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Archaeology South-East ASE Archaeological and Geo-archaeological Evaluation Leigh UTC, Brunel Way Dartford, Kent NGR: TQ 54717 75787 Planning Ref: 16/01540/FUL ASE Project No: 161116 Site Code: UTC17 ASE Report No: 2017035 OASIS id: archaeol6-275224 By Kate Clover and Dr Edward Blinkhorn Archaeological and Geoarchaeological Evaluation Leigh UTC, Brunel Way Dartford, Kent NGR: TQ 54717 75787 Planning Ref: 16/01540/FUL ASE Project No: 161116 Site Code: UTC17 ASE Report No: 2017035 OASIS id: archaeol6-275224 Kate Clover and Edward Prepared by: Archaeologists Blinkhorn Reviewed and Dan Swift Project Manager approved by: Date of Issue: March 2017 Revision: 1 Archaeology South-East Units 1 & 2 2 Chapel Place Portslade East Sussex BN41 1DR Tel: 01273 426830 Fax: 01273 420866 Email: [email protected] Archaeology South-East Leigh UTC, Dartford, Kent ASE Report No: 2017035 Abstract This report presents the results of an archaeological and geoarchaeological evaluation carried out by Archaeology South-East at Leigh UTC, Brunel Way, Dartford in January 2017. The site was formerly partially occupied by the early 20th century Joyce Green Hospital. The fieldwork was commissioned by RSK ADAS Ltd on behalf of in BAM Construction Ltd in advance of construction of a new school. Modern deposits and features, all probably associated with the former hospital, were recorded in five out of eight of the evaluation trenches, all within the northern half of the site. These included drains, water pipes, cables, grubbed out foundations, a soakaway and demolition debris and broadly correspond to where hospital buildings are marked on the OS 20th century maps. The southern half of the site was devoid of archaeological remains apart from one pit that has been interpreted as modern in date. No remains that definitely pre-dated the hospital were revealed. The geoarchaeological test-pits have demonstrated low preservational value. © Archaeology South-East UCL i Archaeology South-East Leigh UTC, Dartford, Kent ASE Report No: 2017035 CONTENTS 1.0 Introduction 2.0 Background 3.0 Methodology 4.0 Results 5.0 The Finds 6.0 Discussion and Conclusions Bibliography Acknowledgements HER Summary OASIS Form Appendix 1: Archaeologically blank trenches - recorded contexts Appendix 2: Geoarchaeological test-pit logs © Archaeology South-East UCL ii Archaeology South-East Leigh UTC, Dartford, Kent ASE Report No: 2017035 TABLES Table 1: Quantification of site paper archive Table 2: Quantification of artefact and environmental samples Table 3: Trench 1 list of recorded contexts Table 4: Trench 2 list of recorded contexts Table 5: Trench 3 list of recorded contexts Table 6: Trench 7 list of recorded contexts Table 7: Trench 8 list of recorded contexts FIGURES Front Cover Image: Trench 7 with Trench 3 in the background, view east Figure 1: Site Location Figure 2: Trench Locations Figure 3: Trench 1 plan and photographs Figure 4: Trench 2 plan and photographs Figure 5: Trench 3 plan and photographs Figure 6: Trench 7 plan and photographs Figure 7: Trench 8 plan, section and photographs Figure 8: Trenches 4, 5 and 6 photographs Figure 9: Site location with1938-39 Ordnance Survey Figure 10: Trench locations with1938-39 Ordnance Survey © Archaeology South-East UCL iii Archaeology South-East Leigh UTC, Dartford, Kent ASE Report No: 2017035 1.0 INTRODUCTION 1.1 Site Background 1.1.1 Archaeology South-East (ASE) was commissioned by RSK ADAS Ltd to undertake an evaluation consisting of archaeological trial trenching and geoarchaeological pits on land adjacent to the existing Leigh University Technical College (UTC), Brunel Way, Dartford (Figure 1). The evaluation was carried out in relation to a planning permission for a new school and associated infrastructure. 1.1.2 The development site, hereafter 'the site', is centred at National Grid Reference TQ 54717 75787 and located on the northern edge of Dartford, between the A206 road (Bob Dunn Way/University Way) and Brunel Way. The site was accessed via Brunel Way. 1.1.3 The single field covers an area of 0.51 ha. It is adjacent to the carpark of the new Leigh UTC, located within ‘The Bridge’ – a new development of commercial residential and educational buildings. Ground cover was rough grass with a belt of trees and scrub in the north-eastern corner and eastern boundary and a line of trees along the southern boundary, between the site and the A206. A hedgerow bisecting the site from east to west had been recently removed. 1.2 Geology and Topography 1.2.1 The geology of the site is described by British Geological Survey 1:50,000 mapping as Seaford Chalk Formation and Newhaven Chalk Formation (undifferentiated) overlain by superficial deposits comprising sands and gravels of the Taplow Gravel Formation (BGS 2016) of the Thames Group. Borehole logs adjacent to the site (TQ57NW447; TQ57NW448; TQ57NW449; TQ57NW451), available through the BGS (2016), describe a sequence of deposition comprising shallow topsoil overlying a shallow silty sand. River terrace deposits underlying these superficial units comprise stiff sands and gravels. In TQ57NW451, a clear division is made between gravel dominant upper, and sand dominant lower units. 