Church Field St James Church Bratton Wiltshire

CHURCH FIELD ST JAMES CHURCH BRATTON WILTSHIRE

ARCHAEOLOGICAL EVALUATION

CA PROJECT: 1989 CA REPORT: 05110

Author: Michael Rowe

Approved: Mary Alexander

Signed: …………………………………………………………….

Issue: 01 Date: 21 June 2005

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.

Church Field, St James Church, Bratton, Wiltshire: Archaeological Evaluation © Cotswold Archaeology

CONTENTS

SUMMARY...... 3

1. INTRODUCTION ...... 4

The site ...... 4 Archaeological background...... 6 Archaeological objectives ...... 6 Methodology ...... 6

2. RESULTS ...... 6

Trench 1...... 7 Trench 2...... 7 The Finds ...... 8

3. DISCUSSION...... 8

4. CA PROJECT TEAM ...... 9

5. REFERENCES ...... 10

APPENDIX 1: CONTEXT DESCRIPTIONS...... 11 APPENDIX 2: THE FINDS...... 11 APPENDIX 3: LEVELS OF PRINCIPAL DEPOSITS AND STRUCTURES...... 11

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Fig. 1 Site location plan (1:25 000) Fig. 2 Trench location plan (1:000) Fig. 3 Section; Trench 1 (1:20)

2 Church Field, St James Church, Bratton, Wiltshire: Archaeological Evaluation © Cotswold Archaeology

SUMMARY

Site Name: Church Field Location: St James Church, Bratton, Wiltshire NGR: ST 9145 5191 Type: Evaluation Date: 13-14 June 2005 Location of Archive: To be deposited with Trowbridge Museum Site Code: SJB 05

An archaeological evaluation was undertaken by Cotswold Archaeology in June 2005 at the request of Mr. Ian Humphrey on behalf of the Church Council on land adjacent to the Parish Church of St. James, Bratton, Wiltshire. In compliance with an approved Written Scheme of Investigation two trenches were excavated within the proposed development area.

Three overlapping ditches were identified during the course of the evaluation and probably represent silting up and re-cutting of a single property boundary ditch. Sherds of pottery recovered from the fill of the ditches suggest a mid-late medieval date for this activity. A notable build up of colluvial material, in places sealing an earlier ground surface, was also observed.

The evaluation has characterised the archaeological potential of the study area, and has indicated that medieval boundary ditches survive at a depth of 0.8m below the modern ground surface at the western end of the site.

3 Church Field, St James Church, Bratton, Wiltshire: Archaeological Evaluation © Cotswold Archaeology

1. INTRODUCTION

1.1 In June 2005 Cotswold Archaeology (CA) carried out an archaeological evaluation for Mr. Ian Humphrey on behalf of the Church Council at Church Field, Bratton, Wiltshire (centred on NGR: ST 9145 5191; Fig. 1). The evaluation was undertaken to accompany a planning application for the extension of the existing churchyard into neighbouring Church Field immediately to the south-east of the Parish Church of St. James.

1.2 The evaluation was carried out in accordance with a Written Scheme of Investigation (WSI) produced by CA (CA 2005), and approved by the local planning authority acting on the advice of Ms Sue Farr (Assistant Archaeologist, Wiltshire County Council). The fieldwork also followed the Standard and Guidance for Archaeological Field Evaluation issued by the Institute of Field Archaeologists (1999) and the Standards for Archaeological Assessment and Field Evaluation (WCC Archaeology Service 1995). It was monitored by Ms Sue Farr, including a site visit on 14 June 2005.

The site

1.3 Located approximately 0.5km south of the main Westbury to Market Lavington road, the site lies at the southern limit of the village of Bratton adjacent to the existing churchyard of the Parish Church of St James. The proposed development area bisects the open field, known as Church Field, longitudinally and covers an area approximately 130m by 20m. It is currently uncultivated and under pasture.

