Defence Infrastructure Organisation Bulford Garrison Back Gate Archaeological Desk-Based Assessment April 2015 Ropemaker Court, 11-12 Lower Park Row, Bristol, BS1 5BN Tel: +44 (0)117 924 4144 Email: [email protected] www.wyg.com creative minds safe hands Document Control Project: Bulford Back Gate Client: Defence Infrastructure Organisation Job Number: A073210-27 File Origin: Bulford Back Gate DBA March2015.doc Document Checking: Prepared by: Martin Brown Signed: Principal Consultant Checked by: Kirsten Holland Signed: Principal Consultant Verified by: Steve Mustow Signed: Head of Environment Issue Date Status 1 May 2014 Draft 2 May2014 Draft2 3 May 2014 Draft4 4 June 2014 Draft 5 – final route 5 March 2015 Issue Draft - post geophysical surveys 6 April 2015 Issue www.wyg.com creative minds safe hands Contents Page 1.0 Introduction ............................................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Aims and Objectives ................................................................................................................... 1 2.0 Site and Development Description................................................................................................. 2 3.0 Methodology .............................................................................................................................. 3 3.1 Assessment Methodology ............................................................................................................ 3 3.2 Sources Consulted...................................................................................................................... 3 3.3 Consultation .............................................................................................................................. 4 4.0 Legislation and Planning Policy Context ......................................................................................... 4 4.1 Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act, 1979 ................................................................. 4 4.2 Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act, 1990 ......................................................... 4 4.3 National Planning Policy Framework, 2012 .................................................................................... 5 4.4 The Wiltshire Core Strategy ......................................................................................................... 6 5.0 Baseline Data ............................................................................................................................. 7 5.1 Designated Sites ........................................................................................................................ 7 5.2 Archaeological and Historic Background ........................................................................................ 7 6.0 Historic Mapping Survey ............................................................................................................ 14 7.0 Site Walkover Surveys ............................................................................................................... 15 8.0 Geotechnical/Site Investigation works ......................................................................................... 16 www.wyg.com creative minds safe hands 9.0 Geophysical Survey ................................................................................................................... 16 10.0 Historic Landscape Characterisation ............................................................................................ 17 11.0 Assessment of Archaeological Potential........................................................................................ 18 12.0 Proposed Mitigation Measures .................................................................................................... 19 13.0 Conclusions .............................................................................................................................. 20 References ......................................................................................................................................... 21 Appendix Contents Appendix A – Site Location Plan & Proposed Development Plans Appendix B – Site Photographs Appendix C – Assessment Methodology Appendix D – Planning Policies Appendix E – Recorded Heritage Sites Appendix F – Historic Mapping Appendix G – Site Investigation Logs and Plan Appendix H – Geophysical Survey Report Appendix I - Report Conditions www.wyg.com creative minds safe hands Bulford Back Gate Archaeological Desk-Based Assessment 1.0 Introduction This Archaeological Desk-Based Assessment has been prepared by Martin Brown, Principal Consultant, WYG on behalf of Defence Infrastructure Organisation as part of an options appraisal for the final proposed route, which will, in turn, inform an application for planning permission for the proposed vehicle washdown associated with a proposed link track from the back gate of the Bulford Garrison to existing tracks on the Salisbury Plain Military Training Area, Wiltshire. Although the washdown is the subject of a planning application, the track is being constructed as permitted development. The proposed development work also includes creation of a new gate to Ward Barracks and a crossing point across the Nine Mile River. 1.1 Aims and Objectives In accordance with the Institute for Archaeologists (IfA) standard definition of a desk-based assessment (Standard and Guidance for Desk-Based Assessment, 2012): Desk-based assessment will determine, as far as is reasonably possible from existing records, the nature, extent and significance of the historic environment within a specified area. Desk-based assessment will be undertaken using appropriate methods and practices which satisfy the stated aims of the project, and which comply with the Code of conduct, Code of approved practice for the regulation of contractual arrangements in field archaeology, and other relevant by-laws of the IfA. In a development context desk- based assessment will establish the impact of the proposed development on the significance of the historic environment (or will identify the need for further evaluation to do so), and will enable reasoned proposals and decisions to be made whether to mitigate, offset or accept without further intervention that impact. This study examines the cultural heritage potential of the proposed development site and the surrounding area. The aim of the study is to: Identify recorded cultural heritage sites within the site boundary; Identify the potential for previously unrecorded sites to be present within the site; Assess the potential significance of archaeological remains within the site boundary; Identify potential impacts to cultural heritage and mitigation strategies where appropriate; Assess potential impacts and mitigation strategies where appropriate; and 1 Defence Infrastructure Organisation A073210-27 April 2015 Bulford Back Gate Archaeological Desk-Based Assessment Make recommendations for further work where required. Cultural heritage within this context includes all buried and upstanding archaeological remains, built heritage sites, historic landscapes and any other features that contribute to the archaeological and historic interest of the area. This baseline assessment considers the cultural heritage potential within the site itself, the surrounding area and wider local and regional context. A survey radius of 1km has been included to place the site within its immediate context. This assessment does not attempt to plot and review every archaeological find and monument in the extended area; rather, it aims to examine the distribution of evidence, and to use this to predict the archaeological potential of the study area and the likely impact of the development proposals upon those remains. 2.0 Site and Development Description The proposed development site is located to the north of Ward Barracks, which forms part of the Bulford Garrison. The garrison is located immediately east of the town of Bulford, which has been in existence since medieval times. Bulford has long been associated with the British military and is now one of the main garrisons located around the Salisbury Plain Training Area; it is located to the east of Durrington village and approximately 2.5km west of the Durrington Walls henge monument, which forms the north-east corner of the Stonehenge World Heritage Site. The site is centred on SU 1777 4452; a site location plan has been included in Appendix A. Photographs of the site can be seen in Appendix B. Five possible routes were originally proposed and assessed and all, bar one, were rejected for a variety of reasons, including military training requirements, the nature of vehicles intended to use the track, including armour, and ecological concerns relating to designated habitats. The final route, which is that formally proposed here, includes a route that runs northeast from the camp, crossing the Nine Mile River, to cross the Bulford droveway, before straightening to a roughly south to north course across arable land. The track then adopts a northeast alignment across open grassland to Bulford plantation where it turns eastwards to run along the north side of the plantation before finally joining an existing stone track running north from the Old Carter Barracks site. A vehicle washdown facility is proposed on the north side of Bulford droveway and on the east side of the proposed track. A plan showing