Land at Mill Lane Congresbury North Somerset Archaeological Evaluation

Land at Mill Lane Congresbury North Somerset

Archaeological Evaluation

for Charles Church Severn Valley

CA Project: 4061 CA Report: 12383

December 2012

Land at Mill Lane Congresbury North Somerset

Archaeological Evaluation

CA Project: 4061 CA Report: 12383

prepared by Jamie Wright (Project Officer)

date 6 December 2012

checked by Simon Cox (Head of Fieldwork)

date 14 January 2013

approved by Simon Cox (Head of Fieldwork)

signed

date 14 January 2013

issue 01

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.

Cirencester Milton Keynes Andover Building 11 Unit 4 Office 49 Kemble Enterprise Park Cromwell Business Centre Basepoint Business Centre Kemble, Cirencester Howard Way, Newport Pagnell Caxton Close, Andover Gloucestershire, GL7 6BQ MK16 9QS Hampshire, SP10 3FG t. 01285 771022 t. 01908 218320 t. 01264 326549 f. 01285 771033 e. [email protected] © Cotswold Archaeology Land at Mill Lane, Congresbury, North Somerset: Archaeological Evaluation

CONTENTS

SUMMARY...... 4

1. INTRODUCTION ...... 5

The site ...... 5 Archaeological background...... 6 Archaeological objectives ...... 7 Methodology ...... 7

2. RESULTS (FIGS 2-6) ...... 8

The finds and palaeoenvironmental evidence ...... 11

3. DISCUSSION...... 13

4. CA PROJECT TEAM ...... 14

5. REFERENCES ...... 14

APPENDIX A: CONTEXT DESCRIPTIONS...... 15 APPENDIX B: THE FINDS...... 17 APPENDIX C: OASIS REPORT FORM ...... 18

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Fig. 1 Site location plan (1:25,000) Fig. 2 Trench location plan, showing archaeological features and previously identified buildings/features (1:500) Fig. 3 Trenches 5 and 6; plans (1:100) Fig. 4 Photograph: Trench 5; view of wall 510, looking west Fig. 5 Photograph: Trench 6 view of ?beamslot 609 and posthole 611, looking south-east Fig. 6 Photograph: Trench 6; view of spread 619 and wall 622, looking south-west

SUMMARY

Project Name: Land at Mill Lane Location: Congresbury, North Somerset NGR: ST 4405 6361 Type: Evaluation Date: 19-30 November 2012 Location of Archive: North Somerset Museum Accession Number: WESTM: 2012.15 Site Code: MIL 12

An archaeological evaluation was undertaken by Cotswold Archaeology in November 2012 on Land at Mill Lane, Congresbury, North Somerset. Six trenches were excavated.

The remains of five separate walls or wall foundations survived within one trench and three walls in a second trench. Flooding of the Somerset Levels made it impossible to confirm the position of the mill leat although the presence of boulders in one trench suggested consolidation of a formerly soft area, possibly the former leat. Redeposited alluvium in one trench may have been upcast from digging of a mill stream.

1. INTRODUCTION

1.1 In November 2012 Cotswold Archaeology (CA) carried out an archaeological evaluation for Charles Church Severn Valley on Land at Mill Lane, Congresbury (centred on NGR: ST 4405 6361; Fig. 1). The evaluation was undertaken in relation to a planning application for redevelopment of the site.

1.2 The evaluation was carried out following a request for archaeological evaluation by Vince Russett, North District Council, and in accordance with a subsequent detailed Written Scheme of Investigation (WSI) produced by CA (2012) and approved by Mr Russett. The fieldwork also followed the Standard and Guidance for Archaeological Field Evaluation (IfA 2008), the Management of Archaeological Projects (English Heritage 1991) and the Management of Research Projects in the Historic Environment (MORPHE): Project Manager’s Guide (English Heritage 2006). It was monitored by Mr Russett, including site visits on 22 and 29 November 2012.

The site

1.3 The proposed development area is situated at the southern banks of the River Yeo, on the eastern outskirts of Congresbury, at the extreme south-eastern periphery of the Somerset Levels. It encloses an area of approximately 1.75ha. The northern part of the site comprises a complex of industrial units, including warehouse structures and office buildings set within a large tarmac compound. In the south-eastern part of the site there is a small derelict cottage, ‘Riverside’, set within its own overgrown grounds. It is bounded to the north and east by open fields, to the south by Mill Lane and residential properties at The Birches and Yeo Court and to the west by the Plough Inn Public House and an area of scrub adjacent to the River Yeo.

