WAA New Home, Semington, : Heritage Statement R1

HERITAGE STATEMENT FOR WAA NEW HOME, SEMINGTON, WILTSHIRE

Prepared by C.P. Clarke BA, FSA, MCIFA

REVISION

Change log from WAA New Home Semington Wiltshire Heritage Statement R0a

Introduction amended Survey Area reduced (reasons below) Site visit undertaken with walk-over survey and to check impact on heritage assets Designated Heritage assets checked against National Heritage List (NHL) for mapping Section on impact on designated heritage assets included Significance Table added, Fig. 2 added Other changes in passim

1 Introduction

The following is an amendment to the original Heritage Statement (R0a) to address comments by the Principal Conservation Officer.

It conforms to the specification given in the Chartered Institute for Archaeologists guideline ‘Standard and Guidance for Historic Environment Desk-Based Assessment’, and implements the requirements of both NPPF paras 126-141, and is in line with the Council’s Core Policy 58. A site visit and walk-over survey has been conducted, and designated heritage assets visited to assess their significance and the impact of the proposed development on their setting. Data sources used are primarily the Wiltshire and Swindon online Historic Environment Record (WSHER), supplemented as necessary by the National Heritage List for England, the Historic England portal ‘Heritage Gateway’, the DEFRA MAGIC portal and other online sources.

The designated (e.g. Listed Buildings) and undesignated (e.g. unscheduled sites and findspots) Heritage Assets described (Fig.1) are positioned using the WSHER and National Heritage List for England online portals. It is noted that the former is deficient of information given in the latter.

It should be taken into consideration that HERs represent known sites and finds only. By its nature this record is incomplete across the country, and many more sites must exist nationally. Heritage assets in the 3 sq km study area (Fig.1) are from the WSHER and NHL data. There is no reference to any site or find in the APD, nor reference to cropmarks or soilmarks. Within the APD, the footprint of proposed works is very small (Fig. 2), reducing the likelihood of disturbing any archaeological remains which might be present within the overall APD.

It is anticipated that further archaeological study and works are likely to be required at a later stage in the planning process.

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2 Survey Area

The area for which research has been undertaken is a rectangular area measuring c. 2 km east-west x 1.5 km north-south, centred on the area of proposed development (APD, Fig. 1) at ST 902 614. The north-south margins are selected to include the Bowerhill RAF camp and medieval settlement to the north, and the line of the to the south. The east-west margins of the original survey area plan are retained; this band includes the projected flight paths of the air ambulance; issues of noise have been thoroughly investigated in an Acoustics assessment submitted as part of the planning application, and are not further considered here.

The slight reduction in study area means the exclusion of all except the northernmost part of Semington, a village of medieval origin (MWI1866) partially included in the southwestern corner of the original study area with associated farmstead remains of medieval origin (MWI 68708 and 68708), a 16th century fulling mill (MWI4987), a 19th century outfarm (MWI68644) and WW2 defences (MWI31477/31821/44976). There are numerous 18th - 19th century listed buildings within the village, which are shown on the NHL but not on the WSHER portals; these are all screened from the development area by later buildings, and are below a no-fly zone. In the north, a single 19th century outfarm is excluded (MWI68700). The Milk Churn pub (MWI73267) has been deleted from the record since this is a modern building, however the SWHER reference is to the post-medieval farm which underlies the modern pub and was a driver for the form and name of the new building.

Geology The British Geological Survey portal lists superficial deposits as clay and silt head, with sandy mudstone bedrock.

Topography The APD lies within an area of undulating countryside which prevents clear views over long distances. Although the field containing the APD is quite level, the land falls to the south, with Semington Brook lying on the floor of a shallow valley. The village of Semington, in the valley, is not visible from the APD, except for some buildings associated with the Kennet and Avon Canal on the northern side of the village.

3 Current land use and boundaries, and walkover survey

The land use is currently arable, with the most recent crop being maize. To the north of the APD, land has been extensively developed into a modern industrial estate, with the large Police HQ building and Avon Rubber buildings being present to the immediate north of the APD, directly beside the dismantled railway.

The western side of the field containing the APD is a disused and dry fragment of a waterway marked on the mapping as ‘Old Canal’, which although very fragmentary on the modern mapping, is shown on the first edition OS map of 1884 as having been originally connected to the Kennet and Avon Canal to the south, where a lock was present; it was the Wiltshire and Berkshire Canal. In its current form, it has the appearance of a silted ditch (Plate 4). It was opened in 1810, and abandoned in 1914.

