of 2 trenches, measuring 10mx1.8m, in the locations shown on the attached plan (Fig. 2) within the footprint of the proposed new residential unit. Trenches were set out on OS National Grid (NGR) co-ordinates using Leica GPS and surveyed in accordance with CA Technical Manual 4 Survey Manual.

4.2 A proposed new trackway (Fig. 2) will be constructed on the existing ground surface and will not result in any below ground excavation. Following consultation with Neil Adam it was agreed that no evaluation trenches would be required within the footprint of the new trackway as a result of the proposed construction methodology.

5 © Cotswold Archaeology Brislands, Brislands Lane, Four Marks, Hampshire: Archaeological Evaluation

4.3 All trenches were excavated by mechanical excavator equipped with a toothless grading bucket. All machine excavation was undertaken under constant archaeological supervision to the top of the first significant archaeological horizon or the natural substrate, whichever was encountered first. Where archaeological deposits were encountered they were excavated by hand in accordance with CA Technical Manual 1: Fieldwork Recording Manual.

4.4 Deposits were assessed for their palaeoenvironmental potential in accordance with CA Technical Manual 2: The Taking and Processing of Environmental and Other Samples from Archaeological Sites. No deposits were identified that required environmental sampling. Any artefacts recovered were processed in accordance with Technical Manual 3 Treatment of Finds Immediately after Excavation.

4.5 The archive from the evaluation is currently held by CA at their offices in Andover, and will be deposited with the Hampshire Cultural Trust under accession number A2016.96. A summary of information from this project, set out within Appendix B, will be entered onto the OASIS online database of archaeological projects in Britain.

5. RESULTS (FIGS 2-4)

5.1 This section provides an overview of the evaluation results; detailed summaries of the recorded contexts are to be found in Appendix A.

Trench 1 (Figs 2 & 3) 5.3 The natural geology 101, comprising clay and flints, was revealed at 0.15m below the current ground surface, overlain by sandy silt topsoil 100.

5.4 Two modern features were identified, relating to drainage. No archaeological features or artefacts were discovered.

Trench 2 (Figs 2 & 4) 5.4 As in Trench 1, the natural geology 201, comprising clay and flints, was revealed at 0.15m below the current ground surface, overlain by sandy silt topsoil 200.

5.5 Three modern features were identified, relating to drainage. No archaeological features or artefacts were discovered.

6 © Cotswold Archaeology Brislands, Brislands Lane, Four Marks, Hampshire: Archaeological Evaluation

6. DISCUSSION

6.1 Despite the archaeological potential of the site lying close to the projected line of the Roman road between London and Winchester no archaeological deposits or artefacts dating to the Roman period or any other period were identified in either trench. The results confirm the historic mapping of the site which indicates that it lies within an area of farmland with no evidence of settlement activity beyond the use of the site as a farm in the modern period. The lack of any archaeology features would indicate that the site has lain in an agricultural landscape and lies in the hinterland of known settlement such as Alton to the north-east. .

7. CA PROJECT TEAM

Fieldwork was undertaken by Joe Whelan, assisted by Tony Brown. The report was written by Tony Brown. The illustrations were prepared by Sam O’Leary. The archive has been compiled by Andy Donald, and prepared for deposition by Hazel O’Neill. The project was managed for CA by Damian De Rosa.

8. REFERENCES

BGS (British Geological Survey) 2015 Geology of Britain Viewer http://maps.bgs.ac.uk/geology viewer_google/googleviewer.html.

Cotswold Archaeology (CA) 2016. Written Scheme of Investigation for an Archaeological Evaluation: Brislands, Brislands Lane, Four Marks, Alton, Hampshire.

APPENDIX A: CONTEXT DESCRIPTION

Trench Context Type Fill Context Context Length Width Depth/thickness No of Interpretation Description (m) (m) (m) 1 100 Layer Topsoil Dark brown sandy >10 >1.8 0-0.15 silt, with occasional, small stones. Friable. 1 101 Layer Natural Mid brown silty >10 >1.8 0.15-0.4+ clay, with rare, small flints. Compact. 2 200 Layer Topsoil Dark brown sandy >10 >1.8 0-0.15 silt, with occasional, small stones. Friable. 2 201 Layer Natural Mid brown silty >10 >1.8 0.15-0.35+ clay, with rare, small flints. Compact.

