6 BUTTINGTON TERRACE BEACHLEY TIDENHAM GLOUCESTERSHIRE ARCHAEOLOGICAL WATCHING BRIEF For MR R STONE CA PROJECT: 3169 CA REPORT: 10139 SEPTEMBER 2010 6 BUTTINGTON TERRACE BEACHLEY TIDENHAM GLOUCESTERSHIRE ARCHAEOLOGICAL WATCHING BRIEF CA PROJECT: 3169 CA REPORT: 10139 prepared by Rebecca Riley, Project Supervisor date 1 September 2010 checked by Laurent Coleman, Project Manager date 1 September 2010 approved by Simon Cox, Head of Fieldwork signed date 1 September 2010 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 6 Buttington Terrace, Beachley, Tidenham, Gloucestershire: Archaeological Watching Brief CONTENTS SUMMARY........................................................................................................................ 2 1. INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................. 3 2. RESULTS ............................................................................................................ 5 3. DISCUSSION....................................................................................................... 6 4. CA PROJECT TEAM ........................................................................................... 6 5. REFERENCES .................................................................................................... 6 APPENDIX A: CONTEXT DESCRIPTIONS ..................................................................... 7 APPENDIX B: THE FINDS ............................................................................................... 7 APPENDIX C: OASIS REPORT FORM............................................................................ 8 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Fig. 1 Site location plan (1:25,000) Fig. 2 The site, showing location of groundworks (1:200) Fig. 3 Section (1:20) 1 © Cotswold Archaeology 6 Buttington Terrace, Beachley, Tidenham, Gloucestershire: Archaeological Watching Brief SUMMARY Project Name: 6 Buttington Terrace, Beachley Location: Tidenham, Gloucestershire NGR: ST 5489 9297 Type: Watching Brief Date: 9-10 August 2010 Planning Reference: P0892/10/COU Location of Archive: To be deposited with Dean Heritage Museum, Cinderford Site Code: BTB 10 An archaeological watching brief was undertaken by Cotswold Archaeology during groundworks associated with the alteration and extension to the dwelling at 6 Buttington Terrace, Beachley, Tidenham, Gloucestershire. An area of Romano-British activity comprising a ditch and a tree throw pit was identified. 2 © Cotswold Archaeology 6 Buttington Terrace, Beachley, Tidenham, Gloucestershire: Archaeological Watching Brief 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1 In August 2010 Cotswold Archaeology (CA) carried out an archaeological watching brief for Mr R. Stone at 6 Buttington Terrace, Beachley, Tidenham, Gloucestershire (centred on NGR: ST 5489 9297; Fig. 1). The watching brief was undertaken to fulfil condition (no. 3) attached to a planning consent for the alteration and extension to the dwelling including conversion of garage to create additional living accommodation and provision of annexe accommodation for dependent relative and change of use of land to create additional residential curtilage (Planning ref: P0892/10/COU). The objective of the watching brief was to record all archaeological remains exposed during the development. 1.2 The watching brief was carried out in accordance with a Brief for Archaeological Recording (GCC 2008), prepared by Charles Parry, Senior Archaeological Officer, the archaeological advisor to Forest of Dean District Council (FODC) and with a subsequent detailed Written Scheme of Investigation (WSI) produced by CA (2010) and approved by FODC acting on the advice of Charles Parry. The fieldwork also followed the Standard and Guidance for Archaeological Watching Brief (IfA 2008), the Statement of Standards and Practices Appropriate for Archaeological Fieldwork in Gloucestershire (GCC 1995), the Management of Archaeological Projects (English Heritage 1991) and the Management of Research Projects in the Historic Environment (MoRPHE) (English Heritage 2006). The site 1.3 The site is approximately 346m² and comprises the rear and side gardens of the property, which is located at the north-western extent of six terraced houses (Fig 2). The site lies at approximately 28m AOD. 1.4 The underlying solid geology of the area is mapped as Red Marl of the Triassic era (BGS 1981). The natural substrate encountered on site was a mid orange silty clay. Archaeological background 1.5 Research indicates that the site is