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The northern side of the APD is a dismantled railway line, originally the Devizes Branch of the GWR (Plate 1). The branch line was completed in 1857 by the Wiltshire, Somerset and Weymouth Railway, an independent company, albeit heavily backed by the Great Western Railway; the entire branch line and associated stations was closed in 1966 under the Beeching cuts, although the section adjacent to the APD appears to have closed rather earlier. A station associated with the railway line partially survives, and is listed below as a Designated Heritage Asset No. MWI 44473, see Fig. 1 and Table 1); however, although remains of the platform and bridge across Semington Road are present to the immediate west of the Old Railway Farmhouse and the Siding pair of cottages (Plate 2), it is clear that this is a misnomer because the cottages are dated to c. 1805 and therefore predate the railway; it is possible that these buildings are more properly to be associated with the Wiltshire and Berkshire Canal, with possible re-use when the railway was constructed; on the 1st edition OS map it is called the Railway Tavern. This confusion of identity concerning the association with of assets with either the railway or canal seems to be epitomised by the naming of asset MWI72948 as the ‘Old Railway Farm Canal Shed’, although the canal and the railway and canal may have both been in use when the building was constructed.

The field surface is generally level and flat. A walkover survey undertaken on 12th December 2015. Surface conditions were ideal for fieldwalking, with well rain-washed surface interrupted only by cut maize stalks. Surface finds comprised rare pieces of struck flint (flake fragments), with no sign of utilisation or retouch; this is entirely characteristic of field surfaces across southern England, and not considered significant. Other finds includes rare pieces of late post-medieval pottery, brick, tile, window glass, and slate. There was no identified concentration of material, and apart from the lithic finds there was an absence of any material prior to the late post-medieval period.

4 Cropmarks and soilmarks

The aerial photograph showing the APD available from the DEFRA MAGIC mapping portal shows a possible sinuous soilmark across the APD on a roughly NW-SE alignment. If this is of archaeological significance (it might have had other causes; it is also known that Wessex Water main pipes cross the APD), it is not shown in the WSHER mapping. It might represent one of many sites noticed nationally by members of the public in online aerial photography, but not yet reported to the relevant HER, however might also be a superficial feature associated with movement of agricultural vehicles. The aerial photograph noted above cannot be included in this outline for copyright reasons.

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5 Designated and non-designated heritage assets in the study area

Designated and non-designated heritage assets are located in Fig. 1, and summarised in period order in Table 1 below. None of these lie within the APD itself.

Fig. 1 HER sites in the study area centred on area of proposed development. SWHER MWI reference position squares do not indicate area of site, and each number is preceded by ‘MWI’. Sites preceded by ‘NHL’ are shown on the National Heritage List map, but not on the SWHER mapping; the numbers are NHL list entry numbers. Based on OS OpenData 1:10000 Streetview mapping: contains Ordnance Survey data © Crown copyright and database rights 2010.

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HER No. (MWI) Period Description DESIGNATED? Grade NHL entry no. Prehistoric 4926 Bronze Age BA weapon Undated, prehistoric? 4979 Undated Rectangular enclosure 1912 Undated Circular earthwork, possibly a low mound 1911 Undated Earthworks 1910 Undated Earthworks Medieval 4982 ? Medieval Undated earthworks 31390 Medieval Ridge and furrow 4943 Medieval Deer park 3626 Medieval Newtown Farm: Medieval farmstead earthworks 1875 Medieval Berryfields: settlement with medieval origins Post-medieval 44474 Post-medieval Outmarsh Farmhouse, early 18th century or later LB II 1021769 44455 Post-medieval Wharf Cottage LB II 1021763 44473 Post-medieval Old Railway Farmhouse and The Siding LB II 1194743 Post-medieval Semington Aqueduct LB II 1021749 Post-medieval Brook House LB II 1262320 Post-medieval Brook Cottage LB II 1252322 19th century 72948 Modern Old Railway Farm Canal Shed 68848 Modern Demolished 19th century shed 68750 Modern Demolished 19th century outfarm 68749 Modern Demolished 19th century outfarm 68706 Modern Partially extant 19th century farmstead 68705 Modern Demolished 19th century outfarm 68704 Modern Demolished 19th century farmstead 68703 Modern Demolished 19th century outfarm 68702 Modern Demolished 19th century outfarm 61841 Modern Knorr-Bremse Rail Systems(UK) Limited 31389 Modern Agricultural building, probably 19th century WW2 44980 Modern Anti-tank cylinders 44979 Modern Concrete anti-tank cylinders 44975 Modern Anti-tank ditch 31886 Modern Gunpit 31885 Modern Pillbox 31754 Modern Pillbox 31753 Modern Pillbox 31483 Modern Pillbox 31482 Modern Concrete Cylinders 31481 Modern Pillbox 4954 Modern Bowerhill RAF camp

Table 1: HER entries as shown on Fig. 1, sorted in period order. Some entries are shown on the NHL portal but not on the SWHER portal, and consequently lack MWI numbers.