1.4 The solid geology across the entire site comprises Mercia Mudstone and Halite Stone of the Triassic period. Alluvial deposits of the Pleistocene period are recorded across the northern part of the site (BGS online). No further superficial deposits are recorded within the site, although the site is situated at between 7-9m AOD, close to the limits of the Wentlooge alluvial deposits of the Levels, which are typically at 5.2m-5.5m AOD but can extend higher (Rippon 2006, 8). A palaeochannel of the River Yeo is recorded 70m north-east of the site (CA 2011, Fig. 2, 52), while

undated banks 100m east of the site (CA 2011, Fig. 2, 53) may also relate to the former course of the river.

Archaeological background

1.5 The archaeological potential of the site has been summarised in an Archaeological Desk-Based Assessment (DBA) by Cotswold Archaeology (CA 2011) the results of which are summarised below:

1.6 Prehistoric activity within the area of the site is represented by Iron Age pottery recorded by excavations 240m south of the site and further prehistoric pottery recovered during housing construction in the 1960s. No further prehistoric features are recorded within the site, although the large hillfort of Cadbury Congresbury is located on higher ground c.1.2km to the north of the site. Congresbury is situated at the margins of the Levels, and the interface between the Levels and higher ground was a significant focus for late prehistoric activity, especially the production of salt.

1.7 A Roman mosaic recorded at Kent Street, 490m north of the site, suggests a degree of Roman settlement in the wider area. Scatters of Romano-British pottery have been recorded 250m south-west of the site at Stone Farm and 150m and 250m south of the site. A further scatter of Romano-British pottery and a Roman coin found in St Andrew’s churchyard may indicate a possible Roman settlement site beneath the current church, supporting the suggestion that the medieval village developed from an established focus of Roman activity (Aston and Burrow 1982, 65). In the wider Roman landscape, Roman kilns have been recorded from Venus Street 800m south of the site (Congresbury Kiln Project; YCCCART 2010) suggesting a degree of Roman industrial activity in the wider area.

1.8 Congresbury is named after the late 5th/early 6th century Welsh missionary St Cyngar, while the ‘bury’ element probably relates to a monastic site (Rippon 2006, 134). A probable Celtic monastery site is recorded on the western periphery of Congresbury, 400m west of the site, which was subsequently re-founded as a minster in the early 8th century. Extant earthworks appear to form part of an enclosure (CA 2011, Fig. 2, 15), possibly relating to the monastic site, within which the medieval parish church was subsequently constructed (Rippon 2006, 134). Nearby to the church, within the probable enclosure, early medieval pottery has been recorded which possibly indicates settlement activity.

1.9 The 1567 Survey of Congresbury recorded a mill at West Mill but the exact location of this building is not known. The earliest source to depict a mill within the site is the 1736 Map of Congresbury Manor. This source recorded four mill buildings in the southern part of the site labeled as ‘Dunns Mill’, as well as a large mill pond and leat. A small part of the mill pond survives in the eastern part of the site. A subsequent mill building is recorded on the 1809 Enclosure Map, which was removed ahead of the construction of industrial units within the site in the 1980s.

1.10 Recently discovered documentary evidence records the early 18th century use of the mill as a part of the process of making nails. Sheets of iron were heated and passed through rollers to form small bars, a process referred to as ‘slitting’. This was the first step before the nails were formed. William Donne or Dunn was receiving tons of iron sheet for conversion to rods and Congresbury is believed to be one of less than 20 mills involved in this early form of industrialisation (Bedingfield 1998).

Archaeological objectives

1.11 The objectives of the evaluation are to provide information about the archaeological resource within the site, including its presence/absence, character, extent, date, integrity, state of preservation and quality, in accordance with the Standard and Guidance for Archaeological Field Evaluation (IfA 2008). This information will enable North Somerset Council to identify and assess the particular significance of any heritage asset, consider the impact of the proposed development upon it, and to avoid or minimise conflict between the heritage asset’s conservation and any aspect of the development proposal, in line with the National Planning Policy Framework (DCLG 2012).

Methodology

1.12 The fieldwork comprised the excavation of six trenches, in the locations shown on the attached plan (Fig. 2). One 30m long trench was positioned to intersect the leat draining water back to the River Yeo, two 17m long trenches and a 3m square trench were located over the position of the 18th-century mill buildings as shown on a tithe map and two more trenches were positioned to locate 19th-century buildings. Flooding and the risk of damaging a 1m diameter concrete drain meant that Trench 1 was shortened, and constraints of space resulted in Trenches 2 and 3 also being

shortened. Trench 6 was slightly rotated and moved to the north to avoid underground services and large concrete footings, respectively. The four outdoor trenches were set out on OS National Grid (NGR) co-ordinates using Leica GPS and Trenches 5 and 6, within the buildings, were measured in by tape measures. All were surveyed in accordance with CA Technical Manual 4 Survey Manual (2012).

