DIXTON ROAD CLINIC DIXTON ROAD MONMOUTH MONMOUTHSHIRE ARCHAEOLOGICAL EVALUATION For REDCLIFFE HOMES CA PROJECT: 2432 CA REPORT: 07137 OCTOBER 2007 DIXTON ROAD CLINIC DIXTON ROAD MONMOUTH MONMOUTHSHIRE ARCHAEOLOGICAL EVALUATION For REDCLIFFE HOMES CA PROJECT: 2432 CA REPORT: 07137 OCTOBER 2007 DIXTON ROAD CLINIC DIXTON ROAD MONMOUTH MONMOUTHSHIRE ARCHAEOLOGICAL EVALUATION CA PROJECT: 2432 CA REPORT: 07137 prepared by Jonathan Hart, Project Officer date 17 October 2007 checked by Clifford Bateman, Project Manager date 18 October 2007 approved by Simon Cox, Head of Fieldwork signed date 19 October 2007 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. © Cotswold Archaeology Building 11, Kemble Enterprise Park, Kemble, Cirencester, Gloucestershire, GL7 6BQ Tel. 01285 771022 Fax. 01285 771033 E-mail: [email protected] © Cotswold Archaeology Dixton Road Clinic, Dixton Road, Monmouth: Archaeological Evaluation CONTENTS SUMMARY........................................................................................................................ 2 1. INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................. 3 2. RESULTS (FIGS 2 - 5) ........................................................................................ 6 3. DISCUSSION....................................................................................................... 9 4. CA PROJECT TEAM ........................................................................................... 10 5. REFERENCES .................................................................................................... 10 APPENDIX A: CONTEXT DESCRIPTIONS ..................................................................... 11 APPENDIX B: THE FINDS BY TERESA GILMORE......................................................... 13 APPENDIX C: LEVELS OF PRINCIPAL DEPOSITS AND STRUCTURES ..................... 14 APPENDIX D: OASIS REPORT FORM............................................................................ 15 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Fig. 1 Site location plan (1:10,000) Fig. 2 Trench locations (1:500) Fig. 3 Trenches 1, 3 and 4 plans and sections (various scales) Fig. 4 Photograph: Trench 3 Middle; ditch 310, looking south Fig. 5 Photograph: Trench 4; wall 409 looking south 1 © Cotswold Archaeology Dixton Road Clinic, Dixton Road, Monmouth: Archaeological Evaluation SUMMARY Project Name: Dixton Road Clinic Location: Dixton Road, Monmouth, Monmouthshire NGR: SO 5103 1309 Type: Evaluation Date: 8-11 October 2007 Location of Archive: To be deposited with Nelson Museum and Local History Centre, Monmouth, Monmouthshire Site Code: DRC 07 An archaeological evaluation was undertaken by Cotswold Archaeology in October 2007 at the request of Redcliffe Homes at Dixton Road Clinic, Dixton Road, Monmouth, Monmouthshire. Four trenches were excavated within the southern part of the proposed development area close to the projected line of Monmouth’s medieval defences. A substantial ditch, likely to have been part of the medieval town defences, was identified. Only the upper fills of this ditch were exposed; these dated to the 16th to 19th centuries and might represent a period of municipal infilling prior to redevelopment. Medieval features dating to the 12th to 13th centuries, including a wall and a ditch, were identified outside the town ditch and might pre-date the creation of the town defences. The archaeological deposits were sealed by between 0.72m and 1.50m of modern make-up layers. 2 © Cotswold Archaeology Dixton Road Clinic, Dixton Road, Monmouth: Archaeological Evaluation 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1 In October 2007 Cotswold Archaeology (CA) carried out an archaeological evaluation for Redcliffe Homes at Dixton Road Clinic, Dixton Road, Monmouth, Monmouthshire (centred on NGR: SO 5103 1309; Fig. 1). The evaluation was undertaken to accompany a planning application for residential redevelopment of the site. 1.2 The evaluation was carried out in accordance with a brief for archaeological evaluation (GGAT 2007) prepared by Neil Maylan (Glamorgan-Gwent Archaeological Trust Curatorial), the archaeological advisor to the Local Planning Authority (Monmouthshire County Council), and with a subsequent detailed Written Scheme of Investigation (WSI) produced by CA (2007a) and approved by Mr Maylan. The fieldwork also followed the Standard and Guidance for Archaeological Field Evaluation issued by the Institute of Field Archaeologists (2001) and