Trans. Bristol & Gloucestershire Archaeological Society 131 (2013), 245–263

Archaeological Review No. 37 2012

Edited by JAN WILLS and JON HOYLE

The Archaeological Review presents brief summaries of archaeological research, fieldwork and building recording undertaken during the year. Information is arranged mostly by civil parishes with the parish name followed by the site name or description and grid reference. For the city of Bristol entries are arranged by street or area.

Abbreviations AA Absolute Archaeology AOC AOC Archaeology AS Archaeological Surveys ArScn Archeoscan BA Benchmark Archaeology BaRAS Bristol and Region Archaeological Services BUSAS Bournemouth University School of Applied Sciences BWA Bristol and West Archaeology CA Cotswold Archaeology COAS Context One Archaeological Services DAI Deutsches Archäologisches Institut FA Foundations Archaeology GADARG Gloucester and District Archaeological Research Group GCCAS Gloucestershire County Council Archaeology Service HA Headland Archaeology (UK) JMHS John Moore Heritage Services MA Monmouth Archaeology NT The National Trust OAS Oxford Archaeology South TVAS Thames Valley Archaeological Services WA Wessex Archaeology 110 Arch 110 Archaeology

ALMONDSBURY, Hortham Nursery, Hortham Lane, ST 62058459. A watching brief during groundworks associated with the topsoil stripping and the excavation of footings for the Gospel Hall identified no archaeological features, finds or deposits despite the site’s proximity to Romano- British settlement. Underlying geology was exposed in only two test pits excavated to establish the depth of the overburden and in the Gospel Hall’s foundation trenches. Sue Farr, WA

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AMPNEY CRUCIS, Happy Lands, Wiggold, SP 04500530. A single evaluation trench, totalling 33 m2, was hand-excavated across the eastern perimeter of an oval enclosure which measured c.60×45 m. The site was first recognized as a crop-mark by O.G.S. Crawford in 1931. Geophysical surveys in 2010 and 2011, and an excavation in 2011, confirmed the presence of two roughly concentric rings of interrupted ditches with a possible entrance to the east. Excavation on the east side in 2012 showed the inner ditch to be c.0.6 m wide and preserved to a depth of up to 0.4 m with a c.1.5 m-wide entrance defined by two ditch terminals. Worked flints from the lower fills of the ditch either side of the entrance suggest a prehistoric date for this phase. At this point the outer ditch, the northern and western sides of which are larger than those to the south and east, was a ha-ha faced by a fine dry-stone wall standingc .0.8 m high and with the sloped ditch to the east. Finds from the ditch suggest it was constructed in the late 18th or early 19th century, perhaps to protect tree-planting visible from the hamlet of Wiggold. Timothy Darvill, BUSAS

AMPNEY CRUCIS and BAUNTON, Abbey Home Farm, centred on SP 04500500. Further extensive geophysical surveys covering a total of 100 ha were undertaken in 11 fields. Previously unrecorded features were identified in all the fields examined. These included enclosures, pits, occupation evidence, trackways, linear boundaries and field systems. Small-scale evaluation trenches were excavated at two sites where geophysical anomalies had been recorded in 2011. A number of possible pits were shown to be natural periglacial features, while a linear anomaly was confirmed as a probable lightning strike on the basis of distinctive subsurface geomagnetic patterning. Timothy Darvill, BUSAS and Friedrich Lüth, DAI

ASHCHURCH RURAL, Starveall Farm, SO 94003170. Six evaluation trenches, each 36 m long and 1.6 m wide, were excavated on the site of a proposed chicken farm. Earlier magnetometer survey had indicated a number of tentative faint anomalies, but the only archaeological features identified were the furrows of ridge-and-furrow cultivation. No finds earlier than the 19th century were recovered. Tim Allen, OA

BAGENDON, The Old School, SP 01100660. Archaeological evaluation identified poorly-dated make-up deposits which sealed archaeological fills/layers associated with later Iron Age and early Roman pottery, along with bone fragments, burnt flint, ceramic building material, charcoal and limestone fragments. Deposits containing 2nd-century AD pottery provide limited evidence for settlement within the Bagendon oppidum in the later part of the early Roman period. FA

BITTON, Hanging Hill, Upton Cheney, ST 71007000. Geophysical survey and limited excavation revealed a range of higher-status Roman buildings within a large ditched enclosure. Finds of imported and native pottery, coins and other domestic artefacts suggest a 2nd to 4th-century AD settlement alongside the Roman route to Bath. Investigations are to continue on this site. Tony Roberts, ArScn

BOURTON-ON-THE-HILL, Hillcrest, SP 17383249. A programme of archaeological recording identified a possible medieval enclosure containing two large intercutting medieval pits and two smaller undated pits. Two medieval ditches were identified outside the enclosure. Tom Weavill, CA

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BOURTON-ON-THE-WATER, Sunnnyside, Lansdown, SP 16122097. A watching brief identified Roman remains, including a ditch, a culvert, a stone yard surface and a wall. Donal Lucey, CA

Bourton-on-the-Water Primary School, School Hill, SP 16682095. A watching brief was carried out during the demolition of a HORSA building and the extension of a classroom where an Iron Age inhumation had been found in 2000. Mitigation measures ensured that the majority of the groundworks were kept above the level of the known archaeology, although at least seven features, comprising pits, postholes and ditches, were recorded. Pottery from one feature dated to the Iron Age and the other features are likely to be of the same period. Paul Nichols, GCCAS

Bury Barn Cottage, SP 17472066. A programme of archaeological monitoring within the southeastern part of the Iron Age fortified enclosure of Salmonsbury Camp identified no archaeological deposits, features or finds. Earlier buildings in this part of the site are likely to have destroyed archaeological deposits which may survive in other areas. FA

Larch House, Station Road, SP 16922080. Recording in advance of residential development revealed modern made-ground and pits across much of the site. No deposits pre-dating the post- medieval period were observed, although an undated pit or ditch and an undated, but probably post-medieval, retaining wall were recorded. A small quantity of residual Roman pottery and tile was found in the modern made-ground. James Lewis and Andrew Mundin, TVAS

BRISTOL, City Museum, Queen’s Road, ST 58077323. A watching brief during the excavation of two narrow service trenches for a new lift in the Grade II*-listed building revealed the footings of the present museum, which overlay earlier wall foundations, believed to be contemporary with the early 19th-century Bishop’s College. Nothing pre-dating the 19th century was found. Tracey Smith, BaRAS