1.13 All trenches were excavated by mechanical excavator equipped with a toothless grading bucket. All machine excavation was undertaken under constant archaeological supervision to the top of the first significant archaeological horizon or the natural substrate, whichever was encountered first. Where archaeological deposits were encountered they were excavated by hand in accordance with CA Technical Manual 1: Fieldwork Recording Manual (2007).

1.14 Deposits were assessed for their palaeoenvironmental potential in accordance with CA Technical Manual 2: The Taking and Processing of Environmental and Other Samples from Archaeological Sites (2003) but no deposits were identified that required sampling. All artefacts recovered were processed in accordance with Technical Manual 3 Treatment of Finds Immediately after Excavation (1995).

1.15 The archive and artefacts from the evaluation are currently held by CA at their offices in Kemble. Subject to the agreement of the legal landowner the artefacts will be deposited with North Somerset Museum under accession number WESTM:2012.15, along with the site archive. A summary of information from this project, set out within Appendix C, will be entered onto the OASIS online database of archaeological projects in Britain.

2. RESULTS (FIGS 2-6)

2.1 This section provides an overview of the evaluation results; detailed summaries of the recorded contexts and finds are to be found in Appendices A and B.

Trench 1 (Fig. 2)

2.2 The trench was excavated to a depth of 1.2m exposing presumed alluvium 105, a brown sandy silt. Above this was 104, a grey silt. The boundary between 104 and 105 was very gradual and they may have both been alluvial deposits formed under slightly different conditions. Their combined observed thickness was 0.8m. Alluvium

104 was overlain in the west by a grey silty clay, 106, probably redeposited alluvium. In the west of the trench these layers were covered by layer 103 a firm brown silty clay, also a probable redeposited natural. No cut features were present in the trench but layer 106 may have been upcast from a cut feature.

Trench 2 (Fig. 2)

2.3 On the southern edge of Trench 2 was a reddish brown clay layer, 204. This was truncated down to the north and was only exposed for a length of 1.5m but it may have been in situ natural clay. To its north, and at 1m below ground level (bgl), was clay with large boulders, 205. It is suggested that the boulders were used to consolidate a soft spot. In the north of Trench 2 was a modern deposit 206 which continued into Trench 3 (described as 304, below) where it contained window glass, still green grass, a bedstead etc. Deposits 204 and 206 had been horizontally truncated to c. 1m bgl, probably mechanically, by cut 203 (the same as 303, below). Fill 202 of cut 203 comprised much limestone rubble and was sealed by gravel and tarmac.

Trench 3 (Fig. 2)

2.4 In Trench 3 a grey clay layer, 305, was mechanically exposed in sondages at 1.7m bgl, and although both flooding of the trench and the nature of the overlying deposits made it impossible to test, this may have been natural. Overlying this over the whole trench was a modern deposit 304, containing window glass, a bedstead, still green grass and was permeated with hydrocarbons. Deposit 304 had all been cut by a probably mechanically excavated cut, 303, which contained much limestone rubble, 302, assumed to be consolidation near the entrance to the 1980s factory. Sealing all the deposits was tarmac lain on gravel with a total thickness of 0.3m.

Trench 4 (Fig. 2)

2.5 Trench 4 was excavated to 0.6m bgl when water from a nearby land drain entered the trench and, even with constant pumping, the trench could not be drained. A brown clay, 405, possibly natural was exposed in a sondage at 1.5m bgl. It was overlain by layers 403 and 404, both clays containing lime mortar and small stones. A 20th-century topsoil 402 was sealed beneath reinforced concrete.

Trench 5 (Figs 2-4)

2.6 A layer of reddish brown clay, 523, containing no artefacts was one of the earliest exposed deposits. Only observed at the base of the cut of foundation trench 512 (below) it is not possible to say whether this was in or ex situ natural. Overlying layer 523 was a spread of lime mortar, 516. Exposed for an area of 0.5m by 0.5m this was 0.02m thick and is undated. It was sealed by a redeposited reddish brown clay, 519, which was c. 0.1m thick and acted as bedding for a 0.08m deep cobbled surface, 515.

