National College for High Speed Rail (HS2) Dartmouth Middleway, Birmingham

Archaeological Watching Brief

for Birmingham City Council

CA Project: 5826 CA Report: 16337

June 2016

National College for High Speed Rail (HS2) Dartmouth Middleway, Birmingham

Archaeological Watching Brief

CA Project: 5826 CA Report: 16337

Document Control Grid Revision Date Author Checked by Status Reasons for Approved revision by A 10/06/2016 Alex Jones Mark For Mark Hewson issue Hewson

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.

CONTENTS

SUMMARY ...... 2

1. INTRODUCTION ...... 3

2. ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND HISTORICAL BACKGROUND ...... 6

3. METHODOLOGY (FIG. 2) ...... 9

4. RESULTS ...... 10

5. THE FINDS AND BIOLOGICAL EVIDENCE ...... 11

6. DISCUSSION ...... 12

7. CA PROJECT TEAM ...... 13

8. REFERENCES ...... 14

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Fig. 1 Site location plan (1: 25,000) Fig. 2 The site former layout and area of former canal basin Fig. 3 Piggott-Smith map (1828) Fig. 4 Piggott-Smith map (1855) Fig. 5 Ordnance Survey First Edition (1889) Fig. 6 Basin area on completion of second stage machining, view: southeast Fig. 7 Second stage machining in progress, west end of former basin in foreground, view: east Fig. 8 Basin area prior to first stage machining, view: northwest Fig. 9 Basin area on completion of first stage machining, view: east Fig. 10 First stage machining in progress, concrete machine base in foreground, view: east Fig. 11 Fragment of brick arch, scale: 1m Fig. 12 Selection of glass finds, scale: 30cm

1 National College for High Speed Rail (HS2), Dartmouth Middleway, Birmingham: © Cotswold Archaeology Archaeological Watching Brief

SUMMARY

Project Name: National College for High Speed Rail (HS2) Location: Dartmouth Middleway, Birmingham NGR: SP 0791 8774 Type: Watching Brief Date: 13 – 20 May 2016 Site Code: NCB16

In May 2016 Cotswold Archaeology was commissioned by Birmingham City Council through Acivico Ltd to undertake an archaeological watching brief during groundworks in advance of the construction of the National College for High Speed Rail (HS2), Birmingham (centred on NGR SP 0791/8774). The archaeological watching brief was targeted to investigate groundworks within a former canal basin to the east of the Digbeth Branch Canal. Previous archaeological work in connection with this development comprised a desk-based assessment which identified the Victoria Glassworks, the former canal basin and also subsequent industrial use of the site, including the Delta Metal Works, which occupied the site of the demolished glassworks and infilled basin in the 1930s.

The site is located on the east side of the Aston University Campus, to the south of the Aston Engineering Academy and Lister Street. The eastern and southern boundaries are formed by Dartmouth Middleway and Heneage Street West respectively. The western site boundary is defined by the Digbeth Branch Canal.

The watching brief identified demolition deposits measuring a maximum of 1.5m in depth containing brick and concrete rubble and machine-bases. There was no surviving evidence for in situ walls of the canal basin, or of any associated structures. A fragment of a brick arch could represent part of the elevation of a canal bridge, or possibly an arch for a doorway, window or large flue set into a factory wall. A small quantity of glassmaking waste was also recovered, including fragments of lead crystal glass and coloured glass.

The evidence from this watching brief suggests that the canal basin was demolished and infilled preparatory to the layout of the Delta Metal Works in the 1930s.

