Mount Pleasant, Taylors Lane, St Leonards, Bucks, HP23 6LQ: Archaeological Evaluation
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Report 132 Mount Pleasant, Taylors Lane, St Leonards, Bucks, HP23 6LQ: Archaeological evaluation Dr Jill Eyers Chiltern Archaeology Report 132 1 Mount Pleasant, Taylors Lane St Leonards, Bucks, HP23 6LQ Archaeological Evaluation CONTENTS List of Figures 3 List of photographs 4 1. Summary 5 2. Introduction and context of the project 6 3. Background 7 3.1 Site location 3.2 Geology, topography and present land use 3.3 Archaeological background 4. Objectives 11 5. Procedures 11 5.1 Standards 5.2 Site code 5.3 Excavation methods 5.4 Metal detector survey 6. Results and interpretation 16 6.1 Stratigraphy & features 6.1.1 Grim’s Ditch (Trench 1) 6.1.2 The 19th C cottages (Trench 2) 6.1.3 Exploratory Trench 3 6.1.4 Exploratory Trench 4 6.2 Artefacts 6.3 Environmental samples 6.4 Geoarchaeology 7. Conclusions 24 8. Assessment of impact 24 9. Archive deposition 25 10. Documentary sources and bibliography 25 Acknowledgments 28 2 Appendices 29 Appendix 1 Figures Appendix 2 Photographs Appendix 3 Context inventory Appendix 4 Site Plan Appendix 5 Geological samples summary Appendix 6 Environmental & geological samples record List of Figures Figure 1 Location of St Leonards to the east of Wendover. Figure 2 Location of the site in relation to the surrounding landscape. Figure 3 Location of Mount Pleasant with site boundary marked within the solid black line. Figure 4 1878 County 1st edition map, Scale 1:2500. Figure 5 Extract of the 1878 map above, showing the detail of the Mount Pleasant site with cottages in place. Figure 6 The 1899 County map 1st Revision. Scale 1:2500. Figure 7 Extract from the 1899 map above showing the detail of the Mount Pleasant site and development into 4 small terraced cottages with two outhouses. Figure 8 The 1975 OS map Scale 1:2500. Figure 9 Extract of the 1975 map of Fig. 8 showing the 19th C cottages with new buildings – a very large workshop put in 1940-50s (NE corner) and a shed and workshop (in the NW corner early 1970s) aligned with the cottages. Figure 10 Section 1, Trench 1. Section across Grim’s Ditch NW-SE. Drawn at scale 1.:20. July 2015. Figure 11 Section 2, Trench 1. Grim’s Ditch section, facing west. June 2015. Figure 12 Plan 1 Brick coursing Context [1008] at the western edge of Trench 1. Figure 13 Plan 2: Layout of the brick coursing for the basal walls of the 19th century cottages. 1:50. Figure 14 The two brick coursing styles used for the cottage wall structure: Monk Bond and Stack Bond. Not to scale. 3 List of photographs Photograph 1 The site Dec 2014 facing northeast showing the shed built during the 1940s to 50s (over Grim’s Ditch). The red bus is parked over the location of Trenches 1 and 2 and the site of Grim’s Ditch. Photograph 2 Location for Trench 1 before the hard-standing was removed, looking NNE. December 2014 Photograph 3 The shed and coach shelter erected over the 19th century cottages, looking north. December 2014. Photograph 4 (a) Trench 1 Grim’s Ditch SE-NW section. June 2015 (b) Trench 1 Grim’s Ditch close up of the NW end of excavation and overcut into the geological ‘fine sand’ (1002&1003). June 2015 Photograph 5 Trench 1 Grim’s Ditch: central ditch showing six ditch fills and two cuts. Photograph 6 (a) Trench 1 Grim’s Ditch NW-SE section, July 2015. (b) Trench 1 Grim’s Ditch NW-SE section, close up of SE end. Photograph 7 Brick coursing [1008]. January 2015 Photograph 8 Trench 2; Context 2003. Base course of bricks for cottages looking north. June 2015 Photograph 9 Trench 2; Context 2003. Cottage foundation brick layer looking northeast. Photograph 10 Trench 2; Context 2003. Cottage foundation brick layer looking south. Photograph 11 Trench 2; Context 2003. The southwest corner junction; division of two cottages. June 2015 Photograph 12 Vitrifine drains. Drainage pipe manufacturer: John Knowles and Company of London. Photograph 13 View looking SW from Grim’s Ditch (Trench 1) to Trench 2 and the cottage brick foundations (Context 2003) with C19th drains cutting Grim’s Ditch fill 1012. 4 Mount Pleasant, Taylors Lane, St Leonards: Archaeological evaluation 1. Summary The development site proposed for Mount Pleasant in Taylors Lane is on the line of the prehistoric feature known as Grim’s Ditch. The work during this evaluation sought to locate and confirm of the presence of the ditch (as the banks were already known to have been levelled) and to confirm the dimensions and profile of the ditch. Dating evidence for the feature was rated as high importance during the work. The impact of the proposed development on the monument was considered here along with mitigation measures. The 107.9 square metres of excavation and recording work also incorporated an investigation of 19th century cottages known to have been built at this location, along with additional