2.7 Wall 502 was partially exposed against the southern edge of the trench for a length of 4m, turning south at its eastern end and butting to the west. It comprised roughly dressed red sandstones bonded by lime mortar. Pottery and glass dating to the 19th century were recovered from the wall. Three walls, 503, 510 and 517, butted it. Wall 503 was aligned north-south and comprised roughly dressed red sandstone bonded with lime mortar. Immediately east of walls 502 and 503 was a substantial cut, 520. This extended beyond the north, east and south limits of the trench and was excavated to a depth of 0.7m without reaching its base. It had been loosely backfilled with a dark grey silty clay, 521, containing very large stones and ceramic building material of a late 18th or 19th-century date; many voids were present in the dry fill. Built over backfill 521 was a 0.4m wide brick-built wall, 510. Aligned east- west this was exposed for a length of 0.7m and extended beyond the trench.

2.8 The third wall to butt wall 502 was wall 517. Its foundation trench, 506, was c. 0.5m deep, extended 0.4m to the east of the wall and had a vertical side and a horizontal base. Wall 517 was constructed of roughly dressed red sandstone bonded with lime mortar. The lower fill, 508, of construction cut 506 was a reddish brown clay containing occasional stone and mortar fragments. Overlying was a 0.1m deep dark greyish brown sandy loam, 507, with stone and ceramic building material fragments, pottery etc dating to the late 18th or 19th centuries. Approximately 4m to the west of wall 502 was a north-south aligned foundation cut 514. This 0.55m wide and 0.25m deep feature had vertical sides and a horizontal base, and its lowest fill, 513, was a redeposited, probably trampled, clay containing common small stone fragments. Laid over this was a c. 0.2m thick layer of firm, compacted lime mortar, 512, with stone, tile and brick fragment inclusions forming a presumed wall foundation. The roof tile fragments in the fill were no later than post medieval.

2.9 Cobbled surfaces 505, 509 and 515 were not excavated and in the limited available space it was not possible to determine whether these were contemporaneous or not. Clay layer 519 may have formed a bedding layer for one or more of the cobbled surfaces. Four c. 1m2 concrete foundations were evenly distributed along the trench. A layer of stone containing demolition rubble, 504, covered one of the concrete foundations. Layer 504 had a similar appearance to the upper fill, 507, of foundation cut 506. Sealing all other deposits was a layer of gravel forming the bedding for the reinforced concrete floor of the 1980s factory.

Trench 6 (Figs 2, 3, 5 and 6)

2.10 Wall 606 was constructed of roughly dressed stones on the faces of the wall and lime mortar infill. Wall 606 was 0.48m wide and formed an L-shape in plan with horizontally laid tiles, 607, forming a part of an internal floor. Near the shorter arm of the wall was a presumed posthole, 611. This subrectangular feature measured 0.59m by 0.5m and was 0.18m deep with a rounded profile. It contained a large stone, possibly forming a postpad, around which was a dark grey artefact-free fill, 612. A succession of surface layers, 608, 613, 614, 618, 619 and 623, were not investigated but layer 623 contained glass dating to the 18th century. Layers 613 and 614 were cut by two possible beamslots, 609 and 620. Beamslot 609 was 3.9m long, 0.35m wide, had steep sides to a flat base at 0.08m depth and was parallel to wall 606, with its southern end close to posthole 611. Beamslot 620 was 3.8m long, overlapped with beamslot 609 for c. 1.5m and was aligned at an acute angle to it. With a maximum depth of 0.05m and shallowly sloping sides beamslot 620 was less substantial. The northern end of beamslot 620 was cut by foundation cut 615. Not excavated, this seemed to by the foundation cut for wall 605 which was 0.6m to the north. Backfill 616 was clay with stone inclusions. Wall 605 was exposed for a length of 2.08m, was 0.44m wide and comprised roughly dressed sandstones bonded by lime mortar. It was butted by 0.4m wide wall 622, which was 1.4m long, butting at its northern end. This also comprised roughly dressed sandstones bonded by lime mortar.

The finds and palaeoenvironmental evidence

2.11 Artefactual material was recovered from seven deposits, with further finds recovered unstratified. No material which certainly pre-dates the early post-medieval (16th or

17th centuries) was recovered and most or all of the pottery dates no earlier than c. 1750.