2 National College for High Speed Rail (HS2), Dartmouth Middleway, Birmingham: © Cotswold Archaeology Archaeological Watching Brief

1. INTRODUCTION

The Site

1.1 In May 2016 Cotswold Archaeology was commissioned by Birmingham City Council through Acivico Ltd to undertake an archaeological watching brief during groundworks in advance of the construction of the National College for High Speed Rail (HS2), Birmingham (centred on NGR SP 0791/8774, Figs 1–2). The archaeological watching brief was targeted to investigate groundworks within a former canal basin to the east of the Digbeth Branch Canal. Previous archaeological work in connection with this development comprised a Desk-Based Assessment (Cotswold Archaeology 2015) which identified the Victoria Glassworks, the former canal basin and also subsequent industrial use of the site, including the Delta Metal Works, which occupied the site of the demolished glassworks and infilled basin in the 1930s.

1.2 The site is located on the east side of the Aston University Campus, to the south of the Aston Engineering Academy and Lister Street (Fig. 2). The eastern and southern boundaries are formed by Dartmouth Middleway and Heneage Street West respectively. The western site boundary is defined by the Digbeth Branch Canal.

1.3 The site is located on bedrock of the Bromsgrove Sandstone Formation overlain by superficial glacio-lacustrine clay and silt deposits over most of the site, with glaciofluvial deposits in its southeastern corner (www.bgs.ac.uk/discoveringgeology/geologyofbritain/home.html). The site and its environs lie at an elevation of approximately 115m aOD, with the surrounding land being relatively flat.

1.4 The archaeological watching brief was undertaken in accordance with the Standard and Guidance for Archaeological Watching Briefs (Chartered Institute for Archaeologists 2014a), the Code of Approved Practice for the Regulation of Contractual Arrangements in Field Archaeology (Chartered Institute for Archaeologists 2014b), the Management of Archaeological Projects 2 (English Heritage 1991) and the Management of Research Projects in the Historic Environment (MoRPHE): the Project Manager’s Guide (Historic England 2015). The scope of this project was set out in a Written Scheme of Investigation (Cotswold

3 National College for High Speed Rail (HS2), Dartmouth Middleway, Birmingham: © Cotswold Archaeology Archaeological Watching Brief

Archaeology 2016) which was approved by Ross Brazier, Principal Conservation Officer for Birmingham City Council prior to implementation.

Legislation, policy and guidance

National policies 1.5 The National Planning Policy Framework (The Framework) 2012 establishes a presumption in favour of sustainable development (paras. 18–219).

1.6 The twelve core planning principles set out in para. 17 of the Framework include to ‘conserve heritage assets in a manner appropriate to their significance, so that they can be enjoyed for their contribution to the quality of life of this and future generations’.

1.7 Section 12 (Conserving and Enhancing the Historic Environment) of the Framework describes the policies concerning the historic environment.

Birmingham City Council policies 1.8 Policy 8.36 of Birmingham Unitary Development Plan (2005) requires developers to assess the archaeological implications of their developments where sites may contain archaeological remains, in accordance with national guidance, and provides criteria for the determination of planning applications affecting archaeological deposits.

1.9 The Council’s Archaeology Strategy (2004), which has been adopted as Supplementary Planning Guidance, provides detailed guidance on protecting and managing the city’s archaeological resource and gives further advice to developers concerning the archaeological implications of development schemes.

1.10 Policy 8 (Archaeological Assessment) of the City Council’s Local Validation Criteria is concerned with assessment of the archaeological effects of developments within or adjoining areas containing archaeological interests.

1.11 The draft Birmingham Development Plan (2031) will be adopted in the future to replace the Unitary Development Plan (2005) (www.birmingham.gov.uk/plan2031). Policy TP12 of the draft plan is concerned with heritage and archaeology.

4 National College for High Speed Rail (HS2), Dartmouth Middleway, Birmingham: © Cotswold Archaeology Archaeological Watching Brief

Aims and objectives

1.12 The principal aims of the watching brief were to:

 Monitor post-demolition groundworks, and to identify, investigate and record all significant archaeological remains revealed on the site during the course of these groundworks;

 Produce an integrated archive and illustrated report on completion of the fieldwork, describing the archaeological results and the conclusions that can be drawn from the recorded data.