1.4 The site lies at approximately 105m AOD on a steep north facing slope of the dry valley of Combe Bottom that cuts back into the base of the northern scarp of Salisbury Plain. The chalk scarp rises dramatically to the south. To the west, a steep wooded hollow, cut by the ground water of ‘Church Spring’ defines the sites western extent. The existing churchyard is located immediately downslope to the north and elsewhere the site is confined by dense hedgerows and trees except to the east where an uninterrupted view along the valley to Picquet Hill is presented. The underlying geology is mapped as Upper Green Sand of the Cretaceous era (BGS 2000).

4 Church Field, St James Church, Bratton, Wiltshire: Archaeological Evaluation © Cotswold Archaeology

Archaeological background

1.5 Principal archaeological interest in the site arises from its proximity to the Parish Church of St James. Almost entirely Perpendicular in style the Church as it currently stands mostly dates from the 15th century, although octagonal pier bases, re-cut Norman font and other unusual architectural features suggest the possible redevelopment of an earlier building (Pevsner 1985).

1.6 Church historian J. Morrison (undated) records that medieval documents originally refer to the church of Littlestoke and the Chaplain of Stoke (Littlestoke), perhaps recording the existence of a now disappeared hamlet which may have lain in the combe near the church, and possibly accounts for the disparate location of the Church and current village.

1.7 Morrison (ibid, p.3) provides further historical evidence for earlier settlement near the church with a record that in 1842 Sir Henry Dryden wrote, “There was a manor house near the church for the clerk told us he had often dug up foundations of its fireplaces”.

1.8 It is likely that Bratton and neighbouring settlements shared the same fate as that recorded for nearby Westbury, which emerged as the regional centre of the cloth industry at the end of the 15th century. As a measure of its late medieval prosperity Westbury’s Church was extensively rebuilt in the 15th century. However, plague struck in 1603-4 and by 1609 the town was described as impoverished. The decline continued into the 19th century, when in 1826 the town was described as a “nasty, odious, rotten borough, a really rotten place”, its mills “ready to tumble down, as well as many of the houses” (Haslam 1976, p.65).

1.9 Bratton is first recorded in 1177 and the name is interpreted as a compound of Old English bræc ‘newly cultivated land’ and tun ‘farmstead/estate’ (Gover et al. 1970). Stoke is recorded as a very common name, originating from the Old English stoc, ‘outlying farmstead or hamlet, secondary settlement’. The affix little may derive from the Old English lytel ‘little’ or a later Manorial designation, of the same meaning (Mills 1998).

1.10 The bivallate Iron Age Hill fort of Bratton Camp is situated c. 1km due west of the site, at the head of Combe Bottom.

5 Church Field, St James Church, Bratton, Wiltshire: Archaeological Evaluation © Cotswold Archaeology

Archaeological objectives

1.11 The objectives of the evaluation were to provide data on the date, character, quality, survival and extent of any archaeological deposits within the application area in order that an informed decision on their importance in a local, regional or national context can be made. Particular emphasis would be place upon establishing the depth of in situ archaeological deposits. This information will clarify whether any remains are of sufficient importance to warrant consideration for preservation in situ, or alternatively form the basis of mitigation measures that may seek to limit damage to significant remains.

Methodology

1.12 The fieldwork comprised the excavation of two trenches to a total length of 40m (Fig.2). Both 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 the CA Technical Manual 1: Excavation Recording Manual (1996). All artefacts recovered were processed in accordance with the CA Technical Manual 3: Treatment of Finds Immediately After Excavation (1995).

1.13 The archive from the evaluation is currently held by CA at their offices in Kemble. Subject to the agreement of the legal landowner the site archive will be deposited with Trowbridge Museum.

2. RESULTS

2.1 This section provides an overview of the evaluation results; a detailed summary of the recorded contexts are to be found in Appendix 1. Details of the relative heights of the principal deposits and features expressed as metres Above Ordnance Datum (m AOD) appear in Appendix 2.