2.12 Among the earliest dateable material is a sherd from a Westerwald stoneware chamber pot from layer 504, which overlay a concrete foundation. It features cobalt- outlined applied lion decoration and is an identical form to a vessel from a mid 18th- century pit group from Exeter (Allan 1984, 214, fig. 121, no. 2672). With the possible exception of sherds of clear-glazed earthenware from wall 502 and fill 521, the remainder of the creamwares and stoneware pottery is probably later, dateable after c. 1750. Clay tobacco pipe fragments comprise stems only and are broadly dateable to the late 16th to 19th centuries. The recovered glass includes vessels (bottles) and window glass. A small natural green-coloured pharmaceutical flask typical of the 18th century was identified from fill 507 and a wine/spirits bottle of cylindrical form and of similar date was recorded from layer 623.

2.13 Quantities of ceramic building material were recorded from most of the deposits sampled and as unstratified finds. Complete bricks from fills 507 and 521 are of differing size though of a similar hard, red fabric. They are irregular in shape and probably wooden ‘stock’-moulded; their size and other characteristics suggesting 17th or 18th-century date. Most examples retain thick traces of a cream coloured lime mortar. The remainder of the ceramic building material consists of curving or flat roof tile fragments, including nibbed pantiles identifiable from fill 507. Broad post- medieval dating is probable, with the pantiles no later than the late 17th century.

2.14 Three iron sheets, recovered from layer 504 and as unstratified finds from trenches 3 and 5, are of equivalent size, measuring 340mm x 65–75mm x 4.5mm. They may relate to the industrialized nail manufacturing process described elsewhere in this report and which is known to be associated with the mill site in the early 18th century. The strip from layer 504 exhibits lime mortar over much of its surface, which may indicate re-use. A single nail and a highly corroded and unidentifiable iron object were recovered from deposit 406.

2.15 A single, fragmentary, worked bone object was recovered from wall 502 which also included finds of 19th-century date. It has been adapted from the longbone of a large mammal (pers comm. J. Geber); perforated at one end, and with the shaft roughly shaped probably with a knife. It is probably unfinished and its original intended function is uncertain.

3. DISCUSSION

3.1 Although 18th-century artefacts were recovered from Trenches 5 and 6, no remains of the 18th-century mill were identified in Trenches 2, 3 and 4, located over its presumed position, and which exposed evidence of modern disturbance and consolidation. The earlier consolidation, 205, in Trench 2 may have been in or near one of the mill streams of the mill recorded on the tithe map of 1736. Flooding prevented full inspection but layer 106, in Trench 1, may have been upcast from the digging of the mill stream.

3.2 The walls recorded in Trenches 5 and 6 show that the 19th century mapping is relatively accurate, although the positions of the walls in Trench 6 are slightly north of the mapped building. The remains found in Trench 5 are likely to be of mills shown on the maps of 1809 and the 1840s, although it is not possible to be exact. Wall 502, with its 90° turn, may represent one of the roughly east-west aligned walls, which are shown turning to the south, of the mill planned in 1809. Mortar foundation 512, which had a different foundation technique and which consistently contained the earliest material, roof tile of a broadly post medieval date, could represent one of the roughly north-south aligned walls of the mill mapped in the 1840s. Wall 502 is dated by artefacts to the 19th century, and fill 507 of the construction cut for wall 517 is of a similar date. Much remodelling of a building is indicated by three walls, 503, 510 and 517, butting, but not bonded to, wall 502. Nearby was the foundation of a further wall, 512, and it is possible that the two buildings shown on the 1809 and 1840s mapping are the same, remodelled building. It is possible that this building is also the eastern building shown on the 1736 map, although other interpretations are possible from the limited work undertaken.

3.3 The three sheets of iron, all recovered as unstratified material, seem to confirm the accounts of the early 18th century, which record iron plates or bars being ‘slit’ into rods in preparation for making nails. By heating the plates and passing them through a pair of rollers the plates were made thinner and were then passed through a pair of corrugated or toothed rolls to produce short rods. No nails were recovered to confirm their manufacture at the site, and it is possible that their manufacture was undertaken elsewhere using the rods produced at Congresbury.

4. CA PROJECT TEAM

Fieldwork was undertaken by Jamie Wright, assisted by Anton Beechey, Alex Thomson and Chris White. The report was written by Jamie Wright. The illustrations were prepared by Lorna Gray and the finds report was by Ed McSloy. The archive has been compiled by Jamie Wright, and prepared for deposition by James Johnson. The project was managed for CA by Simon Cox.