Bristol Old Vic, Theatre Royal, King Street, ST 58807275. A watching brief and standing building recording during refurbishment and recovery works to the auditorium and back-of-house areas uncovered a number of features, the earliest of which were medieval. These included pits, postholes and a beam slot which pre-dated the construction of the theatre in 1764–6. Numerous structural details of the theatre were identified including the foundations of the original stage front and musicians’ area, extensive sections of flagstone flooring, wall foundations and blocked openings. Work outside the theatre revealed the foundations of an 18th or early 19th- century cellared building and three post-medieval inhumation burials associated with an extension to the Rackhay burial ground which dated from 1742 to 1828. Cai Mason, BaRAS

Hannah More Primary School, New Kingsley Road, ST 59897289. A watching brief recorded two different dumps of made-ground on either side of a stone wall. One dump was primarily building material, the other primarily waste from a glassworks. Les Capon, AOC

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Old Gaol Stables, Cumberland Road, Wapping Wharf, ST 58437210. A watching brief during redevelopment revealed structural remains of the stables which were built between 1855 and 1869, and appear to have continued in this usage until at least 1930. Part of the perimeter wall of the New Gaol, built 1816–20, was also recorded although there was no evidence for significant earlier activity on the site. Cai Mason, BaRAS

9 Pipe Lane and 42 Trenchard Street (formerly 42 Frogmore Street), ST 58467299. A programme of building survey, excavation and a watching brief was undertaken at this site, which was within the precinct of St Mark’s Hospital from c.1230 to 1539, and has probably remained relatively undeveloped since that time. A large quarry pit extended across the whole site; its backfill contained 11th to early 16th-century finds suggesting it was backfilled shortly before or very soon after the Dissolution. The earliest recorded structure was the cellar of 9 Pipe Lane, a probable early 17th- century stone-built and gable-fronted building which was originally three storeys high, and had at least one, but probably more, vaulted cellars extending under Pipe Lane. There was evidence for several 18th and 19th-century extensions and alterations to this building, although historic images suggest it remained relatively unaltered until its demolition in 1937. The remains of an early 18th- century stone building at 42 Frogmore Street were also recorded. Cai Mason, BaRAS

Redcliff Street/1 Victoria Street, ST 59037284. A small excavation and watching brief revealed a wall and associated construction debris dating from the 13th to the 14th century, which cut through 12th/13th-century dump deposits overlying the foreshore of the Avon. Two cellar walls, a stone floor and a drain which dated from the 17th/18th century were also recorded. Bruce Williams, BWA

Allen House, Ashley Down, ST 59727569. An investigation of the Grade II-listed barrack-type orphanage (one of five built on the site from 1847 to 1870) indicated that Allen House includes much of its original fabric, although some alterations were made during its use as a college from the 1950s. A subsequent watching brief during renovation works revealed wall foundations associated with the former orphanage. Peter Davenport, Christopher Leonard and Rachel Leung, CA

Land at Tregarth Road, Ashton Vale, ST 56657030. A watching brief during works associated with the development of 47 dwellings revealed made-ground to a depth of more than 0.5 m across the southern third of the site. This was largely mining waste which probably dated to the early to mid 20th century and was derived from the former South Liberty Colliery immediately opposite the study area. The Bedminster (Bristol) Magnet Greyhound Company Ltd built a greyhound racing track on the site in March 1928 (although it closed by October of the same year); an almost continuous length of iron rail found in the northern and central part of the site had carried the mechanical trolley and lure (artificial hare) which the dogs chased. Two rows of square concrete bases set at regular intervals may have been the remains of a fence shown on the 1932 Ordnance Survey plan at the south end of the race track. A rough track immediately north of the site is on the line of the course’s eastern circuit, although no traces of the track surface were recorded within the development, perhaps suggesting that it had been a dirt track. No other significant archaeological deposits or features were observed. Tim Longman, BaRAS

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Avonmouth Biomass Power Station, Avonmouth Docks, Avonmouth, ST 51707982. An evaluation in advance of the construction of a biomass power station consisted of the mechanical excavation, under archaeological supervision, of three large trenches. One trench had to be abandoned at an early stage due to excessive groundwater, but buried soil horizons were recorded at depth in the remaining trenches. These may represent a ground surface pre-dating the deposition of alluvial clays from the excavation of the nearby Royal Edward Dock which was constructed before 1908. No other significant archaeological features or deposits were present. Tim Longman, BaRAS

AstraZeneca site, Severnside, Avonmouth, ST 54078341. An archaeological evaluation comprised the excavation of 40 trenches representing a 2% sample of the development area. Ten deep geoarchaeological test pits were excavated within the trenches to map the underlying sediments and to investigate the presence and extent of a comminuted charcoal layer previously identified to the south. The majority of the trenches produced only ceramic land drains and clearly modern features, although a small undated ditch, interpreted as a post-medieval drainage ditch, was found in the northwest corner of the site. The geoarchaeological test pits showed a consistent sequence across the area including a layer which corresponded with the comminuted charcoal layer. To the west and south of the site this was very dark and may have contained microscopic charcoal (although none was identified), whilst further east it became more humic and peaty. It was interpreted as a humified incipient vegetation layer and was not associated with any recorded archaeological finds or features. Sue Farr, WA

Sewage Treatment Works, Kings Weston Lane, Avonmouth, ST 53397939. A watching brief, near to the suspected site of a medieval farmstead, recorded only modern deposits. These dated from the construction of the sewage works which appears to have removed evidence of earlier activity. Richard Tabor, COAS

Hebron Burial Ground, Hebron Road, Bedminster, ST 58117140. A watching brief was undertaken during the rebuilding of boundary walls. No burials were disturbed but several mid 19th to early 20th-century burial monuments were uncovered and recorded. Cai Mason, BaRAS

92 North Street, Bedminster, ST 57977149. A record was made of the former Bristol Co-operative Society laundry, which appears to have been established on the site sometime between 1902 and 1914. David Etheridge, BWA

Waterloo Street, Clifton, ST 57017309. A watching brief during groundworks associated with the partial demolition of 21 Waterloo Street prior to residential development found no archaeological deposits or artefacts which pre-dated the construction of the building in 1932. Before that, the site may have lain within the grounds of grand houses which fronted Rodney Place to the east. Richard Tabor COAS

