October 2012 Penkridge Historic Character Assessment Staffordshire Extensive Urban Survey Staffordshire Extensive Urban Survey Contents Executive Summary 5 Penkridge Introduction 9 Background 9 Aim 10 Controlled Document Outputs 10 Staffordshire County Council Document No: EC4609.R16 Part One: Background And Setting 11 Status: Final Rev. No: 2 Section Summary 11 1. Setting 13 1.1 Location 13 Name Signature Date 1.2 Geology and topography 13 1.3 Sources 14 Prepared by: Debbie Taylor 29/10/2012 2. Context and Historical Development 15 2.1 Prehistoric 15 Checked by: Suzy Blake 17/06/2013 2.2 Roman (49AD to 409AD) 16 2.3 Early Medieval (410 to 1065) 18 SCC Approved: Stephen Dean 13/11/2012 2.4 Medieval (1066 to 1499) 21 2.5 Post Medieval (1500 to 1699) 28 2.6 18th & 19th century (1700 to 1899) 34 2.7 20th & 21st century (1900 to circa 2009) 43 Revision Record Part Two: Characterisation And Assessment 46 Section Summary 46 Rev. Date By Summary of Changes Chkd Aprvd 3. Statement of Historic Urban Character 48 1. 11/12/2012 DAT Following edits and comments from SAD SAD 3.1 Definition of Historic Character Types (HCTs) 48 Stephen Dean. 3.2 Statement of Historic Urban Character (HUC) 48 2. 20/02/2012 DAT Following comments from Paul Collins, SAD SAD 4. Assessment of Historic Urban Character Areas (HUCA) 53 4.1 HUCA 1: St Michael’s Church 54 South Staffordshire Council and from Robert 4.2 HUCA 2: Stafford Road and Goods Station Lane 59 Maddocks, Penkridge History Society 4.3 HUCA 3: Penk Valley 62 4.4 HUCA 4: Mill Street and Stanford Close 65 4.5 HUCA 5: Stone Cross and Clay Street 67 4.6 HUCA 6: Market Place and Market Street 72 4.7 HUCA 7: Horsefair and Mill Street 78 4.8 HUCA 8: Haling Road, Marsh Lane and Littleton Crescent 81 4.9 HUCA 9: Cannock Road 84 4.10 HUCA 10: Francis Green Road and Croydon Drive 87 4.11 HUCA 11: Princefield and Wolgarston 90 2 3 Staffordshire Extensive Urban Survey Contents Executive Summary 5 Penkridge Introduction 9 Background 9 Aim 10 Controlled Document Outputs 10 Staffordshire County Council Document No: EC4609.R16 Part One: Background And Setting 11 Status: Final Rev. No: 2 Section Summary 11 1. Setting 13 1.1 Location 13 Name Signature Date 1.2 Geology and topography 13 1.3 Sources 14 Prepared by: Debbie Taylor 29/10/2012 2. Context and Historical Development 15 2.1 Prehistoric 15 Checked by: Suzy Blake 17/06/2013 2.2 Roman (49AD to 409AD) 16 2.3 Early Medieval (410 to 1065) 18 SCC Approved: Stephen Dean 13/11/2012 2.4 Medieval (1066 to 1499) 21 2.5 Post Medieval (1500 to 1699) 28 2.6 18th & 19th century (1700 to 1899) 34 2.7 20th & 21st century (1900 to circa 2009) 43 Revision Record Part Two: Characterisation And Assessment 46 Section Summary 46 Rev. Date By Summary of Changes Chkd Aprvd 3. Statement of Historic Urban Character 48 1. 11/12/2012 DAT Following edits and comments from SAD SAD 3.1 Definition of Historic Character Types (HCTs) 48 Stephen Dean. 3.2 Statement of Historic Urban Character (HUC) 48 2. 20/02/2012 DAT Following comments from Paul Collins, SAD SAD 4. Assessment of Historic Urban Character Areas (HUCA) 53 4.1 HUCA 1: St Michael’s Church 54 South Staffordshire Council and from Robert 4.2 HUCA 2: Stafford Road and Goods Station Lane 59 Maddocks, Penkridge History Society 4.3 HUCA 3: Penk Valley 62 4.4 HUCA 4: Mill Street and Stanford Close 65 4.5 HUCA 5: Stone Cross and Clay Street 67 4.6 HUCA 6: Market Place and Market Street 72 4.7 HUCA 7: Horsefair and Mill Street 78 4.8 HUCA 8: Haling Road, Marsh Lane and Littleton Crescent 81 4.9 HUCA 9: Cannock Road 84 4.10 HUCA 10: Francis Green Road and Croydon Drive 87 4.11 HUCA 11: Princefield and Wolgarston 90 2 3 Executive Summary 4.12 HUCA 12: Boscomoor 93 The Project Street (now the A5) and a network of minor 4.13 HUCA 13: West of Wolverhampton Road 95 roads which link into it in the area south west 4.14 HUCA 14: St Michael’s Road 98 The main aim of the Staffordshire EUS is to of Penkridge. At least three Roman forts and a understand the development and the current number of marching camps (some of which 5. Bibliography 101 historic character of the medieval towns are Scheduled) were established along Watling within the county. Street in this area. An enclosed settlement, identified as Pennocrucium, straddles Watling The project reports for the towns are divided Street and archaeological excavation at this into two sections. Section one covers the site has recovered evidence for buildings. location and historical development of the towns. The history covers the earliest evidence It is considered that there is a link between for human activity through to the Roman Pennocrucium and the later settlement establishment