5. REFERENCES

Allan, J.P. 1984 Medieval and Post-Medieval Finds from Exeter, 1971–1980, Exeter City Council and University of Exeter, Exeter Archaeol. Rep. 3

Aston, M and Burrow, I 1982 The Archaeology of Somerset: A Review to 1500AD Somerset County Council

Bedingfield, G 1998 ‘Congresury’s mills and the iron industry’ Bristol Industrial Archaeol. Soc. 31

BGS (British Geological Survey) 2012 Geology of Britain Viewer http://maps.bgs.ac.uk/geology viewer_google/googleviewer.html Accessed 7 December 2012

CA (Cotswold Archaeology) 2011 Land at Mill Lane, Congresbury, North Somerset: Archaeological Desk-Based Assessment, CA Report No. 11012

CA (Cotswold Archaeology) 2012 Land at Mill Lane, Congresbury, North Somerset: Written Scheme of Investigation for an Archaeological Evaluation

Rippon, S 2006 Landscape, Community and Colonisation: The North Somerset Levels during the 1st to 2nd Millenia AD York, Council for British Archaeology

APPENDIX A: CONTEXT DESCRIPTIONS

Trench Context Type Fill of Context Description L (m) Depth Spot-W No. No. interpretation (m) /thick date ness (m) 1 101 Layer Surface Tarmac over gravel 18 1.6 0.25 modern 1 102 Layer Buried topsoil Dark brown clay 18 1.6 0.2 1 103 Layer Redeposited Firm brown silty clay 0.35 natural 1 104 Layer ?Alluvium Grey silt becoming sandy with 18 1.6 0.45 depth 1 105 Layer ?Alluvium As 104 but becoming brown >1.25 1 106 Layer Redeposited Grey silty clay between 102 and 0.35 natural 104, and in W of trench 2 201 Layer Tarmac over 12 1.8 0.3 gravel 2 202 Fill 203 Consolidation Large stone and gravel, no soil 0.7 2 203 Cut 1980s cut Near entrance gates. Cut 204 and 1 max. 205 2 204 Layer ?Natural Reddish brown clay 1.5 1.6 2 205 Layer Consolidation Clay with boulders. Under water >1 2 206 Layer Modern makeup Dark grey sandy loam with stones >0.6 3 301 Layer Tarmac over 1.6 0.3 gravel 3 302 Fill Consolidation Large stones and gravel. No soil. Same as 201 3 303 Cut 1980s cut Same as 203 3 304 Layer Makeup Successive layers with window 1.7 glass, green grass, bedstead, oil etc 3 307 Layer ?Natural Grey clay only seen in machine >1.7 bucket depth 4 401 Layer Reinforced 3 3 0.2 concrete 4 402 Layer C20 topsoil Dark grey clay 3 3 0.2 4 403 Layer Greyish brown clay with lime mortar 3 3 0.2 and small stones 4 404 Layer Brown clay with lime mortar and 3 3 0.9 small stones 4 405 Layer ?Natural Brown clay, only seen in machine >1.5 bucket in much water. depth 5 500 Layer Reinforced 15 1.8 0.2 concrete 5 501 Layer Levelling Clay and gravels below 500 15 1.8 0.3 5 502 Wall E-W aligned wall 3.5 0.5 0.5 C19 5 503 Wall Stone faced lime mortar infill and 1.4 0.4 ? bond 5 504 Layer ?Demolition Dark greyish red sandy silt with 0.5 0.5 0.03 LC17- rubble charcoal/cinder. Overlay modern C18 concrete. 5 505 Layer Cobbled surface Medium/small stones in clay matrix c. 2 c. 1 ?0.4 5 506 Cut Foundation cut Vertical side, flat base. For wall 1.4 >0.4 0.5 517. exc. 5 507 Fill 506 V dark grey sandy silt with CBM, 1.4 0.4 0.1 LC18- coal, stone frags. Upper fill and C19 similar to 504. 5 508 Fill 506 Reddish brown clay with mortar and 1.4 0.4 0.3 stone frags. Lower fill 5 509 Layer Cobbled surface Medium/small stones in clay matrix. 1.8 1.4 ?0.4 W of 506, ?same as 505 and 515 5 510 Wall Red brick and lime mortar. 0.75 0.4 c. 0.15 Continued line of 502 and butted it. 5 511 Layer Surface or Lime mortar spread, on inside of 0.3 0.05 ?