Pro Cathedral, Park Place, Clifton, ST 57737321. Two inhumation burials were excavated within the crypt of the Pro Cathedral in advance of their exhumation as part of the conversion of the existing buildings into student accommodation. Both inhumations, which dated to 1855, were in a badly disturbed state although, where practical, measurements were taken and the exhumation

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process was photographed in detail. Despite the disturbance the skeletal remains were generally in an excellent condition, and useful human bone analysis was undertaken. All deposits within the graves were sieved to ensure that all of the remains could be reinterred. Sue Farr and Steve Beach, WA

University of Bristol Students Union Building, Queens Road, Clifton, ST 57527330. A watching brief during construction identified no significant archaeological deposits or features, other than the partial remains of a boundary wall and a stone-built drain associated with early 19th-century houses which formerly occupied the site. Tim Longman, BaRAS

Mortimer House, Clifton Down Road, Clifton, ST 57107317. A record was made of this c.1760 structure which was built as a large family home in the neoclassical style of the period. Additions and alterations from the 19th and 20th centuries were consistent with its later use as a school and hospital. David Etheridge, BWA

Land adjacent to Junction 3 of the M32 motorway, Easton, ST 60127434. A watching brief during groundworks associated with development adjacent to the M32 motorway recorded an 18th or early 19th-century road or yard surface of compacted slag, probably from the adjacent Baptist Mills Brass Works. The metalled surface was cut by one of six large sand quarries, most if not all of which were probably dug shortly before the site was developed for housing in the early 19th century. The remains of cellars, walls, floors, yard surfaces, wells, cesspits and drains were evidence for the shops, houses, workshops, places of worship and public houses which lined Lower Ashley Road in the mid 19th century, at which time it was a busy commercial street. Although some of these buildings were demolished in the later 19th and 20th centuries the pattern of development remained largely static until large-scale clearance work prior to the construction of the M32 in the early 1970s. The surviving buildings were demolished in a piecemeal fashion between 1973 and 2010. Cai Mason, BaRAS

Land at Creswicke Road and Gerrard Close, Filwood, ST 58896925. An excavation prior to a new development revealed a simple sequence of imported topsoil and modern made-ground overlying truncated natural subsoil. A single sherd of residual Romano-British pottery was recovered from the made-ground. Cai Mason, BaRAS

Land at 124–6 and 156–8 Creswicke Road, Filwood, ST 59176946 and ST 59066939. A watching brief during ground-engineering works recorded modern deposits directly overlying bedrock, but no significant archaeological remains. Both sites had previously been used for garages and truncation of ground levels may have destroyed significant deposits in the past. Tracey Smith, BaRAS

Filwood Park, Hengrove Way, Filwood, ST 59506935. Six evaluation trenches (totalling 160 m2) demonstrated that Filwood Park has remained relatively unaffected by 20th-century landscaping, although the area around a former hangar for Whitchurch Airport appears to have been heavily truncated. Post-medieval features comprising two field boundary ditches, a land drain and a pond were identified near the eastern edge of the site, and an undated fire pit and posthole were also

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recorded. There was no evidence for the eastern extent of the Romano-British settlement in Filwood Park, perhaps suggesting that this was focused towards the western end of the park. Cai Mason, BaRAS

Land to the rear of 5 Kingsdown Parade (otherwise known as 58 Alfred Hill), Kingsdown, ST 58567367. A watching brief during construction groundworks recorded no significant archaeological deposits or features other than a small assemblage of 13th to 14th-century pottery, recovered from a stratified context and perhaps associated with the nearby medieval priory of St James. Tim Longman, BaRAS

Site to rear of Queens Building, Upper Maudlin Street, Kingsdown, ST 58607348. A watching brief revealed no significant archaeology other than remnants of 7–10 Bedford Row and the recently demolished 18th-century Beaufort House. Raymond Ducker, BWA

Former Mason’s Arms Public House, Lawrence Weston Road, Lawrence Weston, ST 54947851. Excavation in the garden to the rear of the Mason’s Arms revealed three shallow, probable boundary ditches which dated from the medieval and the post-medieval periods, together with pits and other features of late post-medieval to modern date. Bruce Williams, BWA

Andover Road, Lower Knowle, ST 59737055. A watching brief during the excavation of three trial pits during groundworks in the vicinity of the route of the medieval Redcliffe Conduit found no evidence for medieval or other archaeological remains. The areas exposed by the trial pits were very limited and this result is unlikely to reflect the locality’s archaeological potential. Richard Tabor COAS

Montpelier Health Centre, Bath Buildings, Montpelier, ST 59157438. A single trench was excavated on the site of the mid 18th to early 20th-century lido known as Rennison’s Baths prior to the development of a new healthcare building. Most recorded features dated to the mid to late 19th and early 20th century and were broadly contemporary with the alterations made by Bristol Corporation Baths Committee after they purchased the baths in 1891. The Old England public house, c.50 m north-east of the site, is the only surviving building from the former ‘Pleasure Bath and Gardens’, although partially extant structures at the rear of the present health centre, including areas of stone paving alongside the former pool and part of its retaining wall, indicate the extent of the complex in its heyday. Tim Longman, BaRAS

1 Victoria Street, Redcliffe, ST 59027285. A watching brief during the mechanical excavation of a single geotechnical trial pit and three boreholes revealed varying depths of disturbance relating to the construction of the nearby Floating Harbour. Tidal flat deposits, of possible archaeological interest, were recorded in two of the boreholes. Tim Longman, BaRAS

St Mary Redcliffe Church, Redcliffe, ST 59137226. A watching brief during pathway resurfacing works recorded a small number of disarticulated human bones which were subsequently reburied in the churchyard. Cai Mason, BaRAS

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17–19 Hadrian Close, Sea Mills, ST 55037578. A watching brief was undertaken during the demolition of three 1940s prefabricated houses, whose concrete foundations were built over the sloping pre-1940s land surface. Apart from a small number of service trenches most of the site was unaffected by modern disturbance, although no archaeological finds or features were recorded. The site is within a known area Romano-British settlement, evidence for which may be sealed beneath a layer of post-Roman ploughsoil. Cai Mason BaRAS