1.2.2 Geotechnical information (REC 2016) supplied by the client describe a similar sequence comprising made ground of topsoil overlying fine probable Pleistocene sediment, which in turn caps gravels and sands of the Taplow Gravel Formation. 1.2.3 The WSI (RSK ADAS 2016) for archaeological investigations at the site notes that previous archaeological interventions in the Dartford area have yielded Palaeolithic remains from the Taplow Formation. Bridgland (1994) assigns the Taplow/Mucking gravels to Marine Isotope Stages 8-6, and supported by amino acid racemization ration dating on Bithynia (Bowen et al 1989). Nearby, at the pits in Crayford and Erith, brickearths assigned to the same date as Taplow terrace have yielded large numbers of Levallois artefacts (see references in Pettitt and White 2012, 235). 1.2.4 Pettitt and White (2012, 274-77) describe, with caveats, Ashton and Lewis’s (2002) interpretation of population crisis during MIS7 and add changing © Archaeology South-East UCL 1 Archaeology South-East Leigh UTC, Dartford, Kent ASE Report No: 2017035 palaeogeography at this time as an explanation for the clear decline in artefact numbers from respective Thames terraces (Pettitt and White 2012, 276), notable in the Taplow terrace. Despite comparatively poorer return from the later terraces of the Thames, the complex situation of Pleistocene deposits at different un-tested locations necessitates specialist investigation to determine each site’s potential. 1.3 Planning Background 1.3.1 The evaluation was carried out to address the archaeological conditions attached to the planning permission granted for the development (Planning Ref: 16/01540/FUL) by Kent County Council under the Town and Country Planning Act 1990. The archaeological conditions are as follows: Section 1 Prior to the commencement of development the applicant, or their agents or successors in title, will secure and implement: i archaeological field evaluation works in accordance with a specification and written timetable which has been submitted to and approved by the Local Planning Authority; and ii further archaeological investigation, recording and reporting, determined by the results of the evaluation, in accordance with a specification and timetable which has been submitted to and approved by the Local Planning Authority. Reason- To ensure that features of archaeological interest are properly examined and recorded. Section 2 No development shall take place until the applicant, or their agents or successors in title, has secured the implementation of a programme of geoarchaeological work in accordance with a written specification and timetable which has been submitted and approved by the Local Planning Authority. Reason – To ensure that features of geoarchaeological interest are properly examined and recorded in accordance with National Planning Policy Framework. 1.3.2 A historic environment desk based assessment (ADAS 2016) indicated that the site has a high potential to contain archaeological deposits dating to the modern period, in particular relating to the Joyce Green Hospital. Following consultation with the Local Authority the scope of archaeological work was agreed with Ms Wendy Rogers, Archaeologist, Heritage Conservation Group, Kent County Council. 1.3.3 Accordingly, a Written Scheme of Investigation for archaeological trial trenching and geoarchaeological test pitting was prepared (RSK ADAS 2016) in accordance with the advice given by Ms Rogers and was approved by KCC prior to the commencement of fieldwork. This specified that a sample of the site would be evaluated equating to eight trenches of varying lengths and that © Archaeology South-East UCL 2 Archaeology South-East Leigh UTC, Dartford, Kent ASE Report No: 2017035 deeper geoarchaeological pits would be machined at the end of each evaluation trench. 1.4 Scope of Report 1.4.1 This report presents the results of the archaeological evaluation. It describes and interprets the results and assesses the potential for the survival of archaeological and geoarchaeological remains on the site. © Archaeology South-East UCL 3 Archaeology South-East Leigh UTC, Dartford, Kent ASE Report No: 2017035 2.0 BACKGROUND 2.1 Introduction 2.1.1 The following is taken from the historic environment desk-based assessment (ADAS 2016). The Kent HER contains twenty-eight records for heritage assets within 600m of the site. The most pertinent to the site are summarised below and are referred to by their Kent HER number. 2.2 Palaeolithic 2.2.1 The underlying geology of the site is Taplow Terrace Gravel. Previous archaeological evaluations carried out in the Dartford Area indicate that these gravels have potential for Palaeolithic remains. For example in Crayford Brickearth and gravel sequence deposits (which overlie the surface of Taplow Terrace Gravels) abundant undisturbed flint knapping scatters were preserved in association with faunal remains such as woolly rhinoceros (Archaeology South-East 2008).