located in an area of high archaeological potential. The site lies immediately to the south of Scheduled Monument 34859, a section of Offa’s Dyke to the north-east of Buttington Farm. Offa’s Dyke is an early 3 © Cotswold Archaeology 6 Buttington Terrace, Beachley, Tidenham, Gloucestershire: Archaeological Watching Brief medieval ditch and bank, probably a fortification, on the approximate line of the border between England and Wales (SMR Ref 500). Approximately 130km of the Dyke survives, with the southern terminus lying 350m to the south-east of the site, at Sedbury Cliffs. The Scheduling Description for the section of the dyke to the north of Buttington Terrace records that the earthwork remains of the Dyke survive well, and are extant to approximately 3.5m above the surrounding landscape. Additional earthworks, including ditches and berms, are also recorded along this section of the dyke, although it is unclear if these lie in the vicinity of the site. 1.6 Further archaeological deposits in the area include a crouched burial of beaker type, which was identified during the construction of a sewer in Beachley (Barnett 1964). Later deposits, comprising evidence of 1st-century AD activity, have been recorded elsewhere in Beachley (GCC 2008). An archaeological evaluation undertaken by Monmouth Archaeology to the north-west of the site, recorded a single cut feature containing Romano-British pottery (SMR Ref 32524). An area of possible medieval ridge and furrow earthworks has been recorded by the National Mapping Project to the south of Buttington Terrace (SMR Ref 22503), as well as a possible area of water meadows to the north-east (SMR Ref 4058). Methodology 1.7 The fieldwork followed the methodology set out within the WSI (CA 2010). An archaeologist was present during intrusive groundworks comprising the excavation of the footprint of the proposed extension (Fig. 2). 1.8 Where archaeological deposits were encountered written, graphic and photographic records were compiled in accordance with CA Technical Manual 1: Fieldwork Recording Manual (2007). 1.9 The archive and artefacts from the evaluation are currently held by CA at their offices in Kemble. Subject to the agreement of the legal landowner the artefacts will be deposited with Dean Heritage Museum, Cinderford, along with the site archive. A summary of information from this project, set out within Appendix C, will be entered onto the OASIS online database of archaeological projects in Britain. 4 © Cotswold Archaeology 6 Buttington Terrace, Beachley, Tidenham, Gloucestershire: Archaeological Watching Brief 2. RESULTS (FIGS 2-3) 2.1 Natural substrate 103 consisting of a mid orange silt clay, was revealed at an average depth of 0.6m below present ground level (bpgl). This was overlain by a light yellow sandy silt subsoil averaging 0.16m in thickness, which was in turn sealed by 0.08m of greyish yellow sandy silt, followed by a dark grey sandy silt topsoil averaging a thickness of 0.35m. 2.2 Ditch 104/107 was identified in the north-western corner of the trench and was orientated east/west. The ditch had a narrow and U-shaped profile with a flat base and contained fill 105/108. This was re-cut by ditch 119/120 on the same alignment and which contained fill 106/109. Fill 106 contained 40 sherds of black-fired sand and grog-tempered pottery from the same vessel which dated to the late 1st to the 2nd-centuries AD. Although the feature terminated within the area covered by the groundworks, it appeared to continue beyond the limit of excavation to the west. 2.3 To the south-east of the ditch probable tree throw pit 110/113 was amorphous and shallow. Upper fill 112 contained fragments of a Severn Valley ware storage jar, grey ware and a single body sherd of black sandy fabric, broadly dating the deposit to the Roman period. The south-eastern extent of this feature was truncated by modern service 116. The Finds 2.4 Quantities of Roman pottery were recovered from two separate deposits 106 and 112 (Appendix B). 2.5 A total of 40 sherds, all from the same vessel and in a black-firing sand and grog- tempered fabric, were retrieved from deposit 106. The fabric suggests a date for this deposit in the late 1st to 2nd centuries AD. 2.6 Deposit 112 contained 11 sherds identifiable as from three different fabrics and comprising a Severn Valley ware storage jar, and bodysherds in a black sandy fabric and fine greyware. The assemblage from this deposit is broadly dateable to the Roman period (later 1st to 4th centuries AD). 5 © Cotswold Archaeology 6 Buttington