the Management of Archaeological Projects (English Heritage 1991). It was monitored by Mr Maylan. The site 1.3 The site occupies an urban location within central Monmouth. It is bounded by Dixton Road to the north, by Monmouth Comprehensive School to the east, by Jones Almshouses to the south and by Lancaster House to the west (Fig. 2). The site lies at approximately 23m AOD, with ground level falling away to the south. The site measures approximately 1650m2 in area and comprises the clinic and associated tarmac car park, with an open grassed area and soft landscaping to the south and west. 1.4 The underlying geology of the area is mapped as Second Terrace gravel deposits of the Pleistocene era overlying deposits of the St Maughan’s Group Lower Old Red Sandstone (BGS 1974). Red silty clay natural substrate was exposed during the evaluation. 3 © Cotswold Archaeology Dixton Road Clinic, Dixton Road, Monmouth: Archaeological Evaluation Archaeological background 1.5 Monmouth is located on a low hill at the confluence of the Rivers Monnow and Wye. Stray finds attest to prehistoric activity in the area although no settlement of this date has been identified. By contrast, Romano-British activity is well attested within Monmouth and includes a possible pre-Flavian fort c. 400m to the west of the current site as well as evidence for later civilian occupation (GGAT 2007). A substantial ditch identified during works along Monk Street, 60m to the west of the current site, may be evidence of a second fort approximately centred on Jones Almshouses and extending into the southern half of the proposed development area (CA 2007b). 1.6 Although documentary references do refer to settlement at Monmouth from the 5th century onwards the nature of this occupation is poorly understood (CA 2007b). A castle was erected in 1067 on the cliff overlooking the River Monnow c. 300m to the west of the site. Settlement developed around the castle and expanded along Monnow Street, probably as an unplanned ribbon development (GGAT 2007). After the town came into the possession of the Duchy of Lancaster a more formal town plan appears to have been imposed, with the burgage plots along Monnow Street being re-aligned from the mid 13th century (Ibid.). 1.7 During the medieval period the town was given a defensive circuit. The development history of this circuit is not clearly understood but it appears that a rampart and external ditch were constructed first, with a wall being added in the early 14th century (CA 2007b). The projected line of the town defences runs through the southwestern corner of the current site between the former North Gate on Monk Street, c. 60m to the northwest of the site, and the former East Gate, located close to the junctions of Burgage and Old Dixton Road c. 90m to the southeast (ibid.). A 12m wide, 2.5m high bank identified during archaeological excavation to the immediate west of the site is likely to represent the medieval rampart whilst the wall itself was identified during redevelopment of the Burgage to the southeast of the site (ibid.). The town wall was clearly shown on a 1610 plan of the town but was not depicted on an 1835 town plan, although its former course was noted, preserved in the alignment of a row of cottages and a pathway (ibid.). 4 © Cotswold Archaeology Dixton Road Clinic, Dixton Road, Monmouth: Archaeological Evaluation Archaeological objectives 1.8 The objectives of the evaluation were to establish the character, quality, date and extent of any archaeological remains or deposits surviving within the site. This information will assist Monmouthshire County Council in making an informed judgement on the significance of the archaeological resource, and the likely impact upon it of the proposed development. Methodology 1.9 The fieldwork comprised the excavation of four trenches in the locations shown on the attached plan (Fig. 2). The trenches were originally intended to be 20m in length but the exact locations and dimensions had to be adjusted to account for the presence of trees and modern services. Trench 1 was 12.2m in length, Trench 2 comprised two segments totalling 11.8m in length, Trench 3 comprised three segments totalling 18.6m in length and Trench 4 was 17.25m in length. All trenches were 1.6m wide and were located as close as possible to the projected line of the medieval town defences. 1.10 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 in accordance with CA Technical Manual 1: Fieldwork Recording Manual (2007).