APPENDIX B: OASIS REPORT FORM

PROJECT DETAILS

Project Name Brislands, Brislands Lane, Four Marks, Hampshire Short description An archaeological evaluation was undertaken by Cotswold Archaeology in September 2016 at Brislands, Brislands Lane, Alton, Hampshire. Two trenches were excavated. Two planned trenches along the course of a new driveway were not excavated, as the construction of this will not impact on the soil horizon. The natural geology was discovered beneath 0.15m of topsoil and contained no archaeological features or artefacts. A small number of modern service trenches were recorded within each evaluation trench. Project dates 16 September 2016 Project type Evaluation

Previous work None

Future work Unknown PROJECT LOCATION Site Location Brislands, Brislands Lane, Four Marks, Alton, Hampshire Study area (M2/ha) Site co-ordinates SU 6600 3383

PROJECT CREATORS Name of organisation Cotswold Archaeology Project Brief originator N/A Project Design (WSI) originator Cotswold Archaeology

Project Manager Damian De Rosa Project Supervisor Joe Whelan MONUMENT TYPE None SIGNIFICANT FINDS None PROJECT ARCHIVES Intended final location of archive Content (e.g. pottery, (museum/Accession no.) animal bone etc)

Physical None Paper Hampshire Cultural Trust Trench sheets; Survey Sheets; Photo register Digital Hampshire Cultural Trust Photos; Database BIBLIOGRAPHY

CA (Cotswold Archaeology) 2016 Brislands, Brislands Lane, Four Marks, Hampshire: Archaeological Evaluation. CA typescript report 16514

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N Andover 01264 347630 Cirencester 01285 771022 WEST Cotswold Exeter 01392 826185 BERKSHIRE Archaeology Milton Keynes 01908 564660 w www.cotswoldarchaeology.co.uk e [email protected] SURREY PROJECT TITLE Brislands, Brislands Lane, Four Marks Alton, Hampshire HAMPSHIRE FIGURE TITLE WEST SUSSEX Site location plan 0 1km

FIGURE NO. Reproduced from the digital Ordnance Survey Explorer map with DRAWN BY SO PROJECT NO. 770435 the permission of Ordnance Survey on behalf of The Controller CHECKED BY LM DATE 23-09-2016 of Her Majesty's Stationery Office c Crown copyright Cotswold Archaeology Ltd 100002109 APPROVED BY DDR SCALE@A4 1:25,000 1 N 2 10m FIGURE NO. 01264 347630 01285 771022 01392 826185 01908 564660 www.cotswoldarchaeology.co.uk [email protected] Andover Cirencester w Exeter Milton Keynes e 23-09-2016 770345 1:200 & 1:1,000 PROJECT NO. DATE SCALE@A3 site boundary evaluation trench modern proposed dwelling new driveway SO LM DDR 0 &URZQFRS\ULJKW&RWVZROG$UFKDHRORJ\/WG Ordnance Survey on behalf of The Controller of Her Majesty's Stationery Office Reproduced from the Ordnance Survey digital mapping with the permission of Alton, Hampshire APPROVED BY features PROJECT TITLE FIGURE TITLE Trench location plan showing modern DRAWN BY CHECKED BY Brislands, Brislands Lane, Four Marks

660 50m

0 BRISLANDS LANE BRISLANDS

338 P:\770435 Brislands Brislands Lane Four Marks Alton EVAL\Illustration\Drafts\770435 Brislands fig 2.dwg fig Brislands EVAL\Illustration\Drafts\770435 Alton Marks Four Lane Brislands Brislands P:\770435 BRISLANDS LANE BRISLANDS Trench 1, looking east (scales 1m)

Trench 2, looking south (scales 1m)

Andover 01264 347630 Cirencester 01285 771022 Cotswold Exeter 01392 826185 Archaeology Milton Keynes 01908 564660 w www.cotswoldarchaeology.co.uk e [email protected]

PROJECT TITLE Brislands, Brislands Lane, Four Marks Alton, Hampshire

FIGURE TITLE Photographs

DRAWN BY SO PROJECT NO. 770345 FIGURE NO. CHECKED BY LM DATE 23-09-2016 APPROVED BY DDR SCALE@A4 N/A 3