Buckinghamshire Historic Towns: Methodology Buckinghamshire Historic Towns Project Methodology 2008 Urban character and Urban Zones, Aylesbury Buckinghamshire Historic Towns: Methodology I DESCRIPTION................................................................................................................................4 1 Introduction ................................................................................................................................4 1.1 Project Background and Purpose ...................................................................................... 4 2 Documentary Evidence .............................................................................................................7 2.1 Preliminary Historical Background Research (see Bibliography) ...................................... 7 2.2 Historical Consultancy (See Appendix 3) .......................................................................... 8 3 Archaeological Evidence...........................................................................................................8 3.1 Archaeological Investigations ............................................................................................ 8 3.2 Environmental Evidence .................................................................................................... 9 3.3 Statutory & Non Statutory Protection............................................................................... 11 3.4 Historical topography ....................................................................................................... 12 4 Historic Urban Characterisation.............................................................................................13 4.1 Database: Historic Urban Character Database ............................................................... 13 4.2 Buildings Characterisation ............................................................................................... 41 5 Modelling & Thematic Studies................................................................................................64 5.1 Database: Extent of the Early Town ................................................................................ 64 5.2 Database: Manors & Monasteries.................................................................................... 64 5.3 Database: Boundaries & Plots......................................................................................... 65 5.4 Database: Markets & Fairs .............................................................................................. 65 5.5 Database: Historic Buildings............................................................................................ 65 5.6 Database: Routes ............................................................................................................ 66 5.7 Database: Distribution sites for pottery, tile and brick...................................................... 67 5.8 Reference Database: Production sites for pottery, tile and brick..................................... 67 II ASSESSMENT...............................................................................................................................69 6 Historic Urban Zones & Archaeological Potential................................................................69 6.1 Introduction ...................................................................................................................... 69 6.2 Historic Urban Zones ....................................................................................................... 69 6.3 Archaeological Assessment............................................................................................. 69 III RESEARCH AND CONSERVATION AGENDA...........................................................................71 IV STRATEGY...................................................................................................................................71 7 Bibliography .............................................................................................................................73 8 Appendix 2: Settlement form (Based on MPP Approach)....................................................78 8.1 Roman and Romano-British urban areas ........................................................................ 78 8.2 Saxon urban areas........................................................................................................... 78 8.3 Medieval urban areas ...................................................................................................... 79 8.4 Post Medieval urban areas .............................................................................................. 80 8.5 Modern urban areas (not part of MPP) ............................................................................ 80 9 Appendix 3: Brief for Historical Consultancy .......................................................................82 9.1 Introduction ...................................................................................................................... 82 9.2 Background......................................................................................................................82 9.3 Aims & Scope of Historical Research .............................................................................. 82 9.4 Suggested Methodology .................................................................................................. 82 9.5 Key Factors to consider ................................................................................................... 83 9.6 Conditions & Standards of work....................................................................................... 83 9.7 Timetable ......................................................................................................................... 83 10 Appendix 4: Principal Legislation ..........................................................................................84 10.1 Reference/HER Databases:............................................................................................. 86 10.2 Created/Amended Databases:......................................................................................... 86 List of Tables Table 1: Chronology (taken from Unlocking Buckinghamshire's Past Website)................................. 4 Table 2: Summary of towns selected (see Appendix 2 for more details)............................................ 7 Table 3: Example of archaeological work as it would appear in the report......................................... 9 Table 5: General preservation conditions - adapted from Evans & O’Connor, 1999........................ 10 Table 6: Attribute table for Historic Urban Characterisation Database ............................................. 13 Table 7: Broad Types ........................................................................................................................ 16 Table 8: Full list of Historic Urban Character Types.......................................................................... 17 2 Buckinghamshire Historic Towns: Methodology Table 9: GIS Attribute table for possible extent of the early town ..................................................... 64 Table 10: GIS Attribute table for Manors & Monasteries database................................................... 65 Table 11: GIS Attribute table for boundaries & plots......................................................................... 65 Table 12: GIS Attribute table for markets & fairs database............................................................... 65 Table 13: GIS Attribute table for Historic Buildings database ........................................................... 66 Table 14: GIS Attribute table for early routes database.................................................................... 67 Table 15: GIS Attribute table for Pottery, tile & brick distribution sites............................................. 67 Table 16: Fabrics list (based on combination of MK fabrics list & OXON list after Mellor) ............... 68 Table 17: Archaeological/Historical Documentation (based on MPP) .............................................. 70 Table 18: Key grading for general periods (based on MPP)............................................................. 70 Table 19: Archaeological potential .................................................................................................... 71 Table 20: Group Value ...................................................................................................................... 71 Table 21: Diversity............................................................................................................................. 71 Table 22: Flow diagram showing the ways in which the project databases feed into the historic urban zones....................................................................................................................................... 72 Table 23: Example ............................................................................................................................ 81 3 Buckinghamshire Historic Towns: Methodology I DESCRIPTION 1 Introduction 1.1 Project Background and Purpose The Buckinghamshire Historic Towns Project forms part of a national programme of projects funded by English Heritage (EH) based on the archaeology, topography and historic buildings of England’s historic towns and cities. The importance of