Archaeological Desk Based Assessment __________ Brockley Hill, Stanmore - New Banqueting Facility, Brockley Hill, London Borough of Harrow Brockley Hill DBA Update | 1 June 2020 | Project Ref 6129A Project Number: 06129A File Origin: P:\HC\Projects\Projects 6001-6500\6101 - 6200\06129 - Former Stanmore and Edgware Golf Club, Brockley Hill\AC\Reports\2020.08.25 - Brockley Hill DBAv3.docx Author with date Reviewer code, with date AJ, 25.02.2020 RD-0023, 25.02.2020 JM-0057,13.08.202019 JM, 25.08.2020 HGH Consulting, 15.08.2020 Brockley Hill DBA Update | 2 Contents Non-Technical Summary 1. Introduction ........................................................................................ 6 2. Methodology ...................................................................................... 13 3. Relevant Policy Framework ............................................................... 16 4. Archaeological Background ............................................................... 21 5. Proposed Development, Assessment of Significance and Potential Effects ............................................................................................... 37 6. Conclusions ....................................................................................... 41 7. Sources Consulted ............................................................................. 43 8. Figures .............................................................................................. 46 Appendices Appendix 1: Greater London Historic Environment Record Data Figures Fig. 1 Site Location Fig. 2 Modern Google Satellite Image Fig. 3 Geology of the Site Fig. 4 Topography of the Site including 1m Lidar data where available Fig. 5 Designated archaeological assets within the 1km radius study area Fig. 6 Non-designated archaeological assets (Prehistoric-Roman) within the 1km radius study area Fig. 7 Non-designated archaeological assets (Early Medieval to Modern) within the 1km radius study area Fig. 8 Archaeological investigations within the 1km radius study area Fig. 9 Location of archaeological evaluation trenches in relationship to the conjectured line of the Roman road (Watling Street). The rectangle denotes the watching brief area (Bowsher 1995) Fig. 10 1838. Little Stanmore Tithe Map Fig. 11 1896. Ordnance Survey 2nd Edition 25-inch scale Brockley Hill DBA Update | 3 Fig. 12 1962-4. Ordnance Survey 1:2500 scale Fig. 13 1991. Ordnance Survey 1;1250 scale Fig. 14 Development Proposals showing the full site Fig. 15 Detailed plan showing the main area of the proposed development and line of APA Brockley Hill DBA Update | 4 Non-Technical Summary This archaeological desk-based assessment has been prepared by Archaeology Collective, on behalf of Sairam (Holdings) Ltd. to inform proposals for the Brockley Hill, Stanmore - New Banqueting Facility. The proposals are to build a new banqueting facility on the site of the former clubhouse of the former Stanmore and Edgware Golf Centre, Brockley Hill, in the London Borough of Harrow. The proposals are for the demolition of existing golf club buildings (Use Class D2) and construction of a new banqueting facility (Use Class D2), widening of existing vehicular access from Brockley Hill, car and cycle parking, waste / recycling storage, landscape enhancements and associated works. This report has confirmed that the Site does not contain any designated archaeological assets such as world heritage sites, scheduled monuments, protected wrecks, registered battlefields or registered parks & gardens where there would be a presumption in favour of their physical preservation in situ and against development. The Site lies on the west side of the A5 Brockley Hill, which follows the line of a major Roman road, known as Watling Street. The course of a medieval road probably lies between the Roman and modern road lines. A corridor along the western side of the modern road, including the site access, lies within a London Borough of Harrow Archaeological Priority Area, defined to protect archaeological remains that might be affected by development. Based on the information within the Greater London Historic Environment Record, supplemented by historic mapping from the mid-18th century onwards, and documentary research, the Site has been shown to have a low to medium potential for encountering archaeological remains on undisturbed ground adjacent to and/or beneath the present clubhouse. There is a high probability that proposals to widen the entranceway onto the modern A5 will encounter traces of the Roman road itself, together with the westernmost of its flanking ditches, and possibly also Roman settlement traces or burials alongside it. The conclusions of this assessment are in accordance with both national and local planning policy. Brockley Hill DBA Update | 5 1. Introduction Background 1.1 This archaeological desk-based assessment has been prepared by Archaeology Collective on behalf of Sairam (Holdings) Ltd. Documentary and cartographic research was carried out by Dr. Anne Johnson BA (Hons) PhD FSA MCIfA. The report has been updated by James Meek MCIfA, Director Archaeology Collective in August 2020. 