of the town in the medieval of Penkridge and that settlement shift may period and through to the present day. have commenced during the post-Roman Section two covers the characterisation of the period. However, the date, timescale and town through the creation of Historic Urban process of this settlement drift is currently not Character Areas (HUCAs). The historical known. significance of each HUCA is assessed and recommendations are put forward. Penkridge is almost certainly the site of a minster church which is believed to have been Fourteen Historic Urban Character Areas established in the early/mid 10th century (HUCAs) have been identified in this project (although as a type of ecclesiastical institution (cf. map 13). they start to be founded from circa 650). The territories administered by minster churches The Historical Development of were often based upon Roman estates. The Penkridge site of the minster church is most likely to have lain in the area of the extant St Michael and All Prehistoric and Roman activity has been Saints Church. A community of clerics is identified within the wider landscape around recorded in Domesday Book (1086) and the Penkridge. Much of the evidence is known site continued to house a religious community from aerial photographs and through the (as a collegiate church) until the Dissolution in recovery of stray finds; many of the sites have the mid 16th century. The location of the been interpreted as having Bronze Age origins. various buildings used by the community are Two possible Iron Age farmsteads have been not known, but the extent of the possible identified from aerial photographs to the religious site appears to have been fossilised north east and south west of the town. This on a mid 18th century map. activity would complement the known Iron Age activity excavated at Acton Trussell and Settlement is recorded in Domesday Book points to a well-developed agricultural (1086) and is likely to have existed by (or landscape centred around small farmsteads before) the establishment of the minster and larger villa centres. church. The earliest location for settlement at Penkridge has not yet been determined. It is If the farmsteads previously identified are of assumed that the earliest settlement had a Iron Age origin it is possible that they marketing function which may have been continued to function into the Roman period. located in the part of the town still known as However, known Roman activity to date Stone Cross (although this area was appears to be concentrated along Watling significantly altered in the 1930s). 4 5 Executive Summary 4.12 HUCA 12: Boscomoor 93 The Project Street (now the A5) and a network of minor 4.13 HUCA 13: West of Wolverhampton Road 95 roads which link into it in the area south west 4.14 HUCA 14: St Michael’s Road 98 The main aim of the Staffordshire EUS is to of Penkridge. At least three Roman forts and a understand the development and the current number of marching camps (some of which 5. Bibliography 101 historic character of the medieval towns are Scheduled) were established along Watling within the county. Street in this area. An enclosed settlement, identified as Pennocrucium, straddles Watling The project reports for the towns are divided Street and archaeological excavation at this into two sections. Section one covers the site has recovered evidence for buildings. location and historical development of the towns. The history covers the earliest evidence It is considered that there is a link between for human activity through to the Roman Pennocrucium and the later settlement establishment of the town in the medieval of Penkridge and that settlement shift may period and through to the present day. have commenced during the post-Roman Section two covers the characterisation of the period. However, the date, timescale and town through the creation of Historic Urban process of this settlement drift is currently not Character Areas (HUCAs). The historical known. significance of each HUCA is assessed and recommendations are put forward. Penkridge is almost certainly the site of a minster church which is believed to have been Fourteen Historic Urban Character Areas established in the early/mid 10th century (HUCAs) have been identified in this project (although as a type of ecclesiastical institution (cf. map 13). they start to be founded from circa 650). The territories administered by minster churches The Historical Development of were often based upon Roman estates. The Penkridge site of the minster church is most likely to have lain in the area of the extant St Michael and All Prehistoric and Roman activity has been Saints Church.