Doncaster Local Plan: Archaeological Scoping Assessment Allocation Reference: 468 Area (Ha): 6.86 Allocation Type: Housing NGR (centre): SE 5062 9968 Site Name: Former Earth Centre Carpark, Denaby Main Settlement: Conisbrough Allocation Recommendations Archaeological significance of site Local Historic landscape significance Negligible Suitability of site for allocation Uncertain archaeological constraint Summary Within site Within buffer zone Scheduled Monument - - Listed Building - 1 SMR record/event 1 record 4 records Cropmark/Lidar evidence No Yes Cartographic features of interest Yes Yes Estimated sub-surface disturbance Partial n/a www.archeritage.co.uk Page 1 of 4 Doncaster Local Plan: Archaeological Scoping Assessment Allocation Reference: 468 Area (Ha): 6.86 Allocation Type: Housing NGR (centre): SE 5062 9968 Site Name: Former Earth Centre Carpark, Denaby Main Settlement: Conisbrough Site assessment Known assets/character: The SMR records one monument within the site, the site of the 19th-century Providence Glassworks, located at the western side of the site. Four findspots are located within the buffer zone, all surface finds of flint artefacts, mainly dating to the Mesolithic period and recovered from near Cadeby Cliff to the northeast of the site and the Ings to the northwest. No Scheduled Monuments or listed buildings are recorded within the site. One grade II listed milepost is located within the buffer zone. The Magnesian Limestone in South and West Yorkshire Aerial Photographic Mapping Project did not record any features within the site. Within the buffer, 20th-century air raid shelters and post-medieval terraced ground in the southern part of the buffer. Historic Environment Characterisation records the landscape character within the site as a mixture of Modern Regenerated Scrubland and Suburban Commercial Core. The regenerated scrubland is on the site of the former Providence Glass Works at the western end of the site, with an adjacent strip to the east formerly occupied by 19th-century housing. Further character zones within the buffer include Regenerated Scrubland on the site of Denaby Main Colliery, modern residential, commercial, educational and leisure development in Denaby, all dating from the 20th century, with the sites of reclaimed coal mining spoil heaps to the north at the Ings, and former Cadeby Main Colliery to the northeast at the Earth Centre. Historic Landfill data records an area of former infill to the immediate east of the site, at ‘River Don and Conisbrough Station’. The nature of the infill is not recorded. The site is currently a car parking area surfaced with hardcore, with a modern lightweight building at the eastern end. Cartographic/historic land use assessment: The 1851 map showed the site occupied by fields, many of which were narrow with sinuous boundaries characteristic of enclosure from medieval open field. The River Don ran on a different route to its current alignment, forming a wide meander with the land extending further north than it does at present. The central area of the site was labelled 'Wrangholme', with the bend of the river at the southeast end of the meander labelled 'The Devil's Elbow'. The course of a silted up former meander of the river was shown within a field in the eastern part of the wide meander, as an isolated crescent-shaped pond with adjacent osier bed. This was north of the current area of the site. The southern boundary was formed by a railway line. The 1892 map showed the Providence Glass Works at the western end of the site, with buildings labelled kilns, a series of other irregularly- shaped buildings, and an internal railway system linked to the main railway which formed the southern boundary of the site. Two rows of terraced housing were shown to the immediate west of the works. These buildings were accessed by Kilner’s Bridge over the railway and a road running along the south boundary of the site. The area to the west was shown as two fields, with many of the former boundaries having been removed. By 1906, the glass works had expanded further, and the bridge at the southeast end of the site was shown, crossing the river Don, with a road leading to it along the southern boundary of the site from Kilner's Bridge. The glassworks area was densely occupied by buildings by 1930, with the western row of housing having been demolished and replaced by factory buildings. Two semi-detached houses were shown at the southeast corner of the site (labelled Cadeby Villas in 1962). In 1956, the Providence Glass Works was still labelled, though all the kilns and buildings at the western side of the works had been demolished. Only a few structures were shown at the eastern side of the works site. In 1962, a colliery spoil tip covered the majority of the eastern side of the site. The