Beaconsfield Historic Town Assessment Final Report Beaconsfield Historic Town Assessment Report Final Report September 2008 Ruth Beckley Caput House, Old Beaconsfield Beaconsfield Historic Town Assessment Final Report Summary .................................................................................................................................................. 4 I DESCRIPTION................................................................................................................................... 6 1 Introduction ...................................................................................................................................... 6 1.1 Project Background and Purpose ............................................................................................ 6 1.2 Aims ......................................................................................................................................... 6 2 Setting ............................................................................................................................................... 7 2.1 Location, Topography & Geology ............................................................................................ 7 2.2 Wider Landscape ..................................................................................................................... 7 3 Brief History of Settlement.............................................................................................................. 8 4 Evidence.......................................................................................................................................... 18 4.1 Historic Maps.......................................................................................................................... 18 4.2 Documentary Evidence .......................................................................................................... 18 4.3 Built Heritage.......................................................................................................................... 18 4.4 Archaeological Evidence........................................................................................................ 22 4.5 Environmental Evidence ........................................................................................................ 22 5 Archaeological & Historical Development................................................................................... 23 5.1 Prehistoric period (c.10,000 BC – AD 43).............................................................................. 23 5.2 Roman synthesis and components (AD 43 – 410) ................................................................ 23 5.3 Saxon synthesis and components (AD 410 – 1066).............................................................. 24 5.4 Conclusion.............................................................................................................................. 24 5.5 Medieval synthesis and components (1066-1536) ................................................................ 24 5.6 Post medieval synthesis and components (1536-1800) ........................................................ 27 5.7 Modern synthesis and components Old Town (1800-Present).............................................. 31 5.8 Modern synthesis and components New Town (1900-Present)............................................ 32 6 Historic Urban Zones..................................................................................................................... 43 6.1 Introduction............................................................................................................................. 43 6.2 Historic Urban Zones ............................................................................................................. 43 6.3 Archaeological Assessment................................................................................................... 43 6.4 Historic Settlement ................................................................................................................. 45 6.5 Modern Settlement................................................................................................................. 46 II ASSESSMENT ............................................................................................................................. 49 7 Summary and Potential ................................................................................................................. 49 7.1 Conservation Areas (CA) ....................................................................................................... 49 7.2 Historic Character .................................................................................................................. 50 7.3 Scheduled Ancient Monuments ............................................................................................. 50 7.4 Archaeological notification areas ........................................................................................... 50 7.5 Archaeological Potential......................................................................................................... 51 7.6 Registered Parks and Gardens.............................................................................................. 51 8 Management Recommendations .................................................................................................. 51 8.1 Conservation Area Appraisals................................................................................................ 51 8.2 Registered Parks and Gardens.............................................................................................. 51 8.3 Archaeological Notification Areas .......................................................................................... 51 8.4 Scheduled Ancient Monuments ............................................................................................. 51 III RESEARCH AGENDA................................................................................................................. 52 9 Research Agenda ........................................................................................................................... 52 10 Bibliography................................................................................................................................53 10.1 Map Sources .......................................................................................................................... 53 10.2 Trade Directories.................................................................................................................... 53 10.3 Books ..................................................................................................................................... 53 10.4 Websites................................................................................................................................. 54 11 Addresses ................................................................................................................................... 54 12 Appendix 1: Chronology & Glossary of Terms ....................................................................... 55 12.1 Chronology (taken from Unlocking Buckinghamshire’s Past Website).................................. 55 12.2 Glossary of Terms.................................................................................................................. 55 13 Appendix 1: HER Records ......................................................................................................... 57 13.1 Monuments HER Report........................................................................................................ 57 13.2 Landscapes HER Reports...................................................................................................... 58 13.3 Find Spots .............................................................................................................................. 58 13.4 Listed Buildings ...................................................................................................................... 58 14 Appendix 4: Trade Listings and Population Data ................................................................... 62 15 Appendix 5: Historical Consultancy Report ............................................................................ 64 2 Beaconsfield Historic Town Assessment Final Report List of Illustrations Figure 1: Graph showing population changes in Beaconsfield (excluding 1941 & 1981)......................... 9 Figure 2: Beaconsfield location ............................................................................................................... 11 Figure 3: Geology of town (BGS) ............................................................................................................ 12 Figure 4: Diagram of Connections from Beaconsfield (representational only)........................................ 13 Figure 5: Town in the wider historic landscape using routes and Bucks HLC ........................................ 14 Figure 6: Dispersed settlement around Beaconsfield ............................................................................. 15 Figure 7: Town in the 1880s to 1920s ..................................................................................................... 16 Figure 8: Town in the post war to modern period...................................................................................