Air Balloon Primary School, Hillside Road, St. George, ST 63257345. A programme of recording of the Grade II-listed buildings associated with the school was undertaken prior to refurbishment work. Externally two limited elevations, a 1950s single-storey brick extension and a short section of boundary wall, were recorded. Internally the fittings and fixtures of 18 rooms within two buildings were investigated. The majority contained original features such as panelled doors, decorative mouldings and glazed bricks, although the most distinctive features were associated with a central hall which contained a hammerbeam roof and arched internal windows. The numerous alterations made to facilitate its function as a school have had limited impact on the fabric of the building. Chris Clarke, AOC

345–7 Church Road, St George, ST 62027356. A watching brief during construction works on a site previously occupied by a large late 19th-century villa recorded a post-medieval clay or coal prospecting pit, a post-medieval well and the foundations of a mid 19th-century terraced house. Tracey Smith, BaRAS

Lord Rodney Public House, Two Mile Hill Road, St George, ST 63497379. A comprehensive programme of archaeological work included a building survey prior to demolition, a watching brief during demolition, an excavation and a watching brief on previously undisturbed areas. Recording of the historic core of the existing structures revealed evidence for their sequence of development with elements possibly dating back to the 17th century. The main building was constructed during the 18th century with a lime-based mortar and significant repairs or rebuilds took place in the 19th and early 20th centuries. The watching brief during demolition allowed the extent of the different phases to be identified and confirmed the building’s development sequence. The subsequent excavation confirmed a late 17th or early 18th-century construction date for the earliest building on the site, and this was progressively expanded from the 18th century to the late 20th century, with at least one phase of major rebuilding. There was no evidence for activity pre-dating the 17th century. Simon Roper, BaRAS

South View, Stibbs Hill, St George, ST 60127434. A watching brief during groundworks for a new housing development recorded structural remains of an early 19th-century house belonging to John Stibbs. Much of the site was heavily truncated by late 19th-century fireclay quarrying. No remains of the Pug Mill recorded on the 1888 Ordnance Survey map were found. Cai Mason, BaRAS

Former Redland Police Station, Lower Redland Road, Withywood, ST 57606740. Historic building recording was undertaken in advance of a programme partly to refurbish and partly to demolish the building. The principal block was built in 1891 with a stable block to the rear. Externally its architectural style and use of good quality materials gives it an attractive aspect. Internally, the fixtures and fittings are typical of the late 19th century, particularly the skirting, cornices,

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doorframes, and the use of glazed bricks in areas where hard wear was expected. There was also a cell block with some original fittings to the rear. Les Capon, AOC

BROCKWORTH, land adjacent to Presentation Convent, Court Road, SO 89201699. Archaeological recording in connection with residential development identified three Roman gully-like features, probably land boundaries, on the lower west side of the site at the base of a natural slope. These were at right angles to Ermin Street and may be part of a system of early 2nd-century AD ditched boundaries on a similar alignment to ones recorded elsewhere in Brockworth. A medieval plough furrow and a ditch were also on this alignment, perhaps suggesting a continuation of the general pattern of cultivation and land division into the medieval period. A later feature, initially discovered during evaluation in 2008, was further excavated confirming its initial interpretation as a waterhole for livestock. Sean Cook, 110 Arch

CHEDWORTH, earthworks south-east of Chedworth Roman Villa, SP 05431336. Magnetometry and resistivity surveys were carried out, as part of the Chedworth Environs Project, on earthworks in an elevated position only 70 m to the south-east of the Roman villa but separated from it by steeply sloping ground. The earthworks consist of a ditch apparently defining the northern and western sides of a small enclosure which is bisected by a shallow hollow way. Additional banks survive along the interior and exterior of the western side of the enclosure. The survey identified a number of magnetic and resistivity anomalies, although these have not provided conclusive evidence of the site’s date or function. Anomalies within the enclosure may indicate a fragmented ditch or a series of elongated pit-like features, whilst a north-eastern corner, beyond the limit of the extant earthworks, is suggested by anomalies along the northern enclosure ditch. If this interpretation is correct the enclosure would have measured c.70 m east–west by 60 m north– south. The southern and eastern ditches have been infilled, but the northern and western ditches survive where woodland has protected the earthworks from agriculture. Kerry Donaldson and David Sabin, AS

Chedworth Roman Villa, the west range corridor and room 6, SP 05271346. Following the completion of the Chedworth west range cover building, the mosaics in room 6 and the central 10 m of the corridor were uncovered. The north and south ends of the corridor, passages 5b, 6a and rooms 7 and 8 were revealed in 2010, in advance of the construction of the cover building. Victorian gravel path surfaces beneath the tarmac matched those described in 2010 and galvanized nails, pins and a mid to late 19th-century shotgun cartridge were recovered from their limestone hardstanding. Below this was a fine sand and topsoil layer which protected the mosaic and covered a posthole beside the bath house, which contained two galvanized nails. In 2010, two similar postholes beside the triclinium (room 5), were interpreted as Roman but are now believed to date to the 1860s when they were probably cut through the corridor mosaic to support scaffold poles for the construction of the Victorian cover buildings for the bath house and triclinium. The central section of corridor mosaic continued the pattern of panels of interlocking circles of varying lengths separated by 1.2 m-square woven-style guilloche mats which had been found in 2010, although this design was interrupted at the doorway between the outer courtyard and the corridor. This area had been decorated with a pelta design surrounded by a saw tooth edge, but concentrated footfall at this entrance had caused severe erosion, particularly towards the north, and only a 0.6×0.6 m remnant survived on the south side of the doorway. The central section of

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the corridor mosaic also contained many damaged areas which had been patched with soil and loose tesserae. Pottery fragments used in the repairs included pink grog-tempered ware and a sherd from an Oxford white slipware mortarium indicating a 3rd or 4th-century date. In places the patched mosaic was covered by a layer of pink mortar and pink staining on the mosaic tesserae suggested that much of this later surface had been removed to reveal the mosaic in the 1864–5 excavation. The mosaic continued under parts of the corridor west wall and may indicate the sites of doorways into rooms which existed when the whole west range was at corridor level. The hypocausts were constructed in the late 4th century, at which time the flights of steps up to the triclinium and bath house were built over the corridor mosaic. The mosaic in room 6 was also uncovered and the floor was photographed and recorded. The detail of the floor was recorded when it was last seen in 2000 and included the unexcavated collapsed section of hypocaust against the central part of the west wall filled with debris including clay tiles, stone blocks and limestone slabs. Some clay tiles had been reused to create a hearth in the centre of this room after the central section of the mosaic had been worn away. This is the latest visible phase of the villa’s use and presumably dates to the 5th century or later. Martin Papworth, NT

