Specification for a Scheme of Archaeological Works: The Deposition of Dredged Silt from the River Ashop onto Adjacent Land at Alport Bridge, Derbyshire. NGR: SK 1385 8942 Planning Authority: Peak District National Park Planning Ref.: NP/HPK/0412/0381 PCAS Job No.: 917 PCAS Site Code: DRAM12 Accession Code: DERSB 2012.14 Prepared for NMC Nomenca On behalf of Severn Trent Water October 2012 Pre-Construct Archaeological Services Ltd 47, Manor Road Saxilby Leicestershire LN1 2HX Tel. 01522 703800 Fax. 01522 703656 Pre-Construct Archaeological Services Ltd Non-technical summary ...........................................................................................................3 8.1 1.0 Introduction ...................................................................................................................4 2.0 Site location and description ..........................................................................................4 SYH 3.0 Geology and Topography ..............................................................................................4 ER 4.0 Planning background and heritage designations ...........................................................5 Entri 5.0 Archaeological and historical background .....................................................................6 es 6.0 Aims and objectives of the project .................................................................................7 within 7.0 Fieldwork methodology..................................................................................................8 a 1 7.1 Recording ........................................................................................................ 10 km 7.2 Human remains ............................................................................................... 10 radiu 7.3 Environmental Sampling .................................................................................. 11 s of 7.4 Treasure .......................................................................................................... 11 the 7.5 Health and Safety ............................................................................................ 11 study 8.0 Post-fieldwork methodology ........................................................................................ 12 site: 9.0 Reporting procedure .................................................................................................... 13 10.0 Publication and dissemination ..................................................................................... 13 11.0 Archive preparation and deposition ............................................................................. 13 12.0 Copyright ..................................................................................................................... 14 13.0 Timescale .................................................................................................................... 14 14.0 Monitoring arrangements ............................................................................................. 14 15.0 Contacts ...................................................................................................................... 15 16.0 Other factors ............................................................................................................... 15 17.0 Insurance .................................................................................................................... 15 18.0 References .................................................................................................................. 15 WSI: Deposition of Dredged Silt from River Ashop onto Adjacent Land, Alport Bridge, Derbyshire. 2 PCAS Ltd., 2012: 917 Specification for a Scheme of Archaeological Works: The Deposition of Dredged Silt from the River Ashop onto Adjacent Land at Alport Bridge, Derbyshire. Non-technical summary NMC Nomenca, acting on behalf of Severn Trent Water (STW), has been granted planning permission for the deposition of dredged silt from the River Ashop in Woodlands Valley, onto adjacent land at Alport Bridge, Derbyshire, centred on NGR SK 1385 8942. An archaeological desk-based assessment of a 1.5km section of the River Ashop, conducted in 2012 concluded that the site has a moderate potential for Roman, medieval and post-medieval remains: evidence was found for two roads with possible Roman origins that traverse the river corridor. A prehistoric or Roman quernstone found adjacent to the site suggests the potential for further buried remains on the site itself. The STW proposals for the site include the excavation of silt deposits from a short section of the river to the west of the Ashop Weir and their deposition on an adjacent area of riverbank. Further proposals include the reinforcement of eroding sections of the riverbank alongside the Ashop Aqueduct. The current planning permission (Ref.: NP/HPK/0412/0381) is subject to an Archaeological Condition for a scheme of archaeological monitoring and recording during the proposed works. Pre-Construct Archaeological Services Ltd., have been commissioned by NMC Nomenca to prepare this specification, which has been formally approved by the Peak District National Park Authority (PDNPA). WSI: Deposition of Dredged Silt from River Ashop onto Adjacent Land, Alport Bridge, Derbyshire. 3 PCAS Ltd., 2012: 917 1.0 Introduction 1.1 NMC Nomenca, acting on behalf of Severn Trent Water, has been granted planning permission by the Peak District National Park Authority (PDNPA), for the deposition of dredged silt from the River Ashop in Woodlands Valley, onto adjacent land at Alport Bridge, Derbyshire, centred on NGR SK 1385 8942 (Fig. 1). 1.2 An archaeological desk-based assessment of the site was conducted by PCAS Ltd in March 2012. The report concluded that the proposed silt deposition works would have archaeological implications. Based on the findings of the report, the Senior Conservation Officer for the PDNPA recommended an archaeological condition for a scheme of archaeological monitoring and recording during the proposed works. 1.3 Pre-Construct Archaeological Services Ltd., have been commissioned by NMC Nomenca to prepare this specification for a scheme of archaeological monitoring and recording during the silt deposition works. The document has been prepared in accordance with advice issued by the PDNPA Conservation Team and has been formally approved by them, prior to the start of groundworks in late August 2013. 2.0 Site location and description 2.1 The River Ashop and Woodlands Valley lie within the extensive civil parish of Hope Woodlands in the High Peak district of the Derbyshire Peak District. The small town of Edale lies c. 4 km to the south. The area referred to as ‘the site’, comprises the River Ashop diversion weir and a curved area of land on the southern riverbank to the west of the existing weir and diversion outlet, within the loop of the River Ashop (Fig. 2). To the north, the site is bounded by the river. To the east and west is the continuation of the river and river valley. To the south is the river’s flood plain below the slopes of Dean Hill. 3.0 Geology and Topography 3.1 Hope Woodlands lies within the geological region of the Dark Peak, an area of peat- covered, high hills dissected by deep, narrow valleys or 'cloughs'. The underlying solid geology of the Dark Peak is dominated by Upper Carboniferous shales and sandstones. To the west of Alport Bridge, in the area of the site, are the Kinderscoutian Mam Tor Beds otherwise known as the Mam Tor Sandstones. The Bowland Shale Formation comprising Mudstone, Siltstone and Sandstone is located further east, between the Alport / Ashop confluence and Rowlee Bridge. 3.2 The superficial drift deposits on the site are primarily Head, comprising Quaternary deposits of clay, silt, sand and gravel, with alluvial deposits are recorded in the valley bottom (http://mapapps2.bgs.ac.uk/geoindex/). 3.3 Topographically, the steep slopes of Hey Ridge lie above the site to the north; and the lower slopes of Dean Hill lie to the south. The area of the site is situated between c. 230m AOD and 250m AOD. WSI: Deposition of Dredged Silt from River Ashop onto Adjacent Land, Alport Bridge, Derbyshire. 4 PCAS Ltd., 2012: 917 4.0 Planning background and heritage designations 4.1 In March 2012, the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) replaced PPS5. The NPPF places the responsibility for dealing with heritage assets affected by development proposals with the developer. Local planning authorities now need to be assured by those applying for planning permission that any such remains are not under threat. As a result developers are required to produce a definitive method of mitigating the effect of development on the historic environment within the planning process. 4.2 Section 12, paragraph 141 of the NPPF states that, ‘Local planning authorities should make information about the significance of the historic environment gathered as part of plan-making or development management publicly accessible. They should also require developers to record and advance understanding of the significance of any heritage assets to be lost (wholly or in part) in a manner proportionate to their importance and the impact, and to make this evidence (and any archive generated) publicly accessible. However, the ability to record evidence of our past should not be a factor in deciding whether such loss should be permitted’. 4.3 The NPPF includes utilities under its Infrastructure heading. Paragraph 162 of the NPPF