6 Church Field, St James Church, Bratton, Wiltshire: Archaeological Evaluation © Cotswold Archaeology

Trench 1

2.2 The natural Upper Green Sand substrate, 104, was revealed at depths of 0.5m below present ground level (BPGL) at the south-west end of Trench 1 and 1.48m BPGL at the north-east end of the trench. The difference of almost 1m was mostly accounted for by the accumulation of up to 0.91m of chalky-marl colluvium, 102, that had accumulated down slope to the north.

2.3 At the north-eastern end of the trench the natural sand substrate, 104 was overlain by 0.22m of grey-brown silty clay, 103. This layer decreased in thickness along the length of the trench and was completely absent from the highest third of the trench at its south-west end.

2.4 Three inter-cutting ditches, 105, 107 and 109 were recorded near the south-west end of the trench. The three ditches were characterised by their north-south alignment and their generally broad, flat-based profiles. Ditch 109 truncated the other two. Ditch 107 was heavily disturbed by possible tree roots or an animal burrow. The fills of the three ditches 106, 108 and 110, respectively were all homogenous mid-grey silty clays (Fig.3).

2.5 The natural substrate, 104 at the south-western end of the trench, the ditch fills, 106, 108 and 110 and layer 103 at the north-eastern end of the trench were all sealed by colluvium 102. This in turn was sealed by up to 0.34m of topsoil, 101.

Trench 2

2.6 Trench 2 was located further down slope and unlike Trench 1, ran across the original slope of the ground rather than diagonally up it. The natural sand substrate, 204, was encountered at an average depth of 1.70m BPGL. This was sealed by up to 0.14m of grey-brown silty clay, 203. This in turn was sealed by up to 1.30m of chalky marl colluvium, 202. The colluvium was sealed by 0.3m of topsoil. No archaeological features were observed in Trench 2.

The Finds

2.7 Small quantities of pottery, worked flint, ironworking slag and iron nails were recovered (see Appendix 2).

7 Church Field, St James Church, Bratton, Wiltshire: Archaeological Evaluation © Cotswold Archaeology

2.8 Pottery of medieval date was recovered from three contexts (106, 108 and 110). Fabrics largely comprise cooking pot fabrics attributable to west Wiltshire or Bath area sources and dateable to the 12th or 13th centuries. A single glazed sherd, probably from a jug, almost certainly is a Lacock/Nash Hill product and dates to the 13th or 14th centuries. A single small chip of post-medieval south Somerset glazed earthenware from 108 may be intrusive.

2.9 Non-ceramic finds consist of residual (Neolithic or Bronze Age), worked flint, iron nails of medieval or post-medieval type and ironworking slag. The latter, from context 110, is dense and ‘ropey’ and as such characteristic of iron smelting.

3. DISCUSSION

3.1 The three ditches identified within Trench 1 appear to establish and then re- establish, by re-cutting, the same basic feature which may be interpreted as defining a boundary. Of precisely what, however, remains unclear. It would appear unlikely that these ditches served any drainage proposes as the steepness of the slope and natural permeability of the underlying geology would preclude the necessity for a field/land drain at this location. Furthermore the deep concavity created by ‘Church Spring’ to the west of the site attests not only to its antiquity but also the nature of the hydrology at this location.

3.2 Ditch 109 appears to be the latest and final re-cut of this feature, post dating the other two ditches. A relationship between ditches 105 and 107 was completely obscured by the final re-cut of ditch 109. Ditch 107 was heavily disturbed by a possible tree bole and as such its true profile may have been distorted. The deep accumulation of colluvium observed throughout the two trenches may indicate that these ditches silted up quickly which may account for their re-cutting over a short period.

3.3 The finds recovered from ditch fills 106, 108 and 110 are all broadly contemporary and have been assigned to the mid-late medieval period. This may slightly predate or coincide with a known period of regional growth and prosperity (see 1.8 above),

although precisely what activity these ditches relate to cannot be ascertained from the results of this evaluation. The presence of domestic wares certainly hints at occupation near to this location, although on its own cannot be seen to corroborate the presence of the ‘lost’ settlement of Littlestoke.

