THE LONDON CHARTERHOUSE Charterhouse Square London EC1 London Borough of Islington Historic environment assessment September 2014 © Museum of London Archaeology 2014 Museum of London Archaeology Mortimer Wheeler House 46 Eagle Wharf Road, London N1 7ED tel 020 7410 2200 | fax 020 410 2201 www.museumoflondonarchaeology.org.uk general enquiries: [email protected] THE LONDON CHARTERHOUSE Charterhouse Square London EC1 An historic environment assessment NGR 531945181975 Sign-off history: Issue Date: Prepared by: Checked by Approved by: Reason for Issue: No. 1 16.12.2013 Pat Miller Jon Chandler Laura O’Gorman First issue (Archaeology) Lead Consultant Assistant Project Juan Fuldain Manager (Graphics) 2 15.01.2014 Coralie Acheson - Laura O’Gorman Updated following (Archaeology) client comment 3 12.09.2014 Laura O’Gorman - Laura O’Gorman Separating out planning policy chapter into separate document Finance code:P0072 Museum of London Archaeology Mortimer Wheeler House, 46 Eagle Wharf Road, London N1 7ED tel 0207 410 2200 fax 0207 410 2201 email:[email protected] Museum of London Archaeology is a company limited by guarantee registered in England and Wales with company registration number 07751831 and charity registration number 1143574. Registered office: Mortimer Wheeler House, 46 Eagle Wharf Road, London N1 7ED Historic environment assessment MOLA 2013 Contents Executive summary 1 1 Introduction 2 1.1 Origin and scope of the report 2 1.2 Designated heritage assets 2 1.3 Aims and objectives 3 2 Methodology and sources consulted 4 3 Site location, topography and geology 6 3.1 Site location 6 3.2 Topography 6 3.3 Geology 6 4 Archaeological and historical background 7 4.1 Overview of past investigations 7 4.2 Chronological summary 7 5 Statement of significance 13 5.1 Introduction 13 5.2 Factors affecting archaeological survival 13 5.3 Archaeological potential and significance 14 6 Impact of proposals 18 6.1 Proposals 18 6.2 Implications 18 7 Conclusion and recommendations 20 8 Gazetteer of known historic environment assets 22 9 Determining significance 27 10 Non-archaeological constraints 28 11 Glossary 29 12 Bibliography 31 12.1 Published and documentary sources 31 12.2 Other Sources 31 12.3 Cartographic sources 32 12.4 Available site survey information checklist 32 13 Appendix 1- watching brief results 33 13.1 COS13 - Charterhouse, London, EC1M 6AN 33 14 Appendix 2 – Listed Building entries 34 i P:\ISLI\1240\na\Assessments\HEA_19-09-2014.docx Historic environment assessment MOLA 2013 Figures Cover: View of Charterhouse Hospital, engraved by William Henry Tom’s c1739 Fig 1 Site location Fig 2 Historic environment features map Fig 3 Site in relation to plan of 1532 Charterhouse buildings and modern mapping Fig 4 Agas map of c 1562 Fig 5 Braun and Hogenberg's map of 1572 Fig 6 Faithorne and Newcourt's map of 1658 Fig 7 Ogilby and Morgan's map of 1676 Fig 8 Rocque's map of 1746 Fig 9 Horwood's map of 1799 Fig 10 Ordnance Survey 1st edition 5':mile map of 1873 Fig 11 Ordnance Survey 3rdedition 5':mile map of 1916 Fig 12 London County Council bomb damage map of the area (1939-45) Fig 13 Ordnance Survey map 1:10,000 scale of 1954 Fig 14 Ordnance Survey map 1:2500 scale map of 1983 Fig 15 Wall at south side of Chapel Court looking south (MOLA 02.12.2013) Fig 16 Chapel Court looking north-east (MOLA 14.08.2013) Fig 17 Grave slabs on interior Wesley Room facing west (MOLA 02.12.2013) Fig 18 Norfolk Cloister looking north (MOLA 02.12.2013) Fig 19 Area planned for cell layout from Norfolk Cloister looking west(MOLA 02.12.2013) Fig 20 Development proposals, Chapel Court and surrounds from Eric Parry Architects drawingEPA TCH 01_100_P10 dated September 210-3 Fig 21 Development proposals,Eric Parry Architects Norfolk Cloister areaEPA TCH 01_101_P2 dated September 2013 Fig 22 Location of ground and structural investigations recently undertaken on the site fromAlan Baxter drawing 1769/03/S101 Rev A dated July 13 Fig 23 TP1 showing topsoil and rubble, facing south(MOLA 14.08.2013) Note: site outlines may appear differently on some figures owing to distortions in historic maps. North is approximate on early maps. ii P:\ISLI\1240\na\Assessments\HEA_19-09-2014.docx Historic environment assessment MOLA 2013 Executive summary Sutton’s Hospital in Charterhouse has commissioned Museum of London Archaeology to carry out a historic environment assessment in advance of proposed development at The London Charterhouse, in the London Borough of Islington. The scheme comprises a new public entrance connecting Charterhouse Square to the Chapel Court and reconfiguration of the Chapel Court garden including hard and soft landscaping. The grave of Sir Walter De Manny within the garden would be enhanced and the foundations of the monastic chapel accentuated. Within the area for the Charterhouse Museum, partitions would be removed and new rooms created. An area would be landscaped in the Brother’s Garden to reveal the imprint of a monk’s cell in its walled enclosure. Landscape