CHELTENHAM, 102 Evesham Road, SO 95332334. A watching brief recorded Roman pits and ditches dating to the 1st to 2nd centuries AD, and remodelled in the 3rd to 4th centuries. Dan Sausins, CA

Art Gallery and Museum, SO 94482265. A watching brief during groundworks for a four-storey extension to the museum revealed severe truncation to the stratigraphy caused by extensive cellarage, although a brick furnace structure in the eastern corner of the site demonstrated the potential for islands of surviving archaeology in the immediate vicinity. The type of construction and materials used in the furnace suggest a late 19th-century date, but its function is unclear as no buildings or businesses which might have used a furnace have been identified by earlier research. Vitrified material on the inside of the firing chambers suggests an industrial function and solid brick extensions to the firing chambers may have acted as a heat sink to maintain an even temperature. Unfortunately the upper levels of the structure were truncated and all evidence from this area was lost. No further archaeological features or artefacts were identified. FA

Trinity Church, Portland Street, SO 95252277. A ledger stone survey and a watching brief in the eastern churchyard were undertaken in advance of the construction of a single-storey toilet block. The watching brief during the excavation of three geotechnical test pits revealed brick shaft graves, the foundations of the eastern boundary wall, the foundation of the middle church buttress and an unidentified stone structure, tentatively suggested to be the wall of a previously-backfilled entrance into the church crypt. The survey identified 32 ledger stones. Fourteen of these werein situ and 11 were not in their original position, although the status of the remaining seven was less clear. Helen Webb, OA

CHIPPING CAMPDEN, St James’ Church, SP 15463941. A watching brief identified no in situ burials or disarticulated human bone, and no features, deposits or finds of archaeological significance. Richard Cherrington, BA

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CHURCHDOWN to LEIGH, Mythe to Mitcheldean mains reinforcement, SO 88991912 – SO 89172686. Three excavations, all in Churchdown parish, were undertaken as part of a watching brief during the construction of a mains reinforcement pipeline. Area C, SO 89482156. Excavation of a 100×18 m area recorded features thought to represent part of a rural settlement of mid to late Iron Age date. These included a possible stock enclosure and boundary ditches which contained pottery, fired clay, charcoal and burnt stones, an assemblage typical of domestic activity. A single internal pit contained densely-packed burnt stones, possibly from a kiln or hearth, although there was little evidence for burning outside the pit. There was also some evidence for post-medieval ridge and furrow agriculture. Area D1, SO 89431957. Excavation of a 140×18 m area recorded two adjacent late Iron Age circular gullies, one of which, with postholes indicating an entrance and an associated hearth, was clearly a domestic roundhouse. The fills of the gullies showed evidence for cleaning and maintenance and contained domestic refuse such as fired clay, animal bone, charcoal and pottery. A small amount of slag suggested metal working but this was probably not the structure’s main function. Pottery from the 1st to 3rd centuries AD suggests that occupation continued into the Romano-British period at which time an associated ditched field system expanded and became more structured and organized. Area D2, SO 89281932. Excavation of a 250×18 m area recorded what appears to have been a continuation of the field systems excavated in area D1, and revealed evidence that the Iron Age agricultural landscape had become more ordered by the Romano-British period. The ditches contained less evidence of domestic use, suggesting they were more outlying parts of a field system, although this had changed by the mid Romano-British period, when the construction of a small stone-built villa shifted the focus away from the site of the Iron Age settlement. The villa appeared to be laid out as a corridor with offset rooms and may have had a raised east-facing stone verandah. Associated boundary ditches contained domestic waste including oyster shell, animal bone, pottery fragments from drinking cups and imported wares including mortaria from northern Gaul. The villa had fallen out of use and been demolished by the late Romano-British period. Andrew Norton, WA

CIRENCESTER, Cirencester Primary School, Victoria Road, SP 02940151. Mitigation measures during the installation of a new fence within the scheduled monument of Corinium Roman town recorded two stone walls, a possible surface and demolition and levelling deposits of Roman date. Finds included a Roman lead steelyard weight of unusual flattened spherical shape (a biconical form is more common) and heavy for its size (865 g, compared to other examples from Cirencester which range from 197 to 480 g). Paul Nichols, GCCAS

Land adjoining 2 St John’s Road, SP 02310261. A programme of archaeological work identified a late Iron Age to early Roman ditch. There was also evidence for medieval and post-medieval ploughing. Fiona Langton, CA

74 Cricklade Street, SP 02300170. The excavation of a single test pit identified two layers of probable Roman date below post-medieval layers. Small assemblages of Roman, late medieval and post-medieval pottery, along with a number of other finds, mainly clay tobacco pipe, were also recovered. A watching brief during groundworks associated with an extension to the property recorded late post-medieval and modern layers to a depth of 1.2 m below the existing ground

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level. These were cut by late post-medieval structural evidence and negative features, one of which contained two residual sherds of Roman samian ware. FA

1 Corinium Gate, SP 02790201. A watching brief during groundworks associated with an extension to the property recorded no archaeological deposits or artefactual evidence as the groundworks did not penetrate below the garden soils and made-ground to reveal any underlying deposits. FA

Market Place, SP 02330205. A watching brief during the excavation of 16 ground investigation pits within the existing roads or parking areas recorded evidence for disturbance to depths of up to 0.6 m below existing ground level, the maximum proposed depth of excavation. Undated pea-grit/ limestone deposits were also identified in seven of the test pits. FA

24 Beeches Road, SP 02800180. The excavation of a single test pit identified a layer of clay and limestone fragments, overlain by poorly-dated soil layers. A small assemblage of Roman and medieval pottery, Roman ceramic building material and other undated artefacts were also found. FA

20 Victoria Road, SP 02740173. The excavation of a single test pit identified two soil layers of probable Roman date, which were overlain by post-medieval layers and garden features. An assemblage of Roman and post-medieval pottery was also found. FA

Cirencester Hospital embankment installation, SP 01780145. A watching brief during the excavation of four small trenches for the installation of a stone embankment against the edge of an area of known Romano-British quarrying and adjacent cemetery recorded no archaeological finds or features and no evidence for human burials. Andrew Manning, WA