former glass works buildings west of the spoil tip were labelled NCB Offices in 1975, with scrubland at the western tip of the site. By 1994, the entire site was shown as vacant land, with the road network still shown along the southern edge and road and footbridges over the Don at the eastern end. The route of the river had been straightened by this date, with a canalised section cut across the former meander. This forms the current boundary of the site. www.archeritage.co.uk Page 2 of 4 Doncaster Local Plan: Archaeological Scoping Assessment Within the buffer, the 1851 map showed the South Yorkshire, Doncaster and Goole Railway running along the southern boundary of the site, and irregularly shaped fields between the railway and the river as well as south of the railway. Areas labelled Near Under Hill Field and Sandy Rood Field were located to the south of the railway, probably the names of medieval open fields that had previously extended up to the river. Cadeby Cliff was located in the northeast part of the buffer, Mexborough Low Lock at the northwest end, and North Cliff to the south. The 1894 map showed development at Denaby Main village, with housing to the south of the railway and in the southwest part of the buffer. Limekilns were shown to the south of Kilner's Bridge and Cadeby Colliery was shown at the eastern edge of the buffer, north of the River Don. Railway sidings associated with Denaby Main colliery were in the western part of the buffer. Denaby Main village and Cadeby Main colliery had both expanded by 1904 and further by 1956. A railway line linking Cadeby Main colliery to the main line had been built across the Don to the immediate west of the site by 1904. The 1967 map showed the buffer area north of the Don and west of Cadeby Main as almost entirely covered with spoil heap; these were still present in 1980, though the Cadeby Main and Denaby Main colliery buildings and railway infrastructure had all been demolished, the sites shown as vacant land. Survival: The extent of sub-surface survival is currently uncertain as the site has been landscaped following the closure of Cadeby and Denaby Main collieries, including the re-routing of the River Don along the northern boundary of the site. A spoil heap formerly covered most of the site, and it is uncertain whether this was entirely removed or used to build up the current land surface. The extent of works buildings and kilns shown at the late 19th-century Providence Glassworks at the western end of the site suggests that there is a high potential for the survival of buried archaeological remains associated with these structures. Further investigations: Further archaeological investigation may be required if this site is brought forward for development. Significance: Remains associated with the glass works and workers’ housing could be considered to be of Local archaeological significance. Note: this site covers the same area as site 691. Aerial Photographs & Lidar Summary: The 2002 aerial photographs showed the central and eastern part of the site as a car park for the Earth Centre to the north of the new route of the River Don. Surfacing appeared to be mainly hardcore, and a modern lightweight building to the east may have been visitor facilities. To the west, the site was shown as rough grass. By 2008, the car park was no longer shown and the whole site appeared to have been either stripped of topsoil or covered with hardcore. No evidence for former buildings was visible. This remained unchanged by 2015, with the exception of some rough grass regeneration in places. Lidar coverage for the site is limited to the land immediately adjacent to the river, and does not shown any previously unrecorded features. Photograph references: Google Earth coverage 2002, 2003, 2008, 2009 & 2015. Lidar data file SK5099. RAF/CPE/UK/2011 5376 16-Apr-1947; MAL/67023 0024 31-Mar-1967. Statutory Designations Reference Name Designation/ Site? Buffer? ID Grade 1192827 Milepost in pavement to front of number 10 II Y www.archeritage.co.uk Page 3 of 4 Doncaster Local Plan: Archaeological Scoping Assessment SMR Record/event Reference Name Details Site? Buffer? ID 02393/01 Mesolithic Flint Mesolithic flint finds found on field surface above rock face Y Finds, Cadeby after ploughing. Interpreted as possible rock shelter. 02408/01 Flint Tool Finds, Flint tools; 2 scrapers and 3 utilised flakes Y Cadeby 02411/01 Flint Tool Finds, top Flint tools: 5 utilised flakes from ploughed field on top of Y of Cadeby Cliff Cadeby Cliff. 02425/01 Prehistoric Flints Mesolithic flints - numbers not stated. Found in field after Y and Romano-British ploughing 19.10.1979. Blades, scrapers, burins, arrowhead Pottery found at (leaf type)/ Also Romano-British grey ware sherds. 'High The Ings, Doncaster number of microliths'.