KIRKSIDE, ELMSTONE HARDWICKE, ARCHAEOLOGICAL WATCHING BRIEF

C.A.T JOB: 0711 C.A.T REPORT: 98861

DATE: FEBRUARY 1998

This report has been researched and compiled with all reasonable skill, care, and attention to detail within the terms of the project as specified by the Client and within the general terms and conditions of Cotswold Archaeological Trust Ltd. The Trust shall not be liable for any inaccuracy, error or omission in the report or other documents produced as part of the Consultancy and no liability is accepted for any claim, loss or damage howsoever arising from any opinion stated or conclusion or other material contained in this report or other documents supplied as part of the Consultancy. This report is confidential to the Client. Cotswold Archaeological Trust Ltd accept no responsibility whatsoever to third parties to whom this report, or any part of it is made known. Any such party relies upon this report entirely at their own risk. © Cotswold Archaeological Trust Headquarters Building, Kemble Business Park, Cirencester, Gloucestershire, GL7 6BQ Tel. 01285 771022 Fax. 01285 771033

Kirkside, Elmstone Hardwicke, Glos.: Archaeological Watching Brief

CONTENTS

CONTENTS ...... 1

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS ...... 2

GLOSSARY...... 3

SUMMARY ...... 4

1. INTRODUCTION ...... 5

1.1 Introduction ...... 5 1.2 Geology and Topography ...... 5 1.3 Archaeological and Historical Background ...... 6 1.4 Methodology ...... 6

2. WATCHING BRIEF RESULTS ...... 8

3. ASSESSMENT OF RESULTS ...... 10

4. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ...... 11

5. BIBLIOGRAPHY ...... 11

1 Kirkside, Elmstone Hardwicke, Glos.: Archaeological Watching Brief

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

Fig.1 Location plan ...... 12 Fig.2 Plan of foundation trenches, showing limit of disturbance and recorded sections . 13 Fig.3 Sections 1 & 2 ...... 14

2 Kirkside, Elmstone Hardwicke, Glos.: Archaeological Watching Brief

GLOSSARY

ARCHAEOLOGY For the purposes of this project, archaeology is taken to mean the study of past human societies through their material remains, from prehistoric times to the modern era. No rigid upper date limit has been set, but AD 1900 is used as a general cut-off point. CONTEXT The simplest level of excavated archaeological data, i.e. a context could be the cut of a ditch (shown as - [1]), or its fill (shown as (2)). MEDIEVAL Taken here as the period from the Norman invasion in AD 1066 to approximately AD 1500. NATURAL Defined in archaeological terms this refers to the undisturbed natural geology of a site, e.g. Lower Lias clay, river terrace gravels etc. NGR National Grid Reference given from the Ordnance Survey Grid. OD Ordnance Datum; used to express a given height above mean sea level. SETTLEMENT An area of habitation, perhaps surrounded by associated closes, paddocks, approach ways and other features which together constitute a complex of earthworks or cropmarks distinct from fields. SITE Sites may be defined as `windows’ onto the archaeological resource, e.g. an excavation, aerial photograph, or an old map. Any of these may reveal certain archaeological features (pits, ditches, etc) which can be classed as components, but not monuments.

3 Kirkside, Elmstone Hardwicke, Glos.: Archaeological Watching Brief

SUMMARY

In December 1997, Cotswold Archaeological Trust was commissioned by Mrs. J and Miss S Andrews to undertake an archaeological watching brief at Kirkside, Elmstone Hardwicke, Glos. The work was a required condition of planning permission (ref.: 97/2282/0603/FUL) for the construction of a bungalow and garage, on a similar footprint to the previous, more temporary dwelling, and altered access thereto.

The site is located within close proximity to the Church of St. Mary Magdalene, of Anglo-Saxon origin.

No archaeological evidence was encountered during the course of the watching brief. Extensive disturbance of the site was evident.