lengths of trench designed to investigate the potential for associated archaeology over the remainder of the site. The work successfully located Grim’s Ditch and proved a wide ditch with the bank destroyed along the excavated section. The dimensions of the ditch were 4.0 to 4.6 m wide and 1.76 m depth with six fills. The 19th century cottages were located and two main buildings with a possible outhouse were excavated and recorded. Trial trenching in the yard (beneath the previous tarmac area) proved no surviving soil, but the presence of thick deposits of levelling debris (20th century) lay directly on natural (Clay-with-flints). The total trenching undertaken was 108 square metres. Date of fieldwork: From 7th January 2015 to 12th June 2015 (work was halted Feb to May for various technical issues relating to planning) Planning Applications (withdrawn): CH/2013/0880/OA & CH/2014/0572/OA Planning application (current): CH/2014/1248/OA. Status of application: currently being considered; shortly to be renewed/replaced with a new application submitted with mitigation already taken into consideration, and submitted with this report. Buckinghamshire County Archaeology Service Case officer: Eliza Alqassar; CAS Brief issued 28/10/2013. Written Scheme of Investigation provided by Chiltern Archaeology December 2013; amended January 2014. Report writer: Dr Jill Eyers (Chiltern Archaeology) MCIfA-level mentor: Martin Wilson MCIfA (Souterrain Archaeological Services Ltd). Nature/description of proposal: demolition of offices and vehicle shelters, uplift of tarmac surface and construction of three detached houses with parking and driveways. 5 2. Introduction and context of the project The proposed redevelopment of the site (previously a coach company called J&L Coaches, which was covered with concrete, tarmac and other hard standing for parking, ancillary buildings and offices) was to provide an area for originally four, but now three detached dwellings with associated driveways and parking. The communal access is to be served by altering the existing access point from Taylors Lane. There have been two previous submissions as Chiltern District Council's planning application ref: 2004/1181/CH, August/September 2004, and applications CH/2013/0880/OA and CH/20140572/OA, both of which were withdrawn whilst plans were slightly amended and re-submitted for outline planning. The new submission is currently CH/2014/1248/OA (about to be re-submitted with this report) which refers to the WSI of January 2014. The Written Scheme of Investigation (WSI) covered the intended work for investigating the archaeology of the site ahead of the new development. The objective of the archaeological work was to locate and evaluate any features of interest, to interpret these in the light of present knowledge and to enable informed decisions to be made about appropriate levels of mitigation. The features anticipated to be on the site were the prehistoric earthwork ditch known as Grim’s Ditch (of which the bank was already known to have been destroyed along most of this section) and the foundations for two 19th century cottages. The potential for related archaeology or other features was explored during the excavation via 108 square metres of trenching. Paragraph 128 of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) states that where a site has potential to include heritage assets with archaeological interest, local planning authorities should require developers to submit an appropriate desk-based assessment and, where necessary, field evaluation. Field evaluation can involve a wide range of survey and investigative techniques, including for example field-walking and geophysical survey. For this project trial trenching was considered the most appropriate approach, alongside a desk-based assessment and augering if required and appropriate. The recording and interpretation of the findings resulted in an impact assessment of the proposed development on the landscape area and setting of the monument. 6 3. Background 3.1 Site location The site is within the rural location of St Leonards, Buckinghamshire roughly 3 km to the east of Wendover (Figures 1 and 2). Address: J & L Travel Ltd, Taylors Lane, St Leonards, HP23 6 QL. Nat Grid Ref: SP 9037 0747. 3.2 Geology, topography and present land use The site lies on high ground within the Chiltern Hills AONB at 234.7 mOD. There is higher ground to the north and northwest (up to 265 mOD). The surrounding landscape is gently undulating hills and generally lower topography lies to the south and east (down to c. 150 mOD) in the shallow dry valleys. There is no natural water source from rivers, streams or springs in the surrounding area. The geology consists of Clay-with-flint Formation over Upper Chalk (Lewes Nodular and Seaford Chalk Formation). The soil is Batcombe Series consisting of a loamy clay with angular flints and rounded flint pebbles.