5 National College for High Speed Rail (HS2), Dartmouth Middleway, Birmingham: © Cotswold Archaeology Archaeological Watching Brief

2. ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

2.1 The archaeological background was described in detail in the desk-based assessment (Cotswold Archaeology 2015). Only a summary is presented here.

Medieval

2.2 Gosta Green, located 500m to the west of the site at the western end of Lister Street may have been the site of a small-scale settlement in the Anglo-Saxon period (Cotswold Archaeology 2015). Duddeston is mentioned once in the pre- medieval period, in a charter granted to Eadgar in AD 969. At this time the site may have been in agricultural use.

2.3 The village of Birmingham had few inhabitants at the time of Domesday. Its prosperity developed as a result of the grant of a market charter in 1166 (Hodder 2011). The medieval town comprised a moated manor house, parish church, a market area adjoining the church of St Martin, and a comparatively low-lying area further to the south which became the focus of water-using industries, such as tanning.

2.4 Duddeston, which was located within the historic parish of Aston lay outside the medieval town of Birmingham, and probably remained agricultural in character, perhaps increasing in intensity, reflecting increased demand from the Birmingham market for the sale of cereal crops and animals during the medieval period.

Post-medieval

2.5 In the early post-medieval period Duddeston was a small hamlet comprising a scatter of cottages and farmsteads (Cotswold Archaeology 2015, 21). Tomlinson’s map of 1758 (Cotswold Archaeology 2015, fig. 3) depicts an agricultural landscape with an irregular pattern of field boundaries. Duddeston remained rural in character until the first half of the 18th century when it was beginning to be influenced by the middle class suburb of Ashted. The area later became a more humble residential zone as it result of its proximity to new building on Great Lister Street, and the cutting of canals, including the Birmingham and Fazeley Canal, and the Digbeth Branch Canal. The developing canal network facilitated the delivery of raw materials and transportation of the finished articles from a number of new industries, including mills, gasworks and glassworks.

6 National College for High Speed Rail (HS2), Dartmouth Middleway, Birmingham: © Cotswold Archaeology Archaeological Watching Brief

2.6 At the end of the first quarter of the 19th century (Fig. 3) the site and the adjoining Digbeth Branch Canal separated the increasingly built-up area to the west from the formal ornamental gardens belonging to the middle class residents of Ashted to the east. Within the site a canal basin is mapped, although the remainder of the site was not developed at that time. It was the property of Josiah Robins, merchant.

2.7 Nearly thirty years later, the site and its surrounds was completely built-up. Piggott- Smith’s map of 1855 (Fig. 4) shows the buildings of the Victoria Glassworks, established in the 1840s, to the north of the canal basin. The towpath along the eastern side of the Digbeth Branch Canal narrowed at the basin crossing. The glassworks was partly surrounded by residential development, much taking the form of courts typical of working class housing of the period. The centre of the site was occupied by the Dartmouth Wire Works (Cotswold Archaeology 2015, 23).

2.8 The Victoria Glassworks was one of a number of glassworks that became established in the surrounding area, to take advantage of the adjoining canal network. Although glassmaking in the west midlands is usually associated with Stourbridge, a total of 18 glassworks have been identified in Birmingham, dating from the late 18th to the mid-19th century (Hodder 2011, 145). Mayer Oppenheim established the first glassworks in Birmingham in 1757. The Union Glassworks to the southeast of the site was established in 1818, and the Belmont Glassworks was established by 1802. Several of these glassworks were of the ‘cone’ type, with a conical chimney covering the working area and furnace. The furnaces were associated with other structures including annealing furnaces, cutting and engraving sheds, offices and warehouses (English Heritage 2011, 16).