construction wall 502. waste 5 512 Layer 514 Mortar Compacted lime mortar with small 1.4 0.55 0.18 Pmed foundation stones and CBM 5 513 Fill 514 Trampled clay Reddish brown clay with common 0.5 exc 0.55 0.15 small stones. 5 514 Cut Foundation cut Cut for 512. Cut 515, 516 and 519 1.5 0.55 0.25 5 515 Layer Cobbled surface Rounded, angular stones <0.06m. c. 2 1.8 0.08 5 516 Layer Layer of lime mortar. Either 0.5 exc 0.5 0.02 construction waste or demolition exc rubble. Below 519. 5 517 Wall Stone and lime mortar 1.5 0.4 5 518 Layer Layer of mortar only exposed where 1.4 ? 0.05 cut by 506 5 519 Layer Bedding surface Redeposited clay below 515 and 0.5 exc 0.5 0.1 over 518. Contained a lens of exc charcoal and cut by 514. 5 520 Cut Cut extended beyond trench and >1.8 >0.7 >0.7 deeper than could hand excavate. ?against edge of walls 502 and 503. 5 521 Fill 520 Backfill Dark grey clayey silt with boulders >1.8 >0.7 >0.7 LC18- and CBM. Was dry and had many C19 voids. Wall 510 built over it. 5 522 Layer Foundation Concrete footings, four relatively 1 1 evenly spread along trench 5 523 Layer Reddish brown clay underlying >0.5 >0.5 mortar spread 516. 6 600 Layer Reinforced 20.4 2 0.16 concrete 6 601 Layer Make up Gravel etc, as foundation for 600 20.4 2 0.4 6 602 Layer General spread Charcoal, cinder etc lens. Below 20.4 2 0.08 601 6 603 Layer General spread Redeposited natural 20.4 2 0.26 6 604 Layer Foundation Concrete footing in N of trench 3.3 2.2 6 605 Wall Roughly dressed stone with rubble 2.08 0.44 >0.4 core and lime mortar. 6 606 Wall Roughly dressed stone, faced on 1.4 0.48 outer side and small patch of plaster survived there. 6 607 Floor Patch of CBM and slate laid 0.42 0.32 0.03 horizontally against corner of wall 606 6 608 Layer Bedding surface Redeposited natural with mortar, 1.9 0.96 charcoal, gravel. Below 607, butted 606 6 609 Cut ?Beamslot Linear, steep sides and flat base 3.9 0.35 0.08 6 610 Fill 609 Dark grey sand, only sand seen. 3.9 0.35 0.08 6 611 Cut Posthole Subrectangular, steep sided. 0.59 0.5 0.18 6 612 Fill 611 Packing Silty clay deposit around possible 0.59 0.5 0.18 postpad. 6 613 Layer Redeposited clay with charcoal 1.32 1.3 flecks. Cut by 611 6 614 Layer Redeposited clay nat with gravel, 5.9 2 charcoal etc 6 615 Cut Construction cut Presumed construction cut for wall 2 0.58 605. Cut 614 6 616 Fill 615 Backfill Clay with stones 2 0.58 6 617 Number not used 6 618 Layer Mixed clay and rubble with CBM. Butted 605 and 622. ?Same as 623 6 619 Layer Layer of lime mortar. Either bedding for floor or demolition rubble – not excavated. 6 620 Cut Beamslot Linear in plan but shallow sides and 3.84 0.28 0.03 flat base 6 621 Fill 620 Clay and stone mix 3.84 0.28 0.03

6 622 Wall Roughly dressed stone very heavily 1.4 0.4 0.22 mortared. Butted wall 605 6 623 Layer Clay deposit with some charcoal. 0.8 0.6 0.22 C18 ?Same as 618

APPENDIX B: THE FINDS

Context Description Count Weight(g) Spot-date 406 Iron objects: nail; unid. 2 - Pmed+ 502 Post-med/modern pottery: clear-glazed earthenware; 4 40 C19 English stoneware; refined whiteware; yellow ware Modern window glass 1 18 Worked bone object; unfinished ; knife-shaped; perforated 1 - 504 Post-med pottery: Westerwald stoneware 1 75 LC17-C18 Iron strip 1 - 507 Post-med/modern pottery: creamware; slipware 4 20 LC18-C19 Post-med/modern tile: pantile 7 655 Clay tobacco pipe: stem 3 4 Post-med glass: pharmaceutical bottle; window glass; bottle 9 21 glass Ceramic object: sphere/marble stopper 1 59 Post-medieval bricks: 10” x 4” x 2½”; –x 4.4” x 2¾ “ 2 - Animal bone 1 45 512 Post-med/modern tile: flat/curving roof tile 3 268 Pmed 521 Post-med/modern pottery: creamware; clear-glazed 4 75 LC18-C19 earthenware Modern glass: frosted window glass 1 17 Post-medieval bricks: 9” x 4½” x 2½” 3 - 623 Post-med glass: cylindrical wine/spirits bottle 1 102 C18 Post-med/modern tile 1 22 Us. Tr.3 Iron strip 1 - - Us. Tr.5 Iron strip 1 - - Us. Metallurgical residues: frothy ironworking slag - 98 - Modern pottery: TP-decorated china 2 10

