Kennet and Avon Canal Devizes Wiltshire Archaeological Watching Brief

ARCHAEOLOGICAL WATCHING BRIEF

C.A.T JOB: 996 C.A.T REPORT: 001164

DATE: APRIL 2000

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.

Kennet And Avon Canal, Devizes, Wiltshire: Archaeological Watching Brief.

CONTENTS

CONTENTS ...... 1

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS ...... 2

SUMMARY ...... 3

1. INTRODUCTION ...... 4

1.1 Introduction ...... 4 1.2 Geology and Topography ...... 4 1.3 Archaeological Background ...... 4 1.3 Methodology ...... 5

2. RESULTS ...... 5

3. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS ...... 6

4. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ...... 6

5. BIBLIOGRAPHY ...... 7

1 Kennet And Avon Canal, Devizes, Wiltshire: Archaeological Watching Brief.

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

Figure 1 Site Location Plan ...... 8 Figure 2 Site Plan ...... 9 Figure 3 West Facing Section ...... 10

2 Kennet And Avon Canal, Devizes, Wiltshire: Archaeological Watching Brief.

SUMMARY

In February 2000 Cotswold Archaeological Trust (CAT) undertook an archaeological watching brief on the towpath of the Kennet and Avon Canal, Devizes, Wiltshire. The hand-excavation of a telecommunication junction box was archaeologically monitored and structural remains associated with the construction of the canal were identified.

3 Kennet And Avon Canal, Devizes, Wiltshire: Archaeological Watching Brief.

1. INTRODUCTION

1.1 Introduction

1.1.1 This report presents the results of an archaeological watching brief carried out in February 2000 on the towpath of the Caen Hill flight of locks along The Kennet And Avon Canal, Devizes, Wiltshire (centred on NGR ST 9900 6145) (Fig. 1). The watching brief was undertaken for Fibreway on behalf of Marconi on land immediately adjacent to Scheduled Ancient Monument WI 911 (Caen Hill Locks).

1.2 Geology and Topography

1.2.1 The natural substrate consists of Upper Greensand of the Lower Cretaceous Period (IGS 1979). The site is located on the side of the eastern scarp of this deposit on land that slopes down to the north towards the village of Rowde and to the west towards the village of Seend. The canal follows the westwards slope, having been constructed on a terrace cut into the northwards slope.

1.3 Archaeological Background

1.3.1 The Kennet And Avon Canal was fully opened on December 28th 1810 following the completion of The Caen Hill flight of locks, a unique concentration of seventeen locks within one kilometre. Prior to the completion of the locks, a horse-drawn railway was used to link the watered sections of the canal between Devizes and Foxhanger (SAM WI 911).

4 Kennet And Avon Canal, Devizes, Wiltshire: Archaeological Watching Brief.

1.3 Methodology

1.3.1 The hand excavation of a new junction box was carried out under archaeological supervision. Identified archaeological deposits were then excavated by a member of CAT.

1.3.2 The work was undertaken in line with the Standard and Guidance for Archaeological Watching Briefs issued by the Institute of Field Archaeologists (IFA 1994). All recording was carried out in accordance with the Excavation Recording Manual (CAT Technical Manual 1996).

1.3.3 The completed site archive will be deposited with Devizes Museum.

2. RESULTS

2.1 The sequence of deposits began with the natural substrate (107), the Upper Greensand (Fig. 3). This was exposed throughout the trench except along the line of service trench [102]. The natural slope down to the north had been truncated and the base of this cut [108] was seen within the trench. Within this cut was layer (105), a compact yellow sandy deposit up to 40mm thick and containing up to 25% limestone fragments which were rounded where exposed on the upper surface of (105). Along the south side of this deposit was an east-west orientated wall constructed from unworked limestone blocks and bonded with crushed Greensand. This survived to two courses and although the full width was not exposed the wall was at least two stones (c.0.4m) wide. All other deposits were modern and consisted briefly of a cable trench [102] with associated fill (103), the present clay silt and hardcore towpath surface (106) and, finally, the topsoil (101).

5 Kennet And Avon Canal, Devizes, Wiltshire: Archaeological Watching Brief.

3. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS

3.1 Although the southern edge of cut [108] was not exposed, it was clearly part of a general east-west terrace cut along the natural north-south slope of the Upper Greensand scarp. This terrace was visible outside the trench looking east or west and had been excavated to accommodate the canal and towpath. The topography of the present slope and the position of wall (104) suggest that the southern lower edge of this terrace lay within c.0.5m to the south of the trench. Sandy deposit (105) was a surface containing worn limestones. This may have been used as a work surface during the construction of the canal and/or as the original towpath running east-west along the south side of the canal. Wall (104) is most likely to represent a revetment wall protecting the towpath from the remaining steep slope of Caen Hill.

4. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

CAT would like to thank *****for their assistance during the course of this project. Fieldwork was carried out by Jon Hart who compiled this report and the illustrations are by Rick Morton. The project was managed by Cliff Bateman.

6 Kennet And Avon Canal, Devizes, Wiltshire: Archaeological Watching Brief.

5. BIBLIOGRAPHY

CAT 1996, Excavation Recording Manual. CAT Technical Manual 1.

IFA 1994, Standard and Guidance for Archaeological Watching Briefs. Institute of Field Archaeologists. Institute of Geological Sciences 1979, Geological Map of the United Kingdom: South. SAM WI 911, Caen Hill Locks.

7 Kennet And Avon Canal, Devizes, Wiltshire: Archaeological Watching Brief.

Figure 1 Site Location Plan

8 Kennet And Avon Canal, Devizes, Wiltshire: Archaeological Watching Brief.

Figure 2 Site Plan

9 Kennet And Avon Canal, Devizes, Wiltshire: Archaeological Watching Brief.

Figure 3 West Facing Section