2.9 The outline of the Victoria Glassworks mapped in 1855 (Fig. 4) and 1889 (Fig. 5) is similar. Although most 18th and 19th century glassmakers adopted the cone for manufacture, some did not. Other glassworks, probably including the Victoria Glassworks used rectangular structures with the furnace chimneys set into pitched roofs (Crossley 2003, 176). This type of glassworks is referred to as the ‘shed’ type, which would have included a conventional layout of hearths and underground flues. From the mid-19th century furnaces were built incorporating the latest gas-fuelled Siemens regenerative technology (eg Heawood and Krupa 2002). Details of the layout of the Victoria Glassworks are not available, but it may be suggested that the rectangular building in the east of the complex was the manufactory, and the ranges of rectangular buildings aligned on the canal were annealing sheds, and used for storage, offices and engraving.

7 National College for High Speed Rail (HS2), Dartmouth Middleway, Birmingham: © Cotswold Archaeology Archaeological Watching Brief

2.10 The Dartmouth Wire Works, mapped in 1855 and 1889 became a brass works in the early 20th century. Later, in the 1930s (Cotswold Archaeology 2015, fig. 7) the Delta New Metal Works occupied the site of the Victoria Glassworks and the canal basin which was presumably infilled at the time. This factory, and other works occupying the site were demolished prior to construction of the Aston Science Park in the 1990s.

8 National College for High Speed Rail (HS2), Dartmouth Middleway, Birmingham: © Cotswold Archaeology Archaeological Watching Brief

3. METHODOLOGY (Fig. 2)

3.1 The archaeological watching brief was targeted within the former canal basin area.

3.2 Archaeological observation was maintained during post-demolition ground reduction within the former basin. This ground reduction was undertaken in two stages in May 2016. The first stage involved machine excavation 0.9m in depth below the demolition horizon. In the second stage the basin area was reduced by a further 0.6m in depth. A stand-off 6m wide was retained adjoining the towpath of the Digbeth Branch Canal.

3.3 Machine excavation was undertaken using a 360 degree excavator equipped with a toothless ditching bucket, working under continuous archaeological supervision.

3.4 During the machining, the machined surface was inspected for archaeological features. Fragments of glassmaking waste were retrieved, where it was safe to do so.

3.5 Because the site was heavily contaminated hand-excavation or cleaning of the machined surfaces was not considered safe, and was not undertaken in line with the site specific risk assessments.

3.6 The machined surfaces were recorded photographically and by means of pre-printed pro-formas for archaeological contexts.

3.7 Following the completion of fieldwork the retained fragments of glassmaking residues were washed and marked.

3.8 An ordered, indexed and internally consistent site archive will be prepared and deposited in accordance with Archaeological Archives: A Guide to Best Practice in Creations, Compilation, Transfer and Curation (Archaeological Archives Forum 2007).

3.9 In addition to this report, a summary of results will be prepared for inclusion in West Midlands Archaeology, and a summary of information from the project will be entered onto the OASIS online database of archaeological projects.

9 National College for High Speed Rail (HS2), Dartmouth Middleway, Birmingham: © Cotswold Archaeology Archaeological Watching Brief

4. RESULTS

Stratigraphy

4.1 Prior to the archaeological watching brief the Aston Science Park buildings and associated surfaces within the site were demolished, earlier in 2016, down to approximately the level of the adjoining canal towpath. Machine excavation during the archaeological watching brief was undertaken in two stages (Figs 6–10). In the first stage the uppermost 0.9m of deposits below the demolition horizon were excavated within the former canal basin. The second stage involved the further excavation of up to 0.6m of demolition deposits within the same area. The natural subsoil was not identified. No trace of any in situ walls or structures associated with the canal basin could be identified.

4.2 The second (lower) stage of machine excavation removed demolition deposits mixed with brown/ grey clay soil including scatters of brick and concrete debris (100) and fragments of twisted iron within a layer which measured up to 0.6m in depth (Fig. 6).