3.4 The silty layer observed at the north-east end of Trench 1 (103) and across Trench 2 (203) appear to be a buried soil. Although as no dating evidence was identified within these layers and they occur within an area of recorded dynamic geomorphology, the date of these buried soils can at present only be speculated.

4. CA PROJECT TEAM

Fieldwork was undertaken by Michael Rowe, assisted by Darren Muddiman. The report was written by Michael Rowe. The illustrations were prepared by Lorna Gray. The archive has been compiled by Michael Rowe, and prepared for deposition by Sam Inder. The project was managed for CA by Mary Alexander.

5. REFERENCES

BGS (British Geological Survey) 2000 Frome, England and Wales Sheet 281, Solid and Drift Geology, 1: 50,000

CA (Cotswold Archaeology) 2005 Land to the south of St James Church, Church road, Bratton, Wiltshire: Written Scheme of Investigation for an Archaeological Evaluation

Gover, J.E.B., Mawer, A. and Stenton, F.M. 1970 The Place-names of Wiltshire, English Place-name Society Vol. XVI Cambridge University Press

Haslam, J. 1976 Wiltshire Towns: The Archaeological Potential The Wiltshire Archaeological and Natural History Society

Mills, A. D. 1998 Dictionary of English Place-names. Oxford University Press

Morrison, J. (Undated) Bratton Church

Pevsner, N. 1985 Wiltshire: The Buildings of England Penguin

APPENDIX 1: CONTEXT DESCRIPTIONS

Trench 1

Context No Description Depth/thickness (m) 101 Topsoil. Mid-dark grey-brown loamy-silt <0.34m thick 102 Colluvium. Light-mid green/grey brown fine silt <0.91m thick 103 Buried soil. Mid yellow/grey brown silty-clay <0.22m thick 104 Natural substrate. Light green-brown silt-sand Limit of excavation 105 Cut of ditch. N-S aligned, steep sides, flat base,> 1.15m wide 0.28m deep 106 Fill of 105. Mid grey silty-clay 0.28m thick 107 Cut of ditch. N-S aligned, steep sides, flat base, >0.55m wide 0.55m deep 108 Fill of 107. Mid grey silty-clay 0.55m thick 109 Cut of ditch. N-S aligned, steep sides, flat base, 1.94m wide 0.48m deep 110 Fill of 109. Mid grey silty-clay 0.48m thick

Trench 2

Context No Description Depth/thickness (m) 201 Topsoil. Mid-dark grey-brown loamy-silt <0.3m thick 202 Colluvium. Light-mid green/grey brown fine silt <1.3m thick 203 Buried soil. Mid yellow/grey brown silty-clay <0.14m thick 204 Natural substrate. Light green-brown silt-sand Limit of excavation

APPENDIX 2: THE FINDS

Context Description Count Wt (g) Spot-date 106 medieval pottery: Bath A, Bath C, ?Kennet valley 4 39 C12-C13 worked flint: flake 1 4 animal bone: 3 8 108 medieval pottery: Bath A, Bath C, Lacock/Nash Hill 2 30 C13+ Post-medieval pottery: Donyatt 1 1 Fe nails 2 - worked flint: flake/shatter 2 4 animal bone: 3 226 110 medieval pottery: Bath A, Bath C 2 8 C12-C13 metallurgical residue: fe tapslag 1 13 animal bone: 11 48 oyster shell 2 7

APPENDIX 3: LEVELS OF PRINCIPAL DEPOSITS AND STRUCTURES

Levels are expressed as metres below current ground level and as metres Above Ordnance Datum (AOD), calculated using the spot height on No. 1 The Butts, Bratton (107.36m).

Trench 1 Trench 2 Current ground 0.00m – 1.34m 0.00m – 2.67m level (106.87m – 108.21m) (106.82m – 109.49m) Top of Feature 0.88m - (107.33m) - Top of natural 1.58m - 0.55m 1.77m - 1.82m substrate (105.29 m – 107.66m) (105.05m – 107.67m)

Upper figures are depth below modern ground level, lower figures in parentheses are metres AOD.