WDSF12 DENNY ST FRANCIS NEW SETTLEMENT, WATERBEACH Cultural Heritage Appraisal of the New Settlement Site for LDA Design September 2012 DENNY ST FRANCIS NEW SETTLEMENT, WATERBEACH Cultural Heritage Appraisal of the New Settlement Site for LDA Design September 2012 HA Job no.: WDSF12 NGR: 549865, 267263 Council: South Cambridgeshire Author Dr Stephen Carter Graphics Caroline Norrman & Jennifer Richards Headland Archaeology (UK) Ltd © Headland Archaeology (UK) Ltd 2012 North East Headland Archaeology 13 Jane Street Edinburgh EH6 5HE 0131 467 7705 [email protected] www.headlandarchaeology.com Denny St Francis New Settlement, Waterbeach WDSF12 Headland Archaeology (UK) Ltd CONTENTS 1. INTRODUCTION 1 2. APPROACH TO THE APPRAISAL 1 2.1 Scope of the study 1 2.2 Methods 2 3. RELEVANT LEGISLATION, PLANNING POLICY AND GUIDANCE 2 3.1 Legislation 2 3.2 National planning policy 2 3.3 Local Planning Policy 2 3.4 Guidance 5 4. THE HERITAGE RESOURCE OF THE STUDY AREA 5 4.1 Designated Assets 5 4.1.1 Scheduled Monuments 5 4.1.2 Listed Buildings 6 4.1.3 Conservation Areas 6 4.2 Un-designated Assets 6 4.2.1 Chronological overview 6 4.2.2 The archaeological potential of the new settlement site 9 4.2.3 The archaeological potential of additional land controlled by RLW Estates. 9 5. HERITAGE CONSTRAINTS AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE MASTERPLAN 9 5.1 Iron Age and Roman landscape archaeology 10 5.2 Car Dyke 10 5.3 Soldier’s Hill 10 5.4 Denny Abbey 10 5.5 Waterbeach Barracks (former RAF Waterbeach) 12 6. APPENDIX 14 Heritage Assets and archaeological ‘events’ within the cultural heritage study area 14 © Headland Archaeology (UK)© Headland Archaeology 2012 Ltd Denny St Francis New Settlement, Waterbeach WDSF12 Headland Archaeology (UK) Ltd LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Figure 1 3 Site Location Plan and Extent of Cultural Heritage Study Area Figure 2 7 The Cultural Heritage Resource Figure 3 11 Denny St Francis, Waterbeach. Cultural Heritage constraints and opportunities © Headland Archaeology (UK)© Headland Archaeology 2012 Ltd Denny St Francis New Settlement, Waterbeach WDSF12 Headland Archaeology (UK) Ltd DENNY ST FRANCIS NEW SETTLEMENT, WATERBEACH Cultural Heritage Appraisal of the New Settlement Site 1. INTRODUCTION • To advise LDA Design on how heritage assets may constrain the Masterplan and how potential constraints can be overcome. The proposed site for Waterbeach new settlement, referred to as Denny St Francis, lies entirely within South Cambridgeshire District, This present report provides an initial appraisal of the cultural approximately 6 km north of the urban edge of Cambridge and heritage resource and will be used to inform the promotional is positioned between the A10 and the Cambridge to Ely railway report, noted above. The appraisal will be re-visited as the line. The site lies north of the existing village of Waterbeach Masterplan for the settlement evolves and the need for more (Figure 1). detailed information on specific topics or areas becomes clear. The site available for Denny St Francis new settlement extends It is also known that relevant new heritage information will to approximately 577 hectares, which includes generous space become available in the near future and this will also inform for green infrastructure provision, employment, retail, education, revision of the appraisal. Key reports on the heritage assets in 1 community, open space and park & ride uses, in addition to Waterbeach Barracks and the former airfield are currently (August residential development. An area of undeveloped land will be 2012) being prepared by English Heritage and an independent included to safeguard the setting of Denny Abbey. researcher, Aldon Ferguson. It is anticipated that these will be made available later in the summer. The new settlement site comprises land in a mixture of current uses. The western part of the site contains Waterbeach Barracks and former airfield, in addition to further uses controlled by the 2. APPROACH TO THE APPRAISAL Ministry of Defence such as a golf course. The eastern portion of the site comprises largely agricultural land, with an existing sewage works towards the southern end. In the north-western 2.1 Scope of the study corner lies Denny Abbey, surrounded by further farmland. The purpose of the appraisal is to identify those heritage assets on land both within and surrounding the proposed settlement It is proposed that Denny St Francis would ultimately where this development could affect their significance. accommodate in the order of 10,500 units, in addition to Recommendations can then be made for the Masterplan, employment opportunities and a range of associated facilities promoting both the avoidance of harm and, where possible, the and land uses. enhancement of significance. In