COBERLEY, Coberley Court Barns, SO 96501586. Evaluation revealed two medieval ditches, interpreted as boundary ditches associated with nearby Coberley Court. Christopher Leonard, CA

DEERHURST, St Mary’s Church, SO 87052996. A watching brief revealed eight inhumations and a wide post-medieval ditch, along with a possible stone lining of a fishpond. Christopher Leonard, CA

DYMOCK, land east of Burtons Farm, SO 71043232. Evaluation trenches over banks and ditches, previously interpreted as a possible moated site, recorded no evidence for occupation, suggesting that the earthworks were a livestock enclosure rather than a settlement or defensive structure. Mike Sims, OA

Tillers Green water main renewal, SO 6810338 – SO 70453101. A watching brief during water main renewal found a small undated pit outside The Old Post Office and a possible wall footing consisting of unmortared handmade bricks near the entrance to the drive of High House. Richard O’Neill, WA

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DYRHAM and HINTON, West and East Gardens, Dyrham Park, ST 74157576. A watching brief in the west garden recorded evidence of the 18th-century cobbled surface, beneath made up ground, to the west of the stable block. Evidence of a small annex to the south of the main house, which was recorded in Johannes Kip’s 18th-century engraving of Dyrham House and Gardens, was also revealed. A second watching brief, in the east gardens, recorded no archaeological layers, features or deposits. AA

EBRINGTON, Hidcote Manor, SP 17664241. The excavation of five test pits within the footprint of a previously-demolished farmyard building recorded no significant archaeological remains or previously unknown heritage assets. Examination of the building’s remaining eastern wall, and a second stretch of wall adjacent to the Manor’s carpark, identified the remains of footings of an internal wall and the plaster rendering associated with the former building. The former building’s foundations are likely to survive where they were made of stone or brick, but its floor appears to have been removed when it was demolished. S.R. Mayes, HA

ELKSTONE, Oldbury Farm, SO 98401250. The excavation of a single 30×1.8 m evaluation trench identified two features, a linear ditch that may represent an earlier field boundary and a possible drain. FA

ELMSTONE HARDWICKE, Cursey Lane, SO 89942819. Nine trial trenches were excavated following detailed geophysical survey which had identified extensive evidence for ridge-and-furrow and a number of anomalies of potential archaeological significance. Furrows, which produced post-medieval artefacts, were found throughout the evaluation area, although the only other features were an undated pit and two recent features within the ploughsoil which the geophysical survey had identified as possible areas of heating. Several abraded sherds of Roman pottery and a fragment of tegulae were recovered from the furrow fills. These may suggest Roman settlement in the vicinity, but could equally have been derived from Roman manure spreading on the field surface or by other means. Vix Hughes, OA

FAIRFORD, Fairford House, SP 15140110. A watching brief during groundworks associated with the construction of a linked orangery and pool building revealed three possible pits and a possible ditch. Although poorly dated some, if not all, of these probably relate to medieval settlement activity. Frequent modern disturbance was also recorded. FA

FILTON, land adjacent to Conygre House, Conygre Road, ST 60747939. An evaluation recorded no archaeologically significant layers, features or deposits. A small assemblage of residual post- medieval finds was not retained. AA

GLOUCESTER, the Old Chapel, Horton Road, SO 84351843. A desk-based assessment, historic building appraisal and evaluation were conducted prior to a planning application to renovate and extend the chapel which was formerly part of the County Lunatic Asylum. Although desk-based assessments had suggested that burials associated with the asylum may

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have been within the development area, the evaluation did not record any archaeological features. Nathan Thomas, GCCAS

4 Winnycroft Cottages, Painswick Road, SO 85781479. A watching brief recorded the foundation of a small square building made up of lime mortared oolitic limestone in the far south-eastern corner of the development area. The building appeared to be respected by the irregular 19th-century site boundary and its form and bonding material suggests an 18th-century date. The building also seemed too small to be a house and is likely to represent some form of outhouse, small dovecot or animal enclosure. No other archaeological features, deposits or layers were identified and no artefacts were recovered from the spoil. AA

Gloscat Redevelopment Project, SO 83101830. An excavation of two trenches was undertaken on the site of the Greyfriars cloister, outside the scheduled area, in conjunction with volunteers from the Gloucester City Centre Community Partnership. Historic maps indicated that one of the trenches overlay the northwestern corner of Friars Orchard, formerly Bowling Green House and, from the late 1880s, the Crypt Grammar School Junior House. Bowling Green House was constructed from 1747 onwards and may have incorporated some of the Friary’s domestic buildings. The earliest deposit was a post-Roman demolition rubble overlain by dark earth below a post-medieval cultivation soil. This was cut by a brick wall, probably the north-eastern wall of Bowling Green House, and a square brick structure of unknown function. A later brick wall was probably part of an annex shown on historic maps. The second trench overlay the north-western end of a coach house built to the rear of Bowling Green House in the early to mid 19th century. The earliest deposits were a probable Roman metalled surface and a pit or ditch. Medieval remains, probably part of the western range of buildings of the cloister walk of Greyfriars Church, consisted of a tiled surface and a wall with arched foundations. Evidence for the early post-medieval disuse and dismantling of the cloisters was also recorded. The majority of the post-medieval features related to structures shown on historic maps. These included the rear wall of the coach house, parts of a mid to late 19th-century property off Priory Place, and a row of terraced houses built along the eastern side of Priory Place during the late 1800s and demolished in the mid 20th century. Ray Holt, CA

84 Gambier Parry Gardens, SO 83661979. A watching brief identified no archaeological finds or features. The absence of any surviving subsoil suggests that this had been removed by earlier landscaping and perhaps also an archaeological excavation undertaken in 1983. FA

84 Frampton Road, SO 82781706. Two evaluation trenches on the site of a demolished vicarage identified intact subsoils but no archaeological finds or features, suggesting that the site is of low archaeological potential. FA

The Fleece Hotel, SO 83071858. Several phases of investigation and recording were undertaken on the Grade I-listed building during its ongoing refurbishment. The Fleece Hotel, formerly the Great Inn, is a 15th-century timber-framed building with a 12th-century undercroft, a 17th– century timber-framed extension and a number of 19th and 20th-century buildings to its rear. The works included an assessment of the potential impact of development, a minor watching brief

