Worcestershire Archaeology THE HISTORIC ENVIRONMENT OF BROMSGROVE TOWN CENTRE, WORCESTERSHIRE: A BASELINE SURVEY www.worcestershire.gov.uk/waas THE HISTORIC ENVIRONMENT OF BROMSGROVE TOWN CENTRE, WORCESTERSHIRE: A BASELINE SURVEY © Worcestershire County Council Worcestershire Archaeology Worcestershire Archive and Archaeology Service The Hive Sawmill Walk The Butts Worcester WR1 3PB Status: Date: 4th February 2013 Authors: Tom Rogers, Shona Robson-Glyde and Hal Dalwood Contributors: Nick Daffern, Derek Hurst and Liz Pearson Illustrators Carolyn Hunt and Tom Rogers Project reference: P3743 Report reference: 1926 HER reference: WSM 47446 Bromsgrove Town Centre, Worcestershire Contents Report 1 Introduction ........................................................................................................ 4 1.1 Circumstances of the heritage appraisal ............................................................ 4 1.2 Scope of this report ........................................................................................... 4 1.3 Aims and objectives .......................................................................................... 4 1.4 Authorship and acknowledgements ................................................................... 4 1.5 Relationship with other relevant plans ............................................................... 4 2 Archaeological and historical sources ............................................................. 5 2.1 Historical Sources ............................................................................................. 5 2.2 Archaeological sources ..................................................................................... 5 2.3 Cartographic sources ........................................................................................ 5 3 Setting ................................................................................................................. 5 3.1 Topography, geology and soils .......................................................................... 5 3.2 Communications ............................................................................................... 6 3.2.1 Road ........................................................................................................... 6 3.2.2 Railway ....................................................................................................... 6 4 Historic environment: archaeology and buildings ........................................... 6 4.1 Early occupation evidence (pre-urban) .............................................................. 6 4.1.1 Prehistoric period ........................................................................................ 6 4.1.2 Romano-British period ................................................................................ 7 4.1.3 Early medieval to 12th century ..................................................................... 7 4.1.4 Implications for early medieval to 12th century archaeology ....................... 8 4.2 Medieval (1200-1500) ....................................................................................... 8 4.2.1 Medieval economic history .......................................................................... 8 4.2.2 Medieval urban morphology ...................................................................... 10 4.2.3 Medieval archaeological events ................................................................ 12 4.2.4 Implications for medieval archaeology ...................................................... 12 4.2.5 Medieval extant buildings .......................................................................... 12 4.3 Post-medieval (1500-1800) ............................................................................. 13 4.3.1 Post-medieval economic history ................................................................ 13 4.3.2 Post-medieval urban morphology .............................................................. 14 4.3.3 16th century extant buildings .................................................................... 16 4.3.4 17th century extant buildings .................................................................... 17 4.3.5 18th century extant buildings .................................................................... 18 4.3.6 Post-medieval demolished buildings ......................................................... 22 4.3.7 Post-medieval archaeological events ........................................................ 23 4.3.8 Implications for post-medieval archaeology............................................... 24 4.4 Nineteenth century .......................................................................................... 24 4.4.1 19th century economic history .................................................................... 24 4.4.2 19th century urban morphology .................................................................. 25 4.4.3 19th century extant buildings...................................................................... 26 4.4.4 19th century demolished buildings ............................................................. 35 4.4.5 19th century archaeological events ............................................................ 35 4.4.6 Implications for 19th century archaeology .................................................. 36 4.5 Twentieth century ............................................................................................ 36 4.5.1 20th century economic history .................................................................... 36 4.5.2 20th century urban morphology .................................................................. 36 4.5.3 20th century extant buildings...................................................................... 37 4.5.4 20th century demolished or disused buildings ............................................ 39 4.5.5 20th century implications of 20th century archaeology ................................ 39 5 Geoarchaeological evidence ........................................................................... 39 Page 2 Worcestershire Archaeology Worcestershire County Council 5.1 Topography, geology and soils ........................................................................ 39 5.1.1 Bedrock Geology ...................................................................................... 39 5.1.2 Superficial geology.................................................................................... 39 5.1.3 Soils .......................................................................................................... 40 5.2 Borehole data .................................................................................................. 40 5.2.1 Methodology ............................................................................................. 40 5.2.2 Results ...................................................................................................... 40 5.2.3 Limitations ................................................................................................ 41 6 Palaeo-environmental evidence ...................................................................... 41 6.1 Introduction ..................................................................................................... 41 6.2 Potential .......................................................................................................... 41 7 Artefactual evidence ........................................................................................ 42 8 Statement of historic urban character ............................................................ 44 8.1 Town summary ................................................................................................ 44 8.1.1 Historic environment overview .................................................................. 44 8.1.2 Historic environment designations ............................................................ 44 8.1.3 Historic building materials ......................................................................... 44 8.1.4 Archaeological potential ............................................................................ 45 8.1.5 Historic buildings potential ........................................................................ 46 9 Historic Urban Character Areas ...................................................................... 46 9.1 Defining Historic Urban Character Areas ......................................................... 46 9.2 Bromsgrove's Historic Urban Character Areas ................................................ 47 9.3 Summary of Historic Urban Character ............................................................. 51 10 Historic environment research framework .................................................. 52 10.1 Pre-urban activity ......................................................................................... 52 10.2 Medieval town .............................................................................................. 52 10.3 Post-medieval town ...................................................................................... 53 10.4 Nineteenth century and modern town ........................................................... 53 11 References ..................................................................................................... 53 Figures ..................................................................................................................... 58 Appendix 1 Bromsgrove