Land at Bryncroes, Llŷn Peninsula, North Wales Historic Environment Desk Based Assessment Report by: Trysor For: DC21 August 2014 Land at Bryncroes, Llŷn Peninsula, North Wales Historic Environment Desk Based Assessment By Jenny Hall, MIfA & Paul Sambrook, MIfA Trysor Trysor Project No. 2014/394 For: DC21 August 2014 38, New Road Gwaun-cae-Gurwen Ammanford Carmarthenshire SA18 1UN www.trysor.net [email protected] Cover photograph: Looking southeast towards the approximate location of the proposed turbine, with a newly created boundary bank and new farm shed in view. Land at Bryncroes, Llŷn Peninsula, North Wales Historic Environment Desk Based Assessment RHIF YR ADRODDIAD - REPORT NUMBER: Trysor 2014/394 DYDDIAD 13eg Awst 2014 DATE 13th August 2014 Paratowyd yr adroddiad hwn gan bartneriad Trysor. Mae wedi ei gael yn gywir ac yn derbyn ein sêl bendith. This report was prepared by the Trysor partners. It has been checked and received our approval. JENNY HALL MIfA Jenny Hall PAUL SAMBROOK MIfA Paul Sambrook Croesawn unrhyw sylwadau ar gynnwys neu strwythur yr adroddiad hwn. We welcome any comments on the content or structure of this report. 38, New Road, Treclyn Gwaun-cae-Gurwen Eglwyswrw Ammanford Crymych Carmarthenshire Pembrokeshire SA18 1UN SA41 3SU 01269 826397 01239 891470 www.trysor.net [email protected] Trysor is a Registered Organisation with the Institute for Archaeologists and both partners are Members of the Institute for Archaeologists, www.archaeologists.net . Jenny Hall (BSc Joint Hons., Geology and Archaeology, MIfA) had 12 years excavation experience, which included undertaking watching briefs prior to becoming the Sites and Monuments Record Manager for a Welsh Archaeological Trust for 10 years. She has been an independent archaeologist since 2004 undertaking a variety of work that includes upland survey, desk-based appraisals and assessments, and watching briefs. Paul Sambrook (BA Joint Hons., Archaeology and Welsh, MIfA, PGCE) has extensive experience as a fieldworker in Wales. He was involved with Cadw’s pan-Wales Deserted Rural Settlements Project for 7 years. He also undertook Tir Gofal field survey work and watching briefs. He has been an independent archaeologist since 2004 undertaking a variety of work including upland survey, desk-based appraisals/assessments, and watching briefs. Contents 1. Summary 1 2. Copyright 1 3. Introduction 1 4. The Proposed Development 1 5. Methodology 3 6. Land at Bryncroes: Historical Overview 5 7. Land at Bryncroes: Proposed Turbine Site 9 8. Impact Assessment 9 9. Historic Landscape Aspects Relating to Proposed Turbine on Land at Bryncroes 13 10. Conclusion 16 11. Reporting 16 12. References 17 13. Reliability and Limitations of Sources 17 Appendix A: Site Assessments 19 Appendix B: Assessed Impacts 50 Appendix C: Specification for a Desk-based Assessment 63 Land at Bryncroes, Llŷn Peninsula, Historic Environment Assessment 1. Summary 1.1 This historic environment assessment has been undertaken by Trysor to examine likely impacts on the historic environment from a proposed wind turbine on land at Bryncroes, Llŷn Peninsula, Gwynedd. 1.2 The assessment has looked at all known historic assets within an area measuring 2km in radius, focused on SH2193432220, the location of the proposed turbine, consulting the regional Historic Environment Record and the National Monuments Record, as well as examining historic maps. A field visit was also undertaken to examine the location of the turbine and record previously unknown historic assets. 1.3 The assessment shows that there is no surface evidence of buried archaeological features at the proposed development site. 1.4 One Scheduled Ancient Monument would experience a Very Low, indirect visual impact due to intervisibility with the proposed turbine at distance. Of ten Listed Buildings in the assessment area only two would experience a Very Low, indirect visual impact, but in neither case would their settings be affected. 1.5 The assessment shows that no direct, physical impact or significant indirect, visual impact would be caused to the historic environment by the proposed turbine. 1.6 On the basis of this assessment, no archaeological mitigation is thought necessary for the proposed development. 2. Copyright 2.1 Trysor holds the copyright of this report. Further copies may be made of this report without gaining permission to reproduce but it must be noted that Figures 2 and 4 include other copyrighted material and should not be copied. 3. Introduction 3.1 Charles Ashton of DC21 Limited, Dene House, North Road, Kirkburton, Huddersfield, HD8 0RW commissioned Trysor heritage consultants to write an Historic Environment Assessment for a proposed turbine at land at Bryncroes, Llŷn Peninsula, Gwynedd. 3.2 Trysor wrote a specification for the assessment which was approved by Gwynedd Archaeological Trust, See Appendix C. 4. The proposed development 4.1 It is proposed that a turbine, with a hub height of 36.6m, and 48.6m to the upright blade tip, will be located at approximately SH2193432220 in a single field parcel near Bryncroes, Llŷn Peninsula, Gwynedd, see Figure 1. 