Manor Farm Nether Worton Oxfordshire Archaeological Watching Brief
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Manor Farm Nether Worton Oxfordshire Archaeological Watching Brief for Faccenda Property CA Project: 660078 Accession no: OXCMS: 2015.142 CA Report: 15556 July 2015 Manor Farm Nether Worton Oxfordshire Archaeological Watching Brief CA Project: 660078 Accession no: OXCMS: 2015.142 CA Report: 15556 Document Control Grid Version Date Author Checked by Status Reasons for Approved revision by Draft 29-7 SCC Internal review This report is confidential to the client. Cotswold Archaeology accepts no responsibility or liability to any third party to whom this report, or any part of it, is made known. Any such party relies upon this report entirely at their own risk. No part of this report may be reproduced by any means without permission. © Cotswold Archaeology © Cotswold Archaeology Manor Farm, Nether Worton, Oxfordshire: Archaeological Watching Brief CONTENTS SUMMARY ..................................................................................................................... 3 1. INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................ 4 2. ARCHAEOLOGICAL BACKGROUND ................................................................ 5 3. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ................................................................................... 6 4. METHODOLOGY ............................................................................................... 6 5. RESULTS (FIGS 2-15) ....................................................................................... 6 6. THE FINDS ........................................................................................................ 9 7. THE BIOLOGICAL EVIDENCE .......................................................................... 9 8. DISCUSSION ..................................................................................................... 10 9. CA PROJECT TEAM .......................................................................................... 10 10. REFERENCES ................................................................................................... 11 APPENDIX A: CONTEXT DESCRIPTIONS .................................................................... 112 APPENDIX B: THE FINDS .............................................................................................. 14 APPENDIX C: THE PALAEOENVIRONMENTAL EVIDENCE ......................................... 14 APPENDIX E: OASIS REPORT FORM........................................................................... 15 1 © Cotswold Archaeology Manor Farm, Nether Worton, Oxfordshire: Archaeological Watching Brief LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Fig. 1 Site location plan, 1:25,000 Fig. 2 Plan showing the areas of archaeological monitoring and investigation, 1:500 Fig. 3 View of manor farm, looking south-west Fig. 4 The wooden pipes in situ, looking east Fig. 5 The connection point of two pipes, showing the tapered end of one inserted into the bore of the other Fig. 6 Detail of the augered bore at one end of the wooden pipe sections (bore dia. c. 160mm) Fig. 7 Detail of the tapered end of one of the wooden pipe sections Fig. 8 Detail of the hole for a vertical pipe at the east end of the wooden pipe Fig. 9 Seventeenth century illustration showing manufacture of wooden pipes Fig. 10 The farm outbuildings, looking south-east Fig. 11 Ground reduction in the former farmyard area, looking south-west Fig. 12 View of manor farm during renovation, with pond site under excavation in foreground, looking east Fig. 13 Section and photograph of ditch 404, looking south Fig. 14 Section and photograph of ditch 407, looking north Fig. 15 William III half penny coin c.1695-1702 Fig. 16 map (to be obtained) 2 © Cotswold Archaeology Manor Farm, Nether Worton, Oxfordshire: Archaeological Watching Brief SUMMARY Project Name: Manor Farm, Nether Worton Location: Nether Worton, Oxfordshire NGR: SP 4276 3019 Type: Watching Brief Date: 5 September to 29 June 2015 Planning Reference: West Oxfordshire District Council 12/0649/P/FP Location of Archive: Oxfordshire County Museum Service Accession Number: OXCMS:2015.142 Site Code: MFNW15 An archaeological watching brief was undertaken by Cotswold Archaeology during groundworks associated with a barn conversion and associated construction and landscaping at Manor Farm, Nether Worton, Oxfordshire. Four areas of site were monitored including foundation trenches for barn extensions, ground reduction for the construction of a swimming pool and the excavation of a pond. Within the foundation trenches the remains of a water pipe was excavated constructed from the hollowed out trucks of three trees. These relate to an early phase of Manor Farm. Two north-south ditches were revealed in