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during works inside the building, and building recording before and during the demolition of a number of the later structures which had exposed parts of the building’s historic fabric. Jonathan Gill, OA

Flood Alleviation Scheme, Phase 4, Northgate Street, SO 83381873. A watching brief on the excavation of a manhole recorded made-ground and a modern concrete deposit above alluvial and natural deposits. No other archaeological features or finds were identified. Andrea Burgess, WA

1 Ashwood Way, SO 86851685. A watching brief during groundworks at the presumed site of a Roman villa adjoining the excavated Trevor Road, Hucclecote, bath block recorded foundations and stone robbing trenches on similar alignments to the bath block. Nigel Spry, GADARG

HANHAM ABBOTS, Hanham Hall, Whittucks Road, ST 64437161. Building recording was undertaken during the conversion of the Grade II*-listed building (most recently used as an NHS hospital until its closure in 2000) into a café, farm shop, crèche and office space. Numerous blockings and changes in construction in the Hall’s internal and external walls and outbuildings were recorded, the phasing suggested in earlier reports was refined and corrected, and the sequence of the construction/alterations for the majority of the buildings was confidently established. Much of the earlier fabric of the Hall survives, although every part has undergone multiple alterations and additions to accommodate its changing roles over three and a half centuries of continual use. Simon Roper, BaRAS

Site to rear of 75-81 Court Farm Road, Longwell Green, ST 65397055. A watching brief during redevelopment recorded a 19th-century limekiln (draw-kiln) complete with three firing pots and draw-tunnels. The kiln interior was insulated with a sandstone lining that formed a corbelled roof in the draw tunnels and firing pots. Bruce Williams, BWA

HIGHNAM, Lassington Court Farm, Lassington, SO 79622112. A watching brief recorded a linear feature of uncertain date and function, which contained a single sherd of Roman pottery, and a modern feature which contained residual pottery dating from both the Roman and medieval periods. Nick Witchell, GCCAS

Linton Farm, SO79841902. A single evaluation trench, measuring 18×1.5 m and 0.7 m deep, was excavated over a geophysical anomaly thought to indicate the remains of an early (possibly Roman) roadway. The excavation demonstrated that anomalies interpreted as possible roadside ditches were probably the result of a natural geological phenomenon. Terry Moore-Scott, GADARG

KEMPSFORD, Kempsford Quarry Extension, SU 17679850. Following desk-based assessment, an area of 87 ha was evaluated by 333 30 m-long trenches. Numerous undated or post-medieval linear features and post-built fence lines were identified. A single sherd of late medieval Brill- Boarstall ware pottery was the only find pre-dating the post-medieval period, and it was associated with later material. Few features correlated with those identified in previous excavations in the

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area, although some undated features may have been a continuation of a possible Roman field system to the south. Andy Taylor, TVAS

Manor Farm, SU 17609780. A further 4.3 ha of this quarry site was excavated, revealing evidence for two distinct phases of field systems although there were few datable finds. One system was probably post-medieval although the other has been very tentatively dated to the Roman period. These continue to the south, east and possibly west of the investigation area, although the possible Roman system appears to be separate from that recorded at Stubbs Farm to the southwest, perhaps suggesting a different landholder and conforming to a view that farms were spaced at approximately 1 km intervals. David Platt, TVAS

Top Road, SU 15459718. An evaluation in advance of construction work identified Iron Age and several recut Roman ditches. These corresponded with geophysical anomalies and cropmark evidence, suggesting an enclosure system in the south-eastern part of the site of at least two phases, probably more. A single Iron Age pit was outside the enclosure, along with one post- medieval/modern and two undated features. Several sherds of Late Bronze Age, Anglo-Saxon and medieval pottery were also found. Susan Porter, TVAS

LECHLADE, 18 Hambridge Lane, SP 21480012. A watching brief during the construction of a conservatory identified a grave, limited investigation of which revealed a lower, articulated human limb. A second probable grave and another possible grave were also identified but not investigated further. All three features were aligned approximately east–west, implying a Christian origin and they may be associated with an inhumation burial discovered on the site in 1986 as part of a more extensive burial ground. These features were left in situ and the construction plan was modified to protect surviving archaeological remains. FA

LONGFORD, Sandhurst Lane, SO 83032045. Resistivity survey next to an area of recorded Roman occupation showed evidence of ridge-and-furrow ploughing, some areas of high resistivity which may represent structures or debris, and an uncertain feature perhaps indicating a circular ditch. Nigel Spry, GADARG

MARSHFIELD, Harcombe Farm, ST 77847558. A geophysical survey revealed the ditches of at least two enclosures. The main enclosure is oval and appears to be prehistoric in nature, whilst the second, which was only partially revealed in the survey, seems more regular with straighter ditches. A surface scatter of Roman pottery and ceramic building material was noted over the entire site along with the occasional worked flint. Tony Roberts, ArScn

MORETON-IN-MARSH, Police Station, SP 20503268. Trial trenching identified a modern concrete path but no features or deposits of archaeological significance or finds pre-dating the 19th and 20th centuries. Richard Cherrington, BA

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Land at the Fire Service College, SP 21713325. An evaluation identified undated ditches flanking the postulated line of a Roman road. Three further undated ditches and an undated pit were also recorded. Tim Havard, CA

PAINSWICK, Painswick Beacon hillfort, SO 86831199. A section of the outer bank was cut back by 0.4 m to facilitate the construction of a drystone retaining wall during repair works to the scheduled hillfort. In situ bank material was recorded. Paul Nichols, GCCAS

PRESTBURY, Prior’s Piece, Mill Street, SO 96902400. A watching brief during the excavation of footing trenches for an extension to the property identified a wall and a possible pit at a depth of approximately 1.2 m below the modern ground surface and sealed by numerous layers. The wall shared a similar alignment to Prior’s Piece and probably represented a former part of the building, or an associated ancillary structure. A possible posthole was also identified but this represented later activity on the site. FA

SIDDINGTON, Dryleaze Farm, SU 03359835. Continuing fieldwork on this quarry site added another 3 ha to the area explored. Further evidence of a previously identified palaeochannel was recorded. A number of ditches alongside this were also identified, including one which appears to have been a continuation of, or a replacement for, a double pit alignment. Daniel Bray and Jo Pine, TVAS