1 Land at Bryncroes, Llŷn Peninsula, Historic Environment Assessment Figure 1: Location of the proposed turbine, showing the 2km radius assessment area. 2 Land at Bryncroes, Llŷn Peninsula, Historic Environment Assessment 5. Methodology 5.1 A study area of 2km radius circle centred on SH2193432220, the proposed turbine site, was chosen for the initial assessment of sites. This area was not revised. 5.2 The HER enquiry for the 2km radius area yielded 49 records. One of these actually lay outside the study area and was removed from the dataset. Five Listed Buildings and five sites recorded in the NMR, but not in the HER were added to the dataset, giving 58 records within the initial project dataset. 5.3 Within the 58 records, there were two Scheduled Ancient Monuments and ten Listed Buildings. 5.4 A site visit was made to the proposed turbine site, and the surrounding area, on July 3rd, 2014 to assess if there were any visible archaeological features within the area directly affected by the turbine proposal, and also the wider landscape context of the proposed development. The field was under well-grazed pasture at the time and the surface of the field was partially visible. 5.5 The aerial photographs on Google Earth, dating to 2006 and 2009, were used to inform the assessment. 5.6 Historic mapping was consulted. The maps used included 19th and 20th century 1:2500 scale Ordnance Survey mapping and the Bryncroes parish tithe map of 1844 and accompanying tithe schedule of 1843. 5.7 All information gathered during the desktop assessment and fieldwork was entered into a bespoke database in Access 2003 format to create a dataset. The dataset is the source of the material output in this report, including the GIS mapping which illustrates the location of sites in the area, and the tables and appendices which provide detailed information on the sites within the study area. 5.8 At the end of an assessment of the data, the information from the site visit as well as historic map search, the assessment dataset contained 60 records. 5.8.1 Two new records were created in the project database by Trysor. These were for the house and farmstead at Tir Dafydd (ID number 59 and 60. 5.9 Each of the records in the final dataset was assessed for Period, Rarity, Documentation, Group Value1, as well as Evidential Value, Historical Value, Aesthetic Value, Communal Value2. 5.10 Once these had been considered, the significance of each site was determined and scored in accordance with the categories adopted by the Welsh Archaeological Trusts i.e. Nationally Important, Regionally Important, Locally Important, Minor and Features Needing Further Investigation (Unknown), see Figure 2. Full details of this exercise are given in Appendix A. 1 Period, Rarity, Documentation and Group Value are criteria defined in the Welsh Office Circular 60/96, 1996. 2 Evidential Value, Historical Value, Aesthetic Value and Communal Value are criteria defined in Cadw’s Conservation Principles publication, 2011. 3 LandLand atat Bryncroes,Bryncroes, LlynLlyn Peninsula,Peninsula, HistoricHistoric EnvironmentEnvironment AssessmentAssessment 00 0.50.5 1 1010 kilometreskilometres 99 2626 2626 4848 2525 5858 2323 66 1212 66 77 4141 4242 4444 4444 5656 4343 3311 44 4747 1414 2727 2121 88 3737 1616 3535 5959 3838 4949 5151 6060 5555 5454 4646 1515 4040 5757 3636 3939 2828 3333 2222 4545 1313 3232 3434 Proposed turbine location 5050 3131 1919 Appraisal Area 3030 2020 22 Significance of Sites Recorded 1818 5353 Locally Important (36) 1111 Minor Importance (5) Nationally Important (12) 1717 1717 55 Regionally Important (2) 2929 2424 Unknown (5) Ancient and Semi Natural Woodland 5252 Plantation on Ancient Woodland Site OrdnanceOrdnance SurveySurvey ©© CrownCrown CopyrightCopyright 2011.2011. AllAll rightsrights reserved.reserved. LicenceLicence numbernumber 100022432100022432 Figure 2: The 2km appraisal area showing significance of sites, labelled with Project ID number 44 Land at Bryncroes, Llŷn Peninsula, Historic Environment Assessment 6. Historic Overview 6.1 Background The proposed turbine site will stand in a landscape which has evidence of human activity since prehistoric times. Finds of a flint scraper near Bryncroes, a stone axe- hammer near Sarn Meyllteyrn, and a stone axe-head from Rhos Hirwaun, point to early prehistoric activity in the area. Later prehistory is represented in the record by two scheduled standing stones of Bronze Age date, at Llangwnnadl and Pen y Groeslon. A Romano-British hut settlement was partially excavated at Pant in 1991 (ID number 15). At least two circular structures were identified here. Evidence of Early Medieval and Medieval activity is limited and chiefly associated with ecclesiastical sites. Two holy wells in the district, which were of medieval date, may have had earlier origins and St. Mary’s, Bryncroes parish church, is also traditionally held to be an “ancient church”, although its existing records only dates back to the 13th century.