BLACKLAND FARM CALNE

WILTSHIRE

ARCHAEOLOGICAL WATCHING BRIEF

For

MRS KATE MORLEY

CA PROJECT: 2577 CA REPORT: 08078

APRIL 2008

BLACKLAND FARM CALNE WILTSHIRE

ARCHAEOLOGICAL WATCHING BRIEF

CA PROJECT: 2577 CA REPORT: 08078

prepared by Stuart Joyce, Project Supervisor

date 15 April 2008

checked by Laurent Coleman, Project Manager

date 18 April 2008

approved by Mark Collard, Head of Contracts

signed

date 21 April 2008

issue 01

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 Building 11, Kemble Enterprise Park, Kemble, Cirencester, Gloucestershire, GL7 6BQ Tel. 01285 771022 Fax. 01285 771033 E-mail: [email protected] © Cotswold Archaeology Blackland Farm, Calne, Wiltshire: Archaeological Watching Brief

CONTENTS

SUMMARY...... 2

1. INTRODUCTION ...... 3

2. RESULTS ...... 4

3. DISCUSSION...... 5

4. CA PROJECT TEAM ...... 5

5. REFERENCES ...... 5

APPENDIX A: CONTEXT DESCRIPTIONS ...... 6

APPENDIX B: OASIS REPORT FORM...... 6

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Fig. 1 Site location plan (1:50,000) Fig. 2 The site, showing location of groundworks (1:1000)

1 © Cotswold Archaeology Blackland Farm, Calne, Wiltshire: Archaeological Watching Brief

SUMMARY

Project Name: Blackland Farm Location: Calne, Wiltshire NGR: SU 0111 6847 Type: Watching Brief Date: 14 April 2008 Planning Reference: 07/00450/COU Location of Archive: To be deposited with Salisbury and South Wiltshire Museum Site Code: BLF 08

An archaeological watching brief was undertaken by Cotswold Archaeology during groundworks associated with the development of a tennis court at Blackland Farm, Calne, Wiltshire. The watching brief was undertaken at the request of Mrs Kate Morley.

No features or deposits of archaeological interest were observed during groundworks, and no artefactual material pre-dating the modern period was recovered.

2 © Cotswold Archaeology Blackland Farm, Calne, Wiltshire: Archaeological Watching Brief

1. INTRODUCTION

1.1 In April 2008 Cotswold Archaeology (CA) carried out an archaeological watching brief for Mrs Kate Morley at Blackland Farm, Calne, Wiltshire (centred on NGR: SU 0111 6847; Fig. 1). The watching brief was undertaken to fulfil a condition attached to a planning consent for the construction of a tennis court (Planning ref: 07/00450/COU). The objective of the watching brief was to record all archaeological remains exposed during the development.

1.2 The watching brief was carried out in accordance with a communication from Melanie Pomeroy-Kellinger, County Archaeologist, Wiltshire County Counci (WCC), the archaeological advisor to North Wiltshire District Council and with a subsequent detailed Written Scheme of Investigation (WSI) produced by CA (2008) and approved by North Wiltshire District Council acting on the advice of Melanie Pomeroy-Kellinger. The fieldwork also followed the Standard and Guidance for an Archaeological Watching Brief issued by the Institute of Field Archaeologists (2001), the Statement of Standards and Practices Appropriate for Archaeological Fieldwork in Wiltshire (WCC 1995) and the Management of Archaeological Projects (English Heritage 1991).

The site 1.3 The site is bounded to the west and north by agricultural buildings, to the east by the farmhouse and gardens and to the south by pasture (Fig. 2). The site is flat and lies at approximately 85m AOD.

1.4 The site is 0.1ha in area and is currently open ground within the farm complex.

1.5 The underlying solid geology of the area is mapped as Gault Clay of the Upper Cretaceous era (BGS 1971), which was encountered during the groundworks.

Archaeological background 1.6 Archaeological interest in the site arises from its close proximity to earthworks comprising the remains of a medieval moat (Wiltshire SMR ref. no SU06NW450), which lie immediately to the east of the site (Fig. 2). A Roman coin (a Denarius of Julius Caesar) (Wiltshire SMR ref. no SU06NW335), coarseware pottery and a

3 © Cotswold Archaeology Blackland Farm, Calne, Wiltshire: Archaeological Watching Brief

sharpening stone of Romano-British date (Wiltshire SMR ref. no SU06NW313) have also been found in the vicinity of the site.

Methodology 1.7 The fieldwork followed the methodology set out within the WSI (CA 2008). An archaeologist was present during intrusive groundworks comprising the machine excavation of the topsoil and subsoil to expose the upper surface of the natural substrate during the construction of the tennis court (Fig. 2).

1.8 Where archaeological deposits were encountered written, graphic and photographic records were compiled in accordance with CA Technical Manual 1: Fieldwork Recording Manual (2007).