SISTON, St Barnabas Church, Church Avenue, Warmley. ST 67447325. A watching brief during the relaying of a gas supply pipe in the churchyard uncovered no archaeological finds or features and no graves were disturbed. Tracey Smith, BaRAS

ST BRIAVELS, St Briavels Castle, SO 55850457. A watching brief during groundworks for the installation of external panels and plinths at this scheduled monument and Grade I-listed building recorded no deposits or finds of archaeological significance. T. Daly, HA

STOKE GIFFORD, Knightwood Farm, ST 62738043. Analysis and recording of the building indicated that the western side of the farmhouse may date from the 16th or 17th century and contains a single raised cruck. The remainder of the building appears to be of 18th and 19th- century date. David Etheridge, BWA

STOKE ORCHARD, Former Coal Research Establishment site, SO 91832834. Trenches excavated across the eastern and northern arms of a moated enclosure demonstrated that the medieval fills appear to have been cleaned out, and that the earliest surviving moat fills represented rapid post- medieval silting. A subsequent excavation within the moated area investigated a ditched internal division and a small number of medieval pits, along with structural features and animal burials likely to have been associated with a post-medieval farm. The core of the moated area, which is likely to have been the focus of any settlement, lay outside the area of excavation. Alistair Barber and Mark Brett, CA

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STONEHOUSE, Ebley Road SO 81980470 – 81980463. A watching brief during the insertion of a sewer recorded the natural geology below either 0.25 m of topsoil, or a bank of made-ground which stretched northwards for 15 m from the Stroudwater Canal at the southern end of the site. No other archaeological features or finds were identified. Andrea Burgess, WA

STOW-ON-THE-WOLD, Ashton House, SP 19482576. Evaluation recorded a limestone rubble bank or rampart, part of the late Bronze Age to early Iron Age scheduled monument of Stow Camp, which appeared to seal an earlier buried ground surface. This was the first occasion on which the bank has been recorded as only the enclosure’s ditches had been recognized in earlier investigations. Paul Nichols, GCCAS

STROUD and STONEHOUSE, Cotswold Canals Restoration, Phase 1a, SO 85300474 – SO 79800504. A watching brief and historic building survey between Capel’s Mill and Ocean Bridge recorded features associated with the canal, including lock walls, bridge footings and fixtures and bank deposits. Dredged material from the infilled canal basin was devoid of significant finds, excepting the remains of a wooden lock gate. Jonathan Hart, CA

TAYNTON, Taynton Parva, SO 74802292. Earthwork and geophysical survey was undertaken within this well-preserved scheduled monument comprising a ringwork, motte and bailey castle, moated site, swannery, church, buried settlement remains, fish ponds, ridge-and-furrow and Civil War defences. The church had a simple plan with a western nave, an eastern chancel and there is possible evidence for a southern porch and northern extension; magnetic anomalies with a strong positive response may support documentary evidence that it was burnt down. Two other buildings which also showed evidence of burning were recorded, one to the north-east of the motte and a second on its summit. Paul Nichols, GCCAS

TETBURY, land south of Quercus Road, ST 89709400. The excavation and recording of 13 evaluation trenches revealed well-preserved later prehistoric/early Roman settlement deposits, which comprised ditches, gullies, postholes, a possible pit and possible limestone quarries, as well as other unexcavated features. Later prehistoric/early Roman and post-medieval pottery was found, along with a later prehistoric/early Roman copper alloy brooch and bone fragments. FA

Land south-east of Quercus Road, ST 89809390. The excavation and recording of seven trenches across a former agricultural field revealed a small number of pit and posthole-like features although it was not possible to demonstrate that any of these definitely represented archaeological activity. A single sherd of Roman samian ware comprised the only archaeological find from the site. FA

TEWKESBURY, Tewkesbury Hospital, Howells Road, SO 89593264. An excavation revealed a Roman enclosure, possibly a cattle corral, and a trackway or droveway flanked by parallel ditches which may have linked Roman settlement in the Oldbury area with the River Swilgate. Elements of a Roman field system were also recorded along with a small number of pits and postholes. Other Roman features included a possible well or water hole and an infant burial next to an

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upturned Roman pot containing burnt bone. Finds included large quantities of animal bone and 1st to 4th-century AD Roman pottery as well as coins, a brooch and other metal artefacts, all of which suggest proximity to a settlement. Medieval activity comprised a possible boundary ditch demarcating burgage plots fronting Barton Street, a trackway, and possible field boundaries. Tim Havard, CA

TIDENHAM, land between Buttington Terrace and Loop Road, Beachley, ST 54859286. A watching brief during a new sewerage scheme recovered clay pipes, iron nails, three small prehistoric flints and an assemblage of pottery, ranging in date from the 13th to the 18th century. An area of undated smithing slag with post-medieval and later pottery, probably associated with a cobbled surface, and an area of 20th-century rubble was also exposed. MA

WINCHCOMBE, 70 Greet Road, SP 02502926. A watching brief recorded the remains of a number of early Roman ditches which were probably filled in by the 2nd century AD. Although they contained only poorly dated sherds the ditches corresponded with features recorded in a previous evaluation and excavation to the west and north. A second phase of Roman activity was represented by two roadside ditches and the beamslots and posthole of a structure lying adjacent to the ditched road. The remains of a post-medieval roadside ditch and 20th-century structures and disturbance were also recorded. Stephen Yeates, JMHS

WHITTINGTON, Syreford Quarry, SP 02502080. Evaluation of 3.8 ha of land in advance of a proposed quarry extension revealed a colluvial deposit which produced a few small sherds of late Bronze Age or Iron Age pottery, and a doubtful shallow linear feature. A number of geophysical anomalies did not appear to be of archaeological origin. David Platt, TVAS

WINTERBOURNE, boundary wall of former Head’s house, Silverhill School, ST 64968135. A section of the historic garden wall of the former Winterbourne House was recorded prior to its demolition for a new entrance. Original features included a blocked chamfered window with deeper internal dimensions and possible seat area, a simpler blocked window to the north, and an internal refacing and possible infilling of a gap in the wall. The mortar suggests that the wall predates the 19th century and was contemporary with, or just later than, Winterbourne House itself, although it was thoroughly repaired and re-pointed in the 19th century. Iron pins set into the ashy mortar on the wall’s internal face suggest training for a climbing plant during the 19th century. The windows may have been blocked and outbuildings removed during this period when a more formalised Victorian style of garden was created. Simon Roper, BaRAS

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