the north of site. One was a relatively shallow possible ornamental moat which contained Medieval pottery dating to the 11th to 14th centuries. The other remained undated, probably part of a boundary/enclosure ditch. A William III half penny coin was also recovered during the topsoil strip of the pond area. 3 © Cotswold Archaeology Manor Farm, Nether Worton, Oxfordshire: Archaeological Watching Brief 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1 Between September 2013 and June 2015, Cotswold Archaeology (CA) maintained an archaeological watching brief at Manor Farm, Nether Worton, Oxfordshire (site centred at NGR: SP 4276 3019; Fig. 1). The work, which was commissioned by Faccenda Properties, was carried out during works associated with the conversion of a barn and associated construction works and landscaping. 1.2 Full planning permission for the development has been granted by West Oxfordshire District Council (planning application ref. 12/0649/P/FP), subject to an archaeological watching brief being undertaken during works associated with the development. Conditions 9 and 10, which were requested by Hugh Coddington, Oxfordshire County Archaeological Services (OCAS), state that: 1.3 ‘An archaeological watching brief shall be maintained during the course of works affecting the historic fabric and any groundworks taking place on the site in accordance with a written specification that has been submitted to and approved by the Local Planning Authority.’ 1.4 ‘…no development shall commence on site without the appointed archaeologist being present. Once the watching brief has been completed, its findings shall be reported to the Local Planning Authority…’ The Site 1.5 The proposed development site, which covers an area of c. 3.4ha, is located at Manor Farm, in the historic core of the village of Nether Worton, approximately 10km to the south of Banbury, Oxfordshire. The village, which nestles in a small valley below the wooded slopes of Hawk Hill, is set within a rural, agricultural landscape of hedged, medium-sized and large irregularly-shaped arable and pasture fields, with scattered farms, small villages and woods. A small stream flows eastwards, passing the southern boundary of the site, to join the River Cherwell to the south-east of Deddington. 1.6 The proposed development area is situated on a gentle, south-facing slope at approximately 97m above Ordnance Datum (aOD). The solid geology comprises Jurassic dark grey shale and dark, pale or bluish-grey mudstone of the Charmouth 4 © Cotswold Archaeology Manor Farm, Nether Worton, Oxfordshire: Archaeological Watching Brief Mudstone Formation, with superficial deposits of alluvium close to the stream (BGS 2015). 2 ARCHAEOLOGICAL BACKGROUND 2.1 The Oxfordshire Historic Environment Record (HER) contains entries for a number of archaeological sites and historic buildings in the vicinity of the site (http://www.heritagegateway.org.uk/). The HER reference numbers are given in parenthesis in the text. 2.2 The earliest known archaeological site in the area is the Iron Age univallate hillfort of Ilbury Camp (HER 2320), located c. 1km to the east-north-east, on the ridge of high ground on the north side of the valley. The ramparts on the western side of the hillfort are well-preserved, although the eastern half has largely been ploughed out, and there is an entrance to the enclosure at the south-east corner. Iron Age and Roman pottery has been recovered from the interior of the monument. Cropmarks indicate a possible sub-rectangular enclosure on the south slope below Hawk Hill, which may be of Iron Age or Roman date (HER 12209). Approximately 1.4km to the north of the site, 2nd-century Roman pottery was found during ditch digging at Ilbury Farm (HER 9650). 2.3 The medieval church and churchyard of St James (Grade II*) lies immediately to the south of the site, beyond the stream (HER 4741). The church dates from the 14th century and contains elements of Early English and Decorated stonework; the tower is later in date, probably dating to around 1630, and the church was restored in 1883. 2.4 At the western edge of the site is a shallow, linear depression that may be the remains of a medieval moated manor house (HER 9289). Further afield, approximately 1km to the west of the site, a deep, sunken lane leading over Raven Hill may be medieval in origin (HER 12208). 2.5 The farmhouse at Manor Farm (Grade II) dates to the 17th century, with extensive 19th century alterations. Other historic buildings in the village include: the Jacobean manor house (HER 4739), Nether Worton House (Grade II*) and associated ornamental moat (HER 4656); a 17th-century house (Grade II) on the road passing 5 © Cotswold Archaeology Manor Farm, Nether Worton, Oxfordshire: Archaeological Watching Brief through the village, now converted into three cottages (HER 23838); and the 18th-