Land North of Sycamore Close Endmoor Kendalcumbria
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Land north of Sycamore Close Endmoor KendalCumbria Archaeological Evaluation Report No Y481/20 Author: Dan Waterfall BA CFA ARCHAEOLOGY LTD Clayton Works Business Centre Midland Road Leeds LS10 2RJ Tel: 0113 271 6060 email: [email protected] web: www.cfa-archaeology.co.uk Author Daniel Waterfall BA Illustrator Rachel Kershaw MA PCIOfA Approver Mark Bell BA ACIfA Commissioned by Orion Heritage Ltd Date issued 11 September 2020 Version 1.0 OASIS Reference cfaarcha1-402230 Grid Ref. SD 54056 85446 This document has been prepared in accordance with CFA Archaeology Ltd quality procedures. Land north of Sycamore Close Endmoor Kendal Cumbria Archaeological Evaluation Report No. Y481/20 SYCA/Y481/20 1 CFA CONTENTS 1. INTRODUCTION 3 2. WORKING METHODS 5 3. RESULTS 7 4. DISCUSSION 9 5. CONCLUSION 11 6. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 11 6. BIBLIOGRAPHY 12 Appendices 1: Context Summary Tables 2.1: Inventory of Primary Archive 3.1: Trench summaries Figures Fig. 1: Site location and trench layout Fig. 2: Trench layout overlaid on historic mapping Figs 3.1 - 3.2: Trenches 6 and 7, plans and section. Fig. 4.1 View looking west across site towards higher ground to the west. Fig. 4.2: Supervised excavation of evaluation trench 7, looking south. Fig. 4.3: Machine excavation of Trench 4, looking south. Fig. 4.4: Waterlogged conditions at the centre of Trench 6, looking north-east. Fig. 4.5: Trench 1, looking south (two 1m scales). Fig. 4.6: Trench 2, looking east (two 1m scales). Fig. 4.7: Trench 3, looking east (two 1m scales). Fig. 4.8: Trench 4, looking south (two 1m scales). Fig. 4.9: Trench 5, looking west (two 1m scales). Fig. 4.10: Trench 6, looking west (two 1m scales). Fig. 4.11: Trench 7, looking north (two 1m scales). Fig. 4.12: Trench 8, looking south-west (two 1m scales). Fig. 4.13: Trench 9, looking north-east (two 1m scales). Fig. 4.14: Trench 7, deposits in west facing section, looking north east (2m scale). Fig. 4.15: View across flooded part of site, looking east. Fig. 4.16: Machine excavation at Trench 5, looking north. SYCA/Y481/20 2 CFA SUMMARY An archaeological evaluation was carried out by CFA Archaeology Ltd on agricultural land at the north edge of Endmoor, a small village near Kendal, Cumbria. Nine trenches were excavated across the proposed site of a new housing development in order to evaluate potential surviving archaeological deposits and features. The evaluation did not identify any archaeological features or finds. Anomalies highlighted by a geophysical survey were identified as being of natural or modern origin. No evidence was observed for a feature which had previously been identified as a platform of medieval date. The suggested interpretation was most likely due to modern dumps of material, laid down in order to reclaim an area of a low lying boggy ground. 1. INTRODUCTION This report presents the results of an archaeological evaluation undertaken by CFA Archaeology Ltd (CFA) between February and August 2020 on agricultural land at Endmoor, near Kendal, Cumbria (Fig.1, NGR SD 54056 85446). The work was commissioned by Orion Heritage Ltd (Orion) on behalf of Story Homes Ltd and was carried out in accordance with a written scheme of investigation (WSI) produced by Orion (2018). The archaeological works were carried out in advance of the proposed construction of a residential development comprising 103 dwellings and associated infrastructure on a greenfield site. 1.1 Site Location and Description The site is on the north side of Endmoor, a village located 6 miles to the south of Kendal, Cumbria. The site comprised a broadly rectangular area of agricultural pasture of 16 acres, bordered to the west by the A65 and to the north by further grazing pasture. The eastern and southern boundaries to site are formed by the rear gardens to residential properties accessed from Gatebeck Road and Sycamore Close respectively. The western end of the site, at c. 90m above Ordnance Datum (AOD) featured broad, low hummocks, dropping to a subtly undulating terrain across the centre of site. Towards the east end of the site, the land drops sharply over a brow at c. 85m AOD, down into the valley of the Peasey Beck, where the end of the easternmost evaluation trench was at 70m AOD. The bedrock geology is fine grained sandstone belonging to the Kirkby Moor Formation, a sedimentary bedrock formed in the Silurian period when the local environment was dominated by rivers. Overlying this are superficial Devensian glacial deposits of clay, silt, sand and gravel laid down by the action of ice and meltwater up to 2 million years ago period in the Quaternary period when the local environment was dominated by ice age conditions (BGS 2020). 