4.3 In the extreme west of the former canal basin machining exposed a layer of grey- brown silt-clay (101) containing some smaller fragments of demolition debris (Fig. 7). This deposit may be interpreted as redeposited natural subsoil. Part of this deposit was waterlogged. An area of hydrocarbon contamination was visible in part of the north of the excavated basin (Fig. 7, between machine bucket and surveyor).

4.4 The first (upper) stage of machine excavation exposed further demolition deposits (Fig. 8, before start of the watching brief; Fig. 9, on completion of stage). These comprised very dark grey/ brown clay soils with large quantities of brick and concrete rubble and iron fragments and scatters of grey ash (102), measuring up to 0.9m in depth. A number of concrete machine bases (Fig. 10) were set into this deposit. A fragment of a brick arch (Fig. 11) comprising a total of ten orange-red bricks set in gritty, creamy-white mortar was recorded within this deposit towards the western end of the former basin. This demolished fragment could represent part of the front elevation of a bridge, or a brick arch over a doorway, window or large flue set into a factory wall.

10 National College for High Speed Rail (HS2), Dartmouth Middleway, Birmingham: © Cotswold Archaeology Archaeological Watching Brief

5. THE FINDS AND BIOLOGICAL EVIDENCE

5.1 A small quantity of mainly glassmaking waste was collected during the watching brief (Fig. 12).

5.2 The main types of material comprise: Colourless, lead crystal glass A trail of glass (top centre) Possible circular handle Fragment with marvered decoration in deep blue Fragment with marvered decoration in red and blue, possible stopper of decanter

Black glass Fragment of ?moulded glass, in wineglass shape (right, middle)

Green glass Fragment with many bubbles (top, second from left)

Glass waste Very large fragment of black glass waste with ‘bubbled’ surface; areas of copper oxide (green staining) Transparent green fragment of glass waste

White/green fragment with alternating ‘folds’ of white and green (bottom left).

5.3 No biological evidence was recovered during the watching brief.

11 National College for High Speed Rail (HS2), Dartmouth Middleway, Birmingham: © Cotswold Archaeology Archaeological Watching Brief

6. DISCUSSION

6.1 A total of six boreholes were dug in the 1980s prior to redevelopment of the site (Cotswold Archaeology 2015, 13). These investigations revealed 3–5m of made ground, comprising demolition rubble, disturbed subsoil and ash; the infilled canal basin was not examined at this time. The archaeological watching brief within the former basin area revealed demolition deposits measuring a minimum of 1.5m in depth.

6.2 There was no surviving in situ evidence of the walls or associated structures of the former canal basin. It is perhaps possible that they could survive at a lower depth, in which case they would be preserved in situ beneath the modern build. The fragment of a curved brick arch (Fig. 11) could represent part of the elevation of the bridge carrying the towpath on the eastern side of the Digbeth Branch Canal over the canal basin (Figs 3–5). Alternatively, it could be part of a brick arch for a doorway, window or flue set into a factory wall.

6.3 An undisturbed natural subsoil deposit was not identified. Deposit (101) in the east of the canal basin could represent redeposited natural subsoil (Fig. 7). This could have been imported onto site to ‘seal’ the backfilled basin from water in the adjoining Digbeth Branch Canal, which remained in use after the canal basin was abandoned and built-over.

6.4 The watching brief suggests that the former canal basin area was levelled preparatory to the layout of Delta Metal Works in the 1930s. The brick and concrete machine bases (eg Fig. 10) recorded within the demolition deposits may be associated with this factory. The associated factory floors were presumably removed in the 1980s, prior to the layout of the Aston Science Park.

6.5 The small quantity of glassworking fragments (Fig. 12) were probably mixed with demolition deposits when the glassworks was demolished prior to the construction of the Delta Metal Works.

