P SITE OF THE CITY UNIVERSITY, GOSWELL ROAD, LONDON BOROUGH OF ISLINGTON, EC1V 7DY ARCHAEOLOGICAL DESK- BASED ASSESSMENT C ISSUE 2: FINAL A NOVEMBER 2010 PRE-CONSTRUCT ARCHAEOLOGY DOCUMENT VERIFICATION SITE OF THE CITY UNIVERSITY, GOSWELL ROAD, LONDON BOROUGH OF ISLINGTON, EC1V 7DY ARCHAEOLOGICAL DESK-BASED ASSESSMENT Quality Control Pre-Construct Archaeology Limited K2191 Name & Title Signature Date Text Prepared by: Sarah August 2010 Barrowman Graphics Mark Roughley August 2010 Prepared by: Graphics Josephine Brown August 2010 Checked by: Project Manager Chris Mayo August 2010 Sign-off: Revision No. Date Checked Approved 1 23.11.10 Client CM Pre-Construct Archaeology Ltd Unit 54 Brockley Cross Business Centre 96 Endwell Road London SE4 2PD Site of the City University, Goswell Road, London Borough of Islington, EC1V 7DY Archaeological Desk-Based Assessment ISSUE 2: ISSUED DOCUMENT Central National Grid Reference: TQ 3202 8239 Written and Researched by Sarah Barrowman Pre-Construct Archaeology Ltd, November 2010 Project Manager: Chris Mayo Commissioning Client: DP9, on Behalf of UKSA City University Sarl Contractor: Pre-Construct Archaeology Ltd Unit 40, Brockley Cross Business Centre 96 Endwell Road Brockley SE4 2PD Tel: 020 7732 3925 Fax: 020 7732 7896 Email: [email protected] Web: www.pre-construct.com © Pre-Construct Archaeology Ltd November 2010 The material contained herein is and remains the sole property of Pre-Construct Archaeology Ltd and is not for publication to third parties without prior consent. Whilst every effort has been made to provide detailed and accurate information, Pre- Construct Archaeology Ltd cannot be held responsible for errors or inaccuracies herein contained. Site of the City University, Goswell Road, London Borough of Islington, EC1V 7DY: Archaeological DBA ©Pre-Construct Archaeology Ltd, November 2010 ISSUE 2: ISSUED DOCUMENT CONTENTS 1 Non-Technical Summary .......................................................................................................... 4 2 Introduction ............................................................................................................................... 6 3 The Site and Proposed Scheme ............................................................................................ 10 4 Planning Background ............................................................................................................. 18 5 Geology and Topography ....................................................................................................... 22 6 Archaeological and Historical Background............................................................................. 23 6.1 Introduction .................................................................................................................. 23 6.2 Prehistoric .................................................................................................................... 23 6.3 Roman .......................................................................................................................... 23 6.4 Saxon ........................................................................................................................... 24 6.5 Medieval ....................................................................................................................... 24 6.6 Post-Medieval .............................................................................................................. 26 6.7 Environmental Evidence .............................................................................................. 29 6.8 Listed Buildings ............................................................................................................ 29 7 Archaeological Potential and Significance ............................................................................. 39 8 Impacts on Buried Archaeological Deposits .......................................................................... 41 9 Conclusions ............................................................................................................................ 43 10 Bibliography ............................................................................................................................ 45 11 Acknowledgements ................................................................................................................ 47 APPENDICES 12 Appendix: the Historic Environment Record .......................................................................... 48 2 Site of the City University, Goswell Road, London Borough of Islington, EC1V 7DY: Archaeological DBA ©Pre-Construct Archaeology Ltd, November 2010 ISSUE 2: ISSUED DOCUMENT ILLUSTRATIONS Figure 1: Site Location ............................................................................................................. 8 Figure 2: Detailed Site Location ............................................................................................... 9 Figure 3: Existing Basement .................................................................................................. 11 Figure 4: Proposed Development, Basement ........................................................................ 12 Figure 5: Existing Lower Ground Floor .................................................................................. 13 Figure 6: Proposed Development, Lower Ground Floor ........................................................ 14 Figure 7: Existing Ground Floor ............................................................................................. 15 Figure 8: Proposed Development, Ground Floor ................................................................... 16 Figure 9: West to East Section through Proposed Development .......................................... 17 Figure 10: HER Locations ...................................................................................................... 30 Figure 11: Northwest of the City from London, Newcourt, 1658 ............................................ 31 Figure 12: A New Plan of the City of London, Westminster & Southwark, Strype, 1720 ....... 32 Figure 13: Rocque 1741-1745 ............................................................................................... 33 Figure 14: Ordnance Survey Map, 1871 ................................................................................ 34 Figure 15: Ordnance Survey Map, 1894-1896 ....................................................................... 35 Figure 16: Ordnance Survey Map, 1914-1916 ....................................................................... 36 Figure 17: Ordnance Survey Map, 1952 ................................................................................ 37 Figure 18: Ordnance Survey Map, 2005 ................................................................................ 38 PLATES Plate 1: View southeast on Goswell Road, showing Saddlers’ Sports Centre ...................... 63 Plate 2: Northern view from central Bastwick Street, showing the ramp down to a basement level ................................................................................................................................... 63 Plate 3: Southern view from eastern Peartree Street, showing existing ground reduction. ... 64 Plate 4: Southern view from Peartree Street, showing existing courtyard. ............................ 64 Plate 5: View of the site looking northeast from Bastwick Street. .......................................... 65 Plate 6: View of the site looking southwest from Peartree Street .......................................... 65 3 Site of the City University, Goswell Road, London Borough of Islington, EC1V 7DY: Archaeological DBA ©Pre-Construct Archaeology Ltd, November 2010 ISSUE 2: ISSUED DOCUMENT 1 NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY 1.1 Pre-Construct Archaeology Limited was commissioned by DP9, on behalf of UKSA City University Sarl, to undertake an archaeological desk-based assessment in advance of the proposed redevelopment of the site of the City University, Goswell Road, London Borough of Islington, EC1V 7DY. The application site does not lie within an Archaeological Priority Zone as defined by Islington Council’s Unitary Development Plan (2002). 1.2 This assessment has established that upon the study site there is a high potential for post- medieval evidence, a moderate potential for medieval remains, and a low potential for remains from all other periods at the site. 1.3 There is only a single incidence of evidence contained in the HER search of the study area which pre-dates the medieval period, with records of Roman road surfaces and associated coins having been encountered in the 19th century. This lack of evidence is a likely reflection of the site’s position away from main areas of settlement activity, and in what was likely agricultural land from at least the Roman period onwards. 1.4 The medieval period sees the site as still likely to be situated within agricultural lands, however there is now a notable amount of other activity and evidence recorded within the study area, with ecclesiastical sites known, as are cemeteries, and signs of quarrying activity. 1.5 The site is likely to have remained as open agricultural land on the outskirts of London up until it was first developed between the mid 17th and early 18th century. Following this multiple phases of buildings and gardens followed, with the site being heavily developed by the second half of the 19th century. Further phases of development ensured, with numerous