improvements to Charterhouse Square are also proposed. The site is located within the London Charterhouse, a Grade I listed (nationally significant) Carthusian monastery founded in AD 1371, and the earlier Black Death cemetery to the south. The site contains a number of listed buildings and lies within a local authority Conservation Area and archaeological priority zone. This desk-based study assesses the impact on buried heritage assets (archaeological remains). Although above ground heritage assets (historic structures) are not discussed in detail, they have been noted where they assist in the archaeological interpretation of the site. Buried heritage assets that may be affected by the proposals comprise: Buried later medieval remains associated with the Charterhouse, including buried remains of a mid-14th century chapel founded by Sir Walter De Manny within Chapel Court and the medieval monastic buildings. Such remains would potentially of high, possibly very high, heritage significance in light of its association with the designated Charterhouse buildings. There is also potential for remains of a 15th century chapel and hermitage within Charterhouse Square, of medium or high significance. Post-medieval remains associated with the post-Dissolution use of the Charterhouse as a large mansion house, of medium or high significance. Human remains associated with the known mid-14th century Black Death cemetery of ‘Spital Croft’ in the area of Charterhouse Square, of high significance. The potential for earlier archaeological remains is low. Whilst the area would have been attractive for prehistoric people there is little surviving evidence and it is likely that any remains formerly present have been removed by later development. The site was located outside of the main centres of settlement in the Roman and early medieval periods so there is a low potential for buried features of these dates. The impact of the proposals would depend on the nature and depth of proposed ground disturbance. Recent archaeological monitoring geotechnical works within Chapel Court revealed later post-medieval/Victorian made ground (dumping or backfill), of negligible heritage significance. It is likely that only shallow excavation would be required, in which case only low or negligibly significant remains may be affected. Despite the sensitivity of the site the proposed impacts will be localised and would mostly affect assets of low or negligible significance. For this reason an archaeological watching brief is recommended during any ground excavation, particularly for the services for the new proposed toilet facilities. Where historic fabric is affected this is likely to require archaeological standing building recording to an appropriate English Heritage survey level. 1 P:\ISLI\1240\na\Assessments\HEA_19-09-2014.docx Historic environment assessment MOLA 2013 1 Introduction 1.1 Origin and scope of the report 1.1.1 Sutton’s Hospital in Charterhouse has commissioned Museum of London Archaeology (MOLA) to carry out a historic environment assessment in advance of proposed development at The Charterhouse in the London Borough of Islington (National Grid Reference 531945 181975:Fig 1). The scheme comprises a new public entrance connecting Charterhouse Square to the Chapel Court garden and reconfiguration of the Chapel Court including hard and soft landscaping. The grave of Sir Walter De Manny will be enhanced and the foundations of the monastic chapel would be accentuated. Within the area for the Charterhouse Museum partitions would be removed and new rooms created. An area would be landscaped in the Brother’s Garden to reveal the imprint of a monk’s cell in its walled enclosure. A landscape scheme to improve the currently municipal quality of Charterhouse Square is also planned. 1.1.2 This desk-based study assesses the impact of the scheme on buried heritage assets (archaeological remains). It forms an initial stage of investigation of the area of proposed development (hereafter referred to as the ‘site’) and may be required in relation to the planning process in order that the local planning authority (LPA) can formulate an appropriate response in the light of the impact upon any known or possible heritage assets. These are parts of the historic environment which are considered to be significant because of their historic, evidential, aesthetic and/or communal interest. 1.1.3 This report deals solely with the archaeological implications of the development and does not cover possible built heritage issues, except where buried parts of historic fabric are likely to be affected. Above ground assets (ie, designated and undesignated historic structures and conservation areas) on the site or in the vicinity that are relevant to the archaeological interpretation of the site are discussed. Whilst the significance of above ground assets is not assessed in this archaeological report, direct physical impacts upon such arising from the development proposals are noted.