1.2 The subject of this assessment (hereafter known as the Site) stands on the west side of the A5 Brockley Hill, immediately east of Stanmore Country Park, and c.1.3km northeast of the centre of Stanmore, within the London Borough of Harrow The location is shown on Figures 1 & 2. 1.3 The proposed development involves the demolition of the existing golf club buildings (of the former Stanmore and Edgware Golf Centre) (Use Class D2) and construction of a new banqueting facility (Use Class D2), widening of existing vehicular access from Brockley Hill, car and cycle parking, waste / recycling storage, landscape enhancements and associated works. The major impacts of groundworks will be confined to the footprint of the former clubhouse (centred at NGR 517766,193358) and proposed widening of the existing vehicular access onto the A5 road (Brockley Hill). The majority of the former golf club area within the application boundary will not be developed. 1.4 The purpose of this assessment is to determine and assess the archaeological potential of the Site and to assess the significance of any relevant heritage assets identified. The report is informed by site inspection, historical information, and by data relating to archaeological assets. It seeks to provide sufficient information to allow an informed understanding of the potential impact of the proposed development on the significance of those assets, and to consider the need for solutions (design, engineering etc.) where necessary. This assessment will not address designated or non-designated built heritage assets such as listed buildings, locally listed buildings or conservation areas. 1.5 The report considers heritage assets of archaeological interest, including finds/findspots of artefactual and ecofactual material (e.g. stone tools, bone), and locations, features or objects referenced from historic documents. Where appropriate, it refers to archaeological and palaeo-environmental deposits, including sub-surface archaeological remains of features, buildings and structures. Brockley Hill DBA Update | 6 1.6 This assessment has been prepared in accordance with Standards and Guidance for Historic Environment Desk-Based Assessment1 published by the Chartered Institute for Archaeologists (CIfA). It takes into account the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) and other local planning policy and guidance where relevant. 1.7 This desk-based assessment comprises an examination of digital data held by the Historic England Greater London Historic Environment Record (GLHER) together with documentary research. It incorporates a map regression indicating the impact of change over time. 1.8 This data has been collected for an area comprising a 1km radius of the Site boundary, which is referred to as the ‘study area’. This radius has been selected on the basis of professional judgment as being sufficient to determine the archaeological potential of the Site, taking into account its location, topography, and character. Geology 1.9 The British Geological Survey identifies the underlying solid geology across the Site as London Clay Formation (clay & silt); no superficial deposits are recorded. Moving further north towards Wood Lane and the top of Brockley Hill, the clay, silt and sand bedrock of the Claygate Member is overlain by superficial deposits of Stanmore Gravel Formation (sand & gravel) (Figure 3). 1.10 The soils are recorded as slowly permeable seasonally wet slightly acid but base-rich loamy and clayey soils with moderate fertility,2 heavy soils which would not have been conducive to early agriculture and settlement, in contrast to the superficial deposits of sand and gravel further up Brockley Hill. 1.11 There is no site-specific geotechnical information currently available. Topography 1.12 The Site lies on the southern slope of Brockley Hill, which rises from c.70m AOD at Canon’s Corner, c.740m southeast of the clubhouse, to 140m AOD on the top of Brockley Hill, c.650m to the north-northeast of the clubhouse (Figure 4). There is a distinct break of slope immediately north of the former golf driving range building at the rear of the clubhouse, with the ground becoming significantly steeper. The land to the south of the clubhouse, partially occupied by car parking bays, was landscaped 1 CIfA. Standard and Guidance for Historic Environment Desk-based Assessment 2017 2 http://www.landis.org.uk/soilscapes/