addition to the site available for the new settlement there are also The study area for the appraisal takes in all land up to 1km five parcels of land controlled by RLW Estates which may be required from the new settlement site boundary and includes the five for mitigation (offsetting) of ecological and other adverse effects on additional land parcels (Figure 1). This study area is considered to the new settlement site. These five land parcels are all immediately be sufficiently large to detect all affected heritage assets, given to the east and north of the proposed new settlement site. the general type and scale of development proposed. Within the study area, all designated heritage assets have been included Headland Archaeology has been commissioned by LDA Design in the appraisal. This includes examples of Listed Buildings, to undertake an appraisal of the cultural heritage resource of Scheduled Monuments and Conservation Areas. There are no Denny St Francis with two purposes: examples of World Heritage Sites, Registered Parks and Gardens • To underpin and support a promotional report to the or Battlefields within the study area. Consideration has also given South Cambridgeshire LDF; and to non-designated heritage assets recorded within the study © Headland Archaeology (UK)© Headland Archaeology 2012 Ltd area although it is understood that an archaeological appraisal has already been undertaken for the site. This was not available they can be enjoyed for their contribution to the quality of life of this at the time of writing the present draft text. and future generations” (NPPF para. 17) The glossary to the NPPF (Annex 2) provides definitions of key 2.2 Methods terms relevant to the setting of heritage assets: The appraisal was carried out in the following stages: • Desk-based study to identify known heritage assets Heritage asset: A building, monument, site, place, area or within the study area, using data from National Heritage landscape identified as having a degree of significance meriting List and Cambridgeshire HER; review of relevant national consideration in planning decisions, because of its heritage and local policy and guidance; interest. Heritage asset includes designated heritage assets and assets identified by the local planning authority (including local • Site visit to Denny Abbey to examine the setting of this asset; and listing). • Consultation with English Heritage (Wayne Cocroft) and Setting of a heritage asset: The surroundings in which a Aldon Ferguson regarding their current research work at heritage asset is experienced. Its extent is not fixed and may Waterbeach Barracks. change as the asset and its surroundings evolve. Elements of a setting may make a positive or negative contribution to the significance of an asset, may affect the ability to appreciate that 3. RELEVANT LEGISLATION, significance or may be neutral. PLANNING POLICY AND GUIDANCE Significance (for heritage policy): The value of a heritage asset to this and future generations because of its heritage interest. That interest may be archaeological, architectural, artistic 3.1 Legislation or historic. Significance derives not only from a heritage asset’s Legislation regarding Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas physical presence, but also from its setting. is contained in the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990. Buildings listed under the provisions of this Act Policy of specific relevance to the historic environment is set out are protected for their special architectural or historic interest in Section 12 of the NPPF. and specific authorisation is required for any works that might 2 affect their character. This protection extends to the setting of a In determining applications, “local planning authorities should Listed Building where a decision maker “shall have special regard require an applicant to describe the significance of any heritage to the desirability of preserving the building or its setting” (s.66). assets affected, including any contribution made by their setting” (NPPF para. 128). Areas of land can also be designated by planning authorities for their special architectural or historic interest (Conservation The NPPF then goes on to differentiate between the treatment Areas). In the case of development within a Conservation Area of designated and non-designated heritage assets concerning “special attention shall be paid to the desirability of preserving or the weight that should be given to the conservation of affected enhancing the character or appearance of that area.” (s.72). The assets: setting of Conservation Areas is not protected in statute. “When considering the impact of a proposed development on the Legislation relating to archaeological monuments is contained significance of a designated