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6 Assessment of Significance

Assessment of significance can be gauged through use of the scheme outlined in ‘The Design Manual for Roads and Bridges’ (Highways Agency 2001), providing a useful template for an overall grading.

SIGNIFICANCE FACTORS FOR ASSESSING THE SIGNIFICANCE (VALUE) OF HERITAGE ASSETS (VALUE)

A VERY HIGH World Heritage Sites Assets of acknowledged international importance Assets that can contribute significantly to acknowledged international research objectives

B HIGH Scheduled Monuments Grade I and II* Listed Buildings Undesignated heritage assets of schedulable or exceptional quality or importance Conservation Areas containing very important buildings Assets that can contribute significantly to national research objectives

C MEDIUM Designated or undesignated assets that have exceptional qualities or contribute to regional research objectives Grade II Listed Buildings

D LOW Designated and undesignated heritage assets of local importance Assets compromised by poor preservation and/or with poor contextualisation Assets of limited value but with potential to contribute to local research objectives

E NEGLIGIBLE Assets with very little or no surviving archaeological interest

F UNKNOWN The importance of the asset is unknown

According to the above Criteria, all Listed Buildings within the detailed study area are considered of Medium Importance; undesignated heritage assets are all considered of Low to Medium importance.

Some consideration is given in the following section to buildings and other features which are currently neither designated nor undesignated, however might at some future point be considered for more detailed record and protection. This was requested by the Principal Conservation Officer, however is beyond the normal scope of an assessment of this nature.

6.1 Assessment of Setting: designated and undesignated heritage assets

Using the English Heritage criteria set out in ‘The Setting of Heritage Assets’, the impact of the proposed scheme has no impact on any undesignated heritage assets within the core study area, and no impact on nearly all of the designated heritage assets (the listed buildings).

Impact on designated heritage assets is as follows:

Outmarsh Farmhouse: is screened from the development area by modern agricultural buildings and there is no change to its setting.

Old Railway Farmhouse and the Siding: This pair of cottages (constructed prior to the railway and possibly originally associated with the Wiltshire and Berkshire Canal, see above), currently face open

Page 6 Date: 14 December 2015 WAA New Home, Semington, Wiltshire: Heritage Statement R1 field to the south. The setting of these cottages is slightly impacted by the proposed development, simply because of the proposed change of land use of part of the APD, where the view of open field will be altered. However, if the setting of this building is seen in terms of association with the disused canal or dismantled railway, the direct impact on the setting of this building seems to be minimal. The building from that part of the APD most likely to contain structures if planning consent is granted (Fig. 2) is shown in Plate 3)

Wharf Cottage: This building is associated with the Kennet and Avon Canal, lying on its south side. This association is unaffected by the proposed development. The APD is screened from Wharf Cottage by Bridge House on the northern side of the canal, and its modern agricultural outbuildings, by embankments for the canal, by Semington Bridge, and by high hedges / tree lines.

Semington Aqueduct: As for Wharf Cottage, the aqueduct is associated with the Kennet and Avon canal, and the APD is invisible from this point.

Brook House and Brook Cottage: are entirely unaffected; Plate 8 is taken from Semington Road between the two buildings; their association is with Semington Brook and village, and the APD is screened by the rise in land level, and hedges / trees.

6.2 Assessment of Setting: potential designated and undesignated heritage assets

Impacts on potential heritage assets within the area of Fig. 1, which at the time of writing are neither designated nor undesignated is as follows, and include:

The Cottage 561 (?) opposite the site (The Halt): The Halt was the station for Semington, opening in 1857. It is now a private residence; its historical context is with the dismantled railway, and in this sense its setting is unaffected by the proposed development. It does overlook the APD, though is screened by trees.

The dismantled railway line to the north of the APD (see Section 3 above, Plate 1): There would seem to be no impact on the setting of this structure.

The Kennet and Avon Canal (Plate 5: A major structure, with many associated buildings, locks, aqueducts, wharfs, bridges (e.g. Semington Bridge) etc. ; there is no impact on the setting of this complex from the proposed development, and it is not visible from the APD.

The Lock House: this building (Plates 5-6) is associated with a lock on the Kennet and Avon Canal, and its setting is not impacted by the proposed development. The view from The Lock House to the APD is obscured at ground level by the canal embankment, and from the upper floor is partially screened by a high hedge.

Semington Bridge (Plate 7): Associated with the Kennet and Avon Canal and Semington Road; its setting is not affected by the proposed development.

The former Wiltshire and Berkshire Canal (Plate 4): Although eroded and silted, this disused canal forms the boundary of the APD parallel to Semington Road. There will be a direct impact on this feature from construction of a new bridge, and some form of recording during proposed works would be appropriate. It is understood that the Police HQ to the north of the APD was constructed

Page 7 Date: 14 December 2015 WAA New Home, Semington, Wiltshire: Heritage Statement R1 by means of piling across the canal line, and it is unfortunate that opportunity to record the profile of the canal and towpaths was not taken at the time.