12 National College for High Speed Rail (HS2), Dartmouth Middleway, Birmingham: © Cotswold Archaeology Archaeological Watching Brief

7. CA PROJECT TEAM

7.1 The archaeological watching brief was commissioned by Birmingham City Council through Acivico Ltd. The project manager for Cotswold Archaeology was Dr. Mark Hewson. The fieldwork was undertaken by Alex Jones who prepared this report. The illustrations are the work of Nigel Dodds. The on-site staff of Willmott Dixon and Dunton Environmental are thanked for their help.

13 National College for High Speed Rail (HS2), Dartmouth Middleway, Birmingham: © Cotswold Archaeology Archaeological Watching Brief

8. REFERENCES

Secondary sources

Chartered Institute for Archaeologists 2014a Code of Approved Practice for the Regulation of Contractual Arrangements in Field Archaeology.

Chartered Institute for Archaeologists 2014b Standard and Guidance: Archaeological Watching Briefs.

Cotswold Archaeology 2015 National College for High Speed Rail (HS2), Birmingham: Archaeological Desk-Based Assessment, April 2015.

Cotswold Archaeology 2016 National College for High Speed Rail (HS2), Dartmouth Middleway, Birmingham, Written Scheme of Investigation for an Archaeological Watching Brief (Project 5826).

Crossley, D W, 2003 The archaeology of the coal-fuelled glass industry in Britain, Archaeological Journal 160, 160–199.

English Heritage 1991 The Management of Archaeology Projects 2.

English Heritage 2011 Archaeological Evidence for Glassworking: Guidelines for Best Practice.

Heawood, R and Krupa, M, 2002 ‘The Hotties’, Excavation and Survey at Pilkington’s No. 9 Tank House, St Helens, Merseyside, Lancaster Imprints 10, Lancaster.

Historic England 2015 MoRPHE: the Project Manager’s Guide.

Hodder, M A, 2011 Birmingham: The Hidden History, The History Press, Stroud.

NPPF 2012 National Planning Policy Framework, March 2012, Department for Communities and Local Government.

Internet source

Geology www.bgs.ac.uk/discoveringgeology/geologyofbritain/home.html

14 Graphics supplied by Alex Jones XH AM CITY OF T DERBY O N Andover 01264 347630 N Cotswold Cirencester 01285 771022 TELFORD STAFFORDSHIRE Exeter 01392 826185 AND IRE Archaeology Milton Keynes 01908 564660 WREKIN SH ER w www.cotswoldarchaeology.co.uk ST E e [email protected] IC E PROJECT TITLE SHROPSHIRE L CITY OF National College for High Speed Rail LEICESTER (HS2)

CITY OF N FIGURE TITLE BIRMINGHAM TO WO P Site location plan RC M ES WARWICKSHIRE A T E H 0 1km R T S R H O FIGURE NO. COUNTY OF IR N M Reproduced from the Ordnance Survey Explorer map with DRAWN BY AJ PROJECT NO. 5826 EREFORDSHIRE E KE the permission of Ordnance Survey on behalf of The Controller CHECKED BY LM DATE 15-06-2016 of Her Majesty's Stationery Office c Crown copyright Cotswold Archaeology Ltd 100002109 APPROVED BY MH SCALE@A4 1:25,000 1 B

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enquiries Andover Cirencester Exeter Milton Keynes w e PROJECT NO. DATE SCALE@A3 AJ LM MH Cotswold Archaeology c Reproduced from the digital Ordnance Survey Explorer map with the permissionReproduced from the digital Ordnance Survey The Controller of Her Majesty's Stationery Office on behalf of of Ordnance Survey Archaeology Ltd 100002109 Cotswold copyright Crown PROJECT TITLE National College for High Speed Rail (HS2) FIGURE TITLE The Site former layout and area of former canal basin

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T Graphics supplied by Alex Jones Alex supplied by Graphics Andover 01264 347630 N Cirencester 01285 771022 Cotswold Exeter 01392 826185 Archaeology Milton Keynes 01908 564660 w www.cotswoldarchaeology.co.uk e [email protected]