4 Kirkside, Elmstone Hardwicke, Glos.: Archaeological Watching Brief

1. INTRODUCTION

1.1 Introduction

1.1.1 This report presents the results of an archaeological watching brief conducted in January 1998 at Kirkside, Elmstone Hardwicke, Glos. The site is located at NGR SO 92032613 (Fig.1).

1.1.2 The watching brief was required as a condition of planning permission for the construction of a bungalow and connected garage, and altered access to the property. The work was carried out in accordance with the ‘Brief for a programme of archaeological recording’, issued by Charles Parry of the Archaeology Section of Gloucestershire County Council, dated 14th October 1997, and in compliance with the ‘Standard and Guidance for Archaeological Watching Briefs’, issued by the Institute of Field Archaeologists (IFA, 1994) and the ‘Statement of Standards and Practices appropriate for Archaeological Fieldwork in Gloucestershire’, issued by the Gloucestershire County Council Archaeology Section.

1.2 Geology and Topography

1.2.1 The underlying geology of the study area comprises Lower Lias Clays of the Jurassic period (British Geological Survey, 1988, sheet 216).

1.2.2 The site is situated on generally low lying, uniform terrain, some 4.5km north- west of the centre of . It lies at approximately 30m OD, and is bounded to the north and west by adjacent proprties, to the east by farmland and to the south by a road. The study area consists of approximately 380 sq.m of gardens and the site of the previous building.

5 Kirkside, Elmstone Hardwicke, Glos.: Archaeological Watching Brief

1.3 Archaeological and Historical Background

1.3.1 The study area lies immediately across the road from St. Mary Magdalene’s Church. The Church belonged to the Benedictine priory at , which dates to at least the 8th century AD. It contains a carved stone, similar in detail to that on the font at Deerhurst, dating to at least the 9th century AD. Parts of the existing building are Norman in date, and many of the internal features are medieval. The Church was restored and altered in the 19th century (Verey 1988, 182).

1.3.2 The name of the village is derived from two different places, i.e. Elmstone and Hardwicke. Elmstone itself no longer exists, only the aforementioned Church survives. Elmstone is first recorded in the ‘Cartularium Saxonicum’ in 889 AD, as ‘Alhmunding tun’, meaning ‘the farmstead associated with Alhmund’ (Birch 1885-93, 559). Its name gradually evolved, and is first recorded in its present form in 1506 (Smith 1965, 81). Hardwicke is first recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 as ‘Herdeuuic’, meaning ‘herd farm’, and evolved to it’s present form sometime after 1340 (Smith 1965, 82).

There are no recorded archaeological sites within the vicinity of the study area.

1.4 Methodology

1.4.1 A project design was prepared by the Cotswold Archaeological Trust for a watching brief on the study area and approved by Mr. Charles Parry, Archaeology Officer (Planning and Development), Gloucestershire County Council.

6 Kirkside, Elmstone Hardwicke, Glos.: Archaeological Watching Brief

1.4.2 The proposed development consists of the construction of a bungalow on a similar footprint to the previous, recently demolished bungalow, an adjacent garage and alteration to access to the property.

1.4.3 Under archaeological supervision, the foundation trenches of the proposed buildings were mechanically excavated. The trenches were generally 0.6m wide and 1.3m in depth, except where the removal of naturally-occurring sand within the natural clay necessitated making the trenches deeper. In these areas, the trenches were excavated to a maximum depth of 1.5m. The discovery of a large unknown sewage pipe running through the north and east sections of the garage foundations required the foundations in that area to be excavated to a depth of approximately 2m.

1.4.4 All identified deposits were recorded in accordance with the Cotswold Archaeological Trust Field Recording Manual (1996).

1.4.5 A full written, drawn and photographic record of the watching brief was compiled in accordance with the archaeological project design.

1.4.6 The completed site archive will be deposited with the Cheltenham Art Gallery and Museum.

7 Kirkside, Elmstone Hardwicke, Glos.: Archaeological Watching Brief

2. WATCHING BRIEF RESULTS

2.1 General

2.1.1 During the course of the watching brief, no archaeological features were encountered.

2.1.2 The majority of the site had been subject to substantial disturbance from the construction of the previous dwelling and also from the laying of the sewage pipe which ran north-west to south-east across the eastern half of the site. Only a small area in the south-western part of the site appeared to be unaffected by this modern disturbance (Fig. 2). The previous foundation trenches were evident in many of the sections.