Bridge House: this building lies to the immediate northwest of Semington Bridge. Its setting is negligibly affected by the proposed development, and the APD is screened largely from Bridge House by modern farm buildings and trees.

7 General Comments and conclusions

The 2.25 square km survey area lies within a landscape of good natural resources; it is likely to have been attractive to human occupation, although the surface geology suggests that the area was probably not well drained.

Within the APD area, there are no designated or undesignated heritage assets. A sinuous soil mark visible on some aerial photography might be an archaeological feature.

There is an almost complete lack of prehistoric or Iron Age remains within the larger survey area, comprising Bronze Age weapon MWI 4926 only, and also an absence of any remains from the Roman period. This extraordinary absence almost inevitably reflects the incompleteness of data in the WSHER (in common with all other HERs). It seems to the writer almost impossible to imagine that the survey area was not exploited before the medieval period.

Some or all of the undated features might be of prehistoric date, however; the earthworks of MWI 4982 are considered to be probably medieval.

The record expands for the medieval period. Semington in the south (1866), and Berryfield in the north (1875) are both villages of medieval origin. From a rapid search of available data, neither of these have Domesday references, and are therefore unlikely to have been of Saxon origin. Otherwise, the medieval landscape is dominated by farmsteads (with one example of ridge and furrow cultivation), and a deer park (4943). This indicates an extensive and prosperous habitation of the survey area during the medieval period.

For the post-medieval, this is likely to represent an extension of medieval settlement and land use. The records for this period include the six designated heritage assets (in this case listed buildings) within the survey area.

Modern records predominate, forming more than half of all available records. Modern records are approximately evenly distributed between 19th and mid 20th century remains. Of the former, demolished outfarms are characteristic, with three records pertaining to the dismantled railway to the north of the APD (72948, 61841 and 44473).

The survey area was heavily defended during the period of WW2, with records representing an RAF camp at Bowerhill (4954), and all of the remaining records being pillboxes and anti-tank obstacles.

The APD lies within a larger study area likely to contain remains of some or all later prehistoric and later periods.

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Some further archaeological investigation might be considered appropriate. The impact on designated and undesignated heritage assets is, in the main, zero, however there is slight impact on the Old Railway Farmhouse and The Siding, and potential major impact on the line of the former Wiltshire and Berkshire Canal.

8 Mitigation

Fig. 2 below shows the footprint of the provisional proposed development within the APD. This is positioned in the SE of the APD to minimise its impact on the surrounding built area. The vehicular access route to the proposed new build is not shown on this plan, nor is the intended new bridge across the former canal or associated access road.

Fig. 2 Outline application plan showing nominal position and form of proposed development

Light pollution and overspill are considered important, therefore all fittings will be selected and positioned to meet task lighting requirements and minimise pollution to the night sky and surrounding areas.

Impact on the former Wiltshire and Berkshire Canal, where a new bridge for access to the APD is proposed, might be mitigated by piling.

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9 Sources consulted and References

Published sources Archaeological Research Framework Resource Assessment and Research Agenda. Department for Communities and Local Government, 2012, National Planning Policy Framework. English Heritage, 2011, The Setting of Heritage Assets. Institute for Archaeologists, 2012, Standard and Guidance for Historic Environment Desk-based Assessment. The Highways Agency, 2001, Design Manual for Roads and Bridges, (DMRB 2, Volume 11, quarterly revision, May 2012). 1st edition OS map, survey 1884.

Internet sources (accessed May 2013) British Geological Survey, http://mapapps.bgs.ac.uk/geologyofbritain/home.html Heritage Gateway, http://www.heritagegateway.org.uk/gateway/ MAGIC, http://magic.defra.gov.uk/ Swindon and Wiltshire Historic Environment Record, http://www.wiltshire.gov.uk/artsheritageandlibraries/museumhistoryheritage/wiltshireandsw indonhistoricenvironmentrecord.htm National Heritage List for England, https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/

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Plate 1: View of dismantled railway line from the A350, looking west

Plate 2: View of platform and base of bridge over Semington Road, facing west. Railway embankment has been removed. The Halt Station beyond.

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Plate 3: Old Station Farmhouse and The Siding, facing north; taken from area of footprint of new build as proposed in outline application.

Plate 4: Remains of Wiltshire and Berkshire Canal, facing north

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Plate 5: Kennet and Avon Canal, facing east. The Lock House beside lock.

Plate 6:The Lock House, facing NE

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Plate 7: Semington Bridge, facing SW

Plate 8: View from Semington Road of Brook Cottage, facing NE

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