APPENDIX C: OASIS REPORT FORM

PROJECT DETAILS Project Name Land at Mill Lane, Congresbury, North Somerset Short description An archaeological evaluation was undertaken by Cotswold Archaeology in November 2012 on Land at Mill Lane, Congresbury, North Somerset. Six trenches were excavated.

The remains of five separate walls or wall foundations survived within one trench and three walls in a second trench. Flooding of the Somerset Levels made it impossible to confirm the position of the mill leat although the use of boulders suggested consolidation of a soft area. Redeposited alluvium in one trench may have been upcast from digging a mill stream.

Three strips of iron, all from unstratified contexts, seem to confirm the documentary sources which indicate that in the 18th century sheets of iron were ‘slit’ using water power as the first stage in a process to make iron nails, an early form of industrialisation. Project dates 19-30 November 2012 Project type Field evaluation Previous work CA (Cotswold Archaeology) 2011 Land at Mill Lane, Congresbury, North Somerset: Archaeological Desk-Based Assessment, CA Report No. 11012 Future work Unknown PROJECT LOCATION Site Location Land at Mill Lane, Congresbury, North Somerset Study area (M2/ha) 1.75ha Site co-ordinates (8 Fig Grid Reference) ST 4405 6361 PROJECT CREATORS Name of organisation Cotswold Archaeology Project Brief originator N/a Project Design (WSI) originator Cotswold Archaeology Project Manager Simon Cox Project Supervisor Jamie Wright MONUMENT TYPE None SIGNIFICANT FINDS None PROJECT ARCHIVES Intended final location of archive Content Physical North Somerset Museum: Ceramics, animal bone, WESTM:2012.15, iron strips etc Paper North Somerset Museum: Context, trench sheets, WESTM:2012.15, permatrace etc Digital North Somerset Museum: Survey data, digital WESTM:2012.15, photos etc BIBLIOGRAPHY CA (Cotswold Archaeology) 2012 Land at Mill Lane, Congresbury, North Somerset: Archaeological Evaluation. CA typescript report 12383

18 site

N Cirencester 01285 771022 Milton Keynes 01908 218320 Cotswold Andover 01264 326549 Archaeology w www.cotswoldarchaeology.co.uk e [email protected]

PROJECT TITLE Land at Mill Lane, Congresbury North Somerset

FIGURE TITLE Site location plan North Somerset 0 1km

FIGURE NO. Reproduced from the 1998 Ordnance Survey Explorer map with PROJECT NO. 4061 DATE 12-12-2012 the permission of Ordnance Survey on behalf of The Controller DRAWN BY JB REVISION 00 of Her Majesty's Stationery Office c Crown copyright Cotswold Archaeology Ltd 100002109 APPROVED BY PJM SCALE@A4 1:25,000 1

wall 502

wall 503

wall 521 510

wall 606

floor 607

?beam slot 609 posthole 611

Cirencester 01285 771022 Milton Keynes 01908 218320 Cotswold Andover 01264 326549 4 Trench 5; view of wall 510, looking west. (Scale 1m) Archaeology w www.cotswoldarchaeology.co.uk e [email protected]

5 Trench 6; view of ?beam slot 609 and posthole 611, PROJECT TITLE looking south-east. (Scale 1m) Land at Mill Lane, Congresbury North Somerset

FIGURE TITLE Photographs

PROJECT NO. 4061 DATE 14-12-2012 FIGURE NO. DRAWN BY LG REVISION 00 APPROVED BY PJM SCALE@A4 N/A 4 & 5 6

spread 619

wall 622

Cirencester 01285 771022 Milton Keynes 01908 218320 Cotswold Andover 01264 326549 6 Trench 6; view of spread 619 and wall 622, looking Archaeology w www.cotswoldarchaeology.co.uk south-west. (Scale 1m) e [email protected]

PROJECT TITLE Land at Mill Lane, Congresbury North Somerset

FIGURE TITLE Photograph

PROJECT NO. 4061 DATE 14-12-2012 FIGURE NO. DRAWN BY LG REVISION 00 APPROVED BY PJM SCALE@A4 N/A 6