2.1.3 The natural substrate (005)consisted of blue Lias Clay with frequent pockets of yellow-orange sand. It included occasional flecks of degraded limestone. This layer appeared to slope from south to north, occurring at a depth of 0.6m from present ground level in the southern part of the site, and at a depth of 0.8m in the northern part of the site (Fig.3).

2.1.4 Generally, overlying the natural substrate was a layer of subsoil (004), varying in depth across the site, from 0.25m to 0.5m (Fig.3). This layer consisted of mid yellow-brown clay with occasional charcoal flecks and probably represents the original ground level, heavily truncated over most of the site, apart from the south-west corner. No dating evidence was recovered from this layer.

2.1.5 The intercutting foundation and service trenches [002] (Fig.3), were filled by a mid yellow-brown sandy clay (003), which contained approximately 50% of medium-sized limestone chippings and frequent pieces of modern brick, metal tile and plastic, associated with the construction of the previous building.

8 Kirkside, Elmstone Hardwicke, Glos.: Archaeological Watching Brief

2.1.6 Along the northern part of the site, the subsoil was overlain by a dark grey- brown, silty-clay topsoil (001). It varied in depth across the site, from 0.2m to 0.4m (Fig.3). This layer contained a large amount of peaty material and represents the remains of the garden area associated with the previous dwelling. It also included pieces of modern brick and tile, glass, limestone chippings and some sub-rounded pebbles.

2.1.7 In the south-western corner of the site, the subsoil (004) was overlain by a topsoil layer of mid-brown, silty clay (006). It varied in depth, from 0.1m in the east, to 0.35m in the west (Fig.3). This layer contained some small to medium sized limestone pieces and occasional charcoal flecks. As in (001), this layer represents garden topsoil.

9 Kirkside, Elmstone Hardwicke, Glos.: Archaeological Watching Brief

3. ASSESSMENT OF RESULTS

3.1 The majority of the site has been heavily disturbed by the construction of the previous bungalow and the laying of the sewage pipe. The south-west corner of the site was the only part of the site identified as not being affected by this disturbance. There was no archaeological evidence encountered in this area to suggest any activity related to settlement around the Church of St. Mary Magdalene, although the undisturbed area encountered was very limited.

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4. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Cotswold Archaeological Trust would like to thank Mr. Graham Smith and his staff, Kate Lavin of Design & Materials Ltd, Chales Parry of Gloucestershire County Council Archaeology Section and Mrs. J and Miss S Andrews, for their assistance during the course of this project.

The fieldwork was carried out by Mark Brett. The report has been compiled by Mark Brett and the illustrations prepared by Rick Morton.

5. BIBLIOGRAPHY

Birch, W. de G., (ed, 1885-93) ‘Cartularium Saxonicum’.

CAT (1997), ‘Project Design: Archaeological Watching Brief, Kirkside, Elmstone Hardwicke, Glos’.

IFA (1994), ‘Standard and Guidance for Archaeological Watching Briefs’.

Parry, C. (1997), ‘Brief for a programme of archaeological recording’.

Smith, A.H. (1965), ‘The place-names of Gloucestershire, Part Two’.

Verey, D (1988), ‘The Buildings of : Gloucestershire: The Vale and the Forest of Dean’.

11 Kirkside, Elmstone Hardwicke, Glos.: Archaeological Watching Brief

Fig.1 Location plan

12 Kirkside, Elmstone Hardwicke, Glos.: Archaeological Watching Brief

Fig.2 Plan of foundation trenches, showing limit of disturbance and recorded sections

13 Kirkside, Elmstone Hardwicke, Glos.: Archaeological Watching Brief

Fig.3 Sections 1 & 2

14 Kirkside, Elmstone Hardwicke, Glos.: Archaeological Watching Brief

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