1.2 Archaeological and Historical Background The Archaeological Desk Based Assessment (DBA) for the site (Orion 2017) contains a detailed study of the site and its surrounding area. No evidence for activity or SYCA/Y481/20 3 CFA monuments belonging to the prehistoric, Roman or post-medieval periods is known for the site; the only record held in the Cumbria Historic Environment Record which lies within the site is of a square enclosure or platform, thought to be of medieval date. The origins of Endmoor as a settlement are unknown. Although the village is not recorded in the Domesday Survey of 1086, Preston Richard (possibly sited approximately 1km to the south-west of Endmoor) is recorded as a medium sized settlement, indicating occupation of the area in the 11th century. Richard de Preston was given license to impark 500 acres for a deer park in 1368, and documentary evidence indicates that Old Hall Park, located at Preston Richard indicates the presence of a medieval deer park in the vicinity of Endmoor. Through the medieval period, it is considered that the site probably lay within a rural landscape surrounding the centre of Endmoor. During the 19th and 20th centuries, activity at the nearby Gatebeck Gunpowder Works, which operated from 1852 through to 1937, enlarged the population of Endmoor, which fluctuated from 161 residents in 1871, to 356 in 1891, to 300 residents in 1911. 1.3 Previous Archaeological Work A geophysical survey of the site was carried out by Sumo Survey (Orion 2018). The results of a magnetometer survey detected remains of ridge and furrow ploughing in the far north-west corner of the site, and areas of magnetic disturbance across the west and central parts of the site. An area at the centre of the site (investigated by trenches 6 and 7) could not be surveyed, probably due to localised waterlogged ground conditions. Two linear magnetic anomalies of uncertain origin were identified at the east end of the site. The geophysical survey only covered two of the fields investigated by archaeological trial trenches; the third field, evaluated by trenches 1 to 5, was not surveyed. No previous invasive archaeological works are known to have taken place within the site boundary. A geotechnical site investigation was carried out in 2017 (LK Consult 2017). The thickness of drift deposits across site was recorded as being between 0.70m and (greater than) 4.30m, overlying the Kirkby Moor Formation bedrock. 1.4 Project Aims In accordance with the WSI, the principle aim of the evaluation was to comply with the archaeological programme of works specified in the archaeological planning condition. In order to address the main aim, the objectives were: To undertake an archaeological evaluation comprising trial trenching prior to any groundworks commencing; To ensure the recording of any archaeological assets discovered; To ensure that any below ground archaeological deposits exposed were promptly identified; To ensure the recording of all archaeological remains, to place this record in its local context and to make this record available; To undertake a programme of post-investigation assessment; SYCA/Y481/20 4 CFA To produce a report and disseminate the results; and To make provision for archive deposition. These steps would allow reasoned and informed recommendations to be made on the application for development of the site, and to determine any requirements for further archaeological works. 2. WORKING METHODS CFA Archaeology Ltd is a registered organisation (RO) with the Chartered Institute for Archaeologists (CIfA). CFA Archaeology follows all relevant CIfA and Historic England Standards and Guidance (CIfA 2014a-b and HE 2015). All work was undertaken in accordance with a Covid-19 risk assessment, protocols and safe working practices based on CIfA and government guidance. Potential archaeological features were investigated by hand excavation of slots across their width. A full written, drawn and photographic record was made of all features revealed during the course of the archaeological excavation conforming to CIfA standards (CIfA 2014a) and CFA’s quality manuals. Section drawings were completed at a scale of 1:10 and were tied in with the Ordnance Survey National Grid. The location of the trenches, section lines and drawing points were surveyed using an industry standard Trimble GPS. The same equipment was used to establish levels above Ordnance Datum (AOD) for the trenches. The photographic record utilised black and white negative film, colour slide film and high resolution digital photography of a minimum of 10 megapixels (including RAW format files). The site photographic record was maintained throughout the course of the fieldwork and included shots to illustrate the detail and context of features, working shots, views of trenches and shots to illustrate constraints encountered during the trial trenching. All photography followed the Historic England guidance for digital image capture (HE 2015). All images had accompanying metadata specifying; photo ID, capture device, converting software, colour space, bit depth, resolution, date of capture, photographer, caption, and any alterations made to the image.