1.9 The archive from the evaluation is currently held by CA at their offices in Kemble and will be deposited with Salisbury and South Wiltshire Museum. 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.

2. RESULTS

2.1 The natural geological substrate 103 comprised light yellow grey silty clay and was revealed within the southern part of the site at an average depth of 0.80m below present ground level (bpgl). In the southern and north-western parts of the site this was overlain by subsoil 102 which consisted of grey brown clay silt and which was 0.30m thick. A demolition/dump layer 104, which comprised modern brick and stone rubble and which was 0.25m thick was revealed in the north-eastern part of the site at an average depth of 0.50m bpgl. Layers 102 and 104 were overlain by 0.25m of clay silt topsoil 101, which was in turn sealed by a dumped layer, 100, of redeposited topsoil, subsoil and natural averaging 0.25m in thickness.

2.2 No features or deposits of archaeological interest were observed during groundworks and, despite visual scanning of spoil, no artefactual material pre-dating the modern period was recovered.

4 © Cotswold Archaeology Blackland Farm, Calne, Wiltshire: Archaeological Watching Brief

3. DISCUSSION

3.1 Despite the archaeological potential of the application area, the watching brief identified no archaeological remains within the area of observed groundworks. The absence of archaeological deposits and/or features may suggest that the moat does not extend into the area of the observed groundworks.

4. CA PROJECT TEAM

Fieldwork was undertaken by Stuart Joyce. The report was written by Stuart Joyce. The illustrations were prepared by Peter Moore. The archive has been compiled by Stuart Joyce, and prepared for deposition by Kathryn Price. The project was managed for CA by Laurent Coleman.

5. REFERENCES

BGS (British Geological Survey) 1971 Geological Survey of England and Wales, Sheet 266, Marlborough, Scale 1:50,000

CA (Cotswold Archaeology) 2008 Blackland Farm, Calne, Wiltshire: Written Scheme of Investigation for an Archaeological Watching Brief

5 © Cotswold Archaeology Blackland Farm, Calne, Wiltshire: Archaeological Watching Brief

APPENDIX A: CONTEXT DESCRIPTIONS

Trench 1

No. Type Description Length Width Depth (m) (m) (m) 100 Deposit Turf and dump layer, mixed topsoil, subsoil and 0.25 natural 101 Layer Topsoil – Grey brown clay silt 0.25 102 Layer Subsoil – Grey brown clay silt with brash inclusions 0.30 103 Layer Natural – light yellow grey silty clay - 104 Deposit Demolition/dump layer – brick and rubble 20 10 0.25

APPENDIX B: OASIS REPORT FORM

PROJECT DETAILS

Project Name Blackland Farm, Calne, Wiltshire

Short description An archaeological watching brief was undertaken by Cotswold Archaeology during groundworks associated with the development of a tennis court at Blackland Farm, Calne, Wiltshire.

No features or deposits of archaeological interest were observed during groundworks, and no artefactual material pre-dating the modern period was recovered. Project dates 14 April 2008 Project type Watching brief

Previous work Unknown

Future work Unknown PROJECT LOCATION Site Location Blackland Farm, Calne, Wiltshire Study area (M2/ha) 0.1ha Site co-ordinates (8 Fig Grid Reference) SU 0111 6847 PROJECT CREATORS Name of organisation Cotswold Archaeology Project Brief originator N/A Project Design (WSI) originator Cotswold Archaeology Project Manager Laurent Coleman Project Supervisor Stuart Joyce PROJECT ARCHIVES Intended final location of Content archive Physical N/A N/A Paper Salisbury and South WSI, pro forma registers Wiltshire Museum and recording forms Digital Salisbury and South Digital photographs Wiltshire Museum BIBLIOGRAPHY

CA (Cotswold Archaeology) 2008 Blackland Farm, Calne, Wiltshire Archaeological Watching Brief. CA typescript report 08078

6 Reproduced from the 2002 Ordnance Survey Landranger map with the permission of Ordnance Survey on behalf of The Controller of Her Majesty's Stationery Office N c Crown copyright Cotswold Archaeological Trust 100002109

site

0 5km

COTSWOLD ARCHAEOLOGY

PROJECT TITLE Blackland Farm, Calne Wiltshire FIGURE TITLE Site location plan Wiltshire DRAWN BYSCALE PROJECT NO. FIGURE NO. PJM 1:50,000@A4 2577 1 Reproduced from the 2008 Ordnance Survey Sitemap map with the permission of Ordnance Survey on behalf of The Controller of Her Majesty's Stationery Office N c Crown copyright Cotswold Archaeological Trust 100002109

685

684

012 0 100m SU 011

COTSWOLD ARCHAEOLOGY

PROJECT TITLE Blackland Farm, Calne area of observed goundworks Wiltshire FIGURE TITLE The site, showing location of groundworks DRAWN BYSCALE PROJECT NO. FIGURE NO. PJM 1:1000@A4 2577 2