Wessex Archaeology Derwentcote Forge, Derwentcote, County Durham Archaeological Evaluation and Assessment of Results Ref: 74157 April 2012 DERWENTCOTE FORGE, DERWENTCOTE, COUNTY DURHAM Archaeological Evaluation and Assessment of Results Prepared for: Videotext Communications Ltd 11 St Andrews Crescent CARDIFF CF10 3DB By: Wessex Archaeology Portway House Old Sarum Park SALISBURY Wiltshire SP4 6EB SAM 28536 Report reference: 74157.02 April 2012 © Wessex Archaeology Limited 2012 all rights reserved Wessex Archaeology Limited is a Registered Charity No. 287786 Derwentcote, County Durham Archaeological Evaluation and Assessment of Results DISCLAIMER THE MATERIAL CONTAINED IN THIS REPORT WAS DESIGNED AS AN INTEGRAL PART OF A REPORT TO AN INDIVIDUAL CLIENT AND WAS PREPARED SOLELY FOR THE BENEFIT OF THAT CLIENT. THE MATERIAL CONTAINED IN THIS REPORT DOES NOT NECESSARILY STAND ON ITS OWN AND IS NOT INTENDED TO NOR SHOULD IT BE RELIED UPON BY ANY THIRD PARTY. 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NGR 41306 55653 VERSION STATUS* PREPARED APPROVED APPROVER’S DATE FILE BY BY SIGNATURE V.1 I CH LNM 14/09/11 DOCUMENT2 V.2 I CH/PA LNM 14/03/12 X/PROJECTS/74157/REPORT/DERWENCOTE_ED PHIL A * I= INTERNAL DRAFT E= EXTERNAL DRAFT F= FINAL WA Project No. 74157.02 ii Derwentcote, County Durham Archaeological Evaluation and Assessment of Results DERWENTCOTE FORGE, DERWENTCOTE COUNTY DURHAM Archaeological Evaluation and Assessment of Results Contents Summary...........................................................................................................vi Acknowledgements ..........................................................................................vii 1 INTRODUCTION............................................................................................... 1 1.1 Project Background................................................................................... 1 1.2 The Site, Location and Geology................................................................ 1 2 ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND HISTORICAL BACKGROUND.............................. 2 2.1 General..................................................................................................... 2 2.2 Historical Background ............................................................................... 2 2.3 Historical Summary................................................................................... 3 2.4 Archaeological Background ...................................................................... 3 3 AIMS AND OBJECTIVES................................................................................. 3 3.2 Research Aim 1: Iron finery forge investigation ......................................... 4 3.3 Research Aim 2: Crucible furnace context and operation.......................... 4 3.4 Research Aim 3: Workers’ cottages and gardens investigation ................. 4 4 METHODS ........................................................................................................ 4 4.1 Geophysical Survey .................................................................................. 4 4.2 Landscape and Earthwork Survey ............................................................ 5 4.3 Evaluation Trenches ................................................................................. 5 5 RESULTS ......................................................................................................... 5 5.1 Introduction............................................................................................... 5 5.2 Geophysical Survey .................................................................................. 5 5.3 Evaluation Trenches ................................................................................. 6 6 FINDS ............................................................................................................. 12 6.1 Introduction............................................................................................. 12 6.2 Metallic Finds.......................................................................................... 12 6.3 Ceramic Building Material ....................................................................... 14 6.4 Stone Building Material ........................................................................... 16 6.5 Pottery .................................................................................................... 16 6.6 Glass ...................................................................................................... 16 7 PALAEOENVIRONMENTAL EVIDENCE ....................................................... 17 7.1 Introduction............................................................................................. 17 7.2 Results.................................................................................................... 17 8 DISCUSSION.................................................................................................. 17 8.1 Research Aim 1: Iron finery forge............................................................ 17 8.2 Research Aim 2: The crucible furnace .................................................... 18 8.3 Research Aim 3: Workers’ cottages and gardens.................................... 18 9 SUMMARY OF POTENTIAL........................................................................... 18 9.2 Finds....................................................................................................... 18 9.3 Palaeoenvironmental .............................................................................. 20 10 PROPOSALS FOR FURTHER ANALYSIS AND PUBLICATION................... 20 10.2 Finds....................................................................................................... 20 WA Project No. 74157.02 iii Derwentcote, County Durham Archaeological Evaluation and Assessment of Results 10.3 Palaeoenvironmental .............................................................................. 21 11 ARCHIVE........................................................................................................ 21 12 REFERENCES................................................................................................ 23 12.1 Bibliography............................................................................................ 23 12.2 Cartographic ........................................................................................... 24 APPENDIX 1: ENGLISH HERITAGE SCHEDULING .............................................. 26 APPENDIX 2: CONTEXT LIST ................................................................................ 32 APPENDIX 3: METALLIC FINDS LIST.................................................................... 36 APPENDIX 4: NON-METALLIC FINDS LIST........................................................... 40 Tables Table 1: Brick dimensions Table 2: Assessment of charred plant remains and charcoal Figures Figure 1: Site location Figure 2: Site plan, showing trench locations Figure 3: Trench 1: plan Figure 4: Trench 1: photographs Plate 1: Trench 1 Area A, showing small forge north of crucible furnace (view from the south-west; scales = 2m) Plate 2: Trench 1, showing crucible furnace and demolition area over top (view from the east; scale = 2m) Figure 5: Trench 1: photographs Plate 3: Trench 1 Area B, showing crucible furnace bays within cellar (view from the south; scale = 2m) Plate 4: Trench 1 Area B, showing covered tailrace at south end of crucible furnace (view from the south; scales = 2m) Figure 6: Trench 2: elevations of 2008 Figure 7: Trench 2: photographs Plate 5: Trench 2, showing north-face of structure 2008, abutted by wall 2007 (right) (view from the north-east; scales = 2m) Plate 6: Trench 2, showing east-face of structure (view from the north- east; scales = 2m) Figure 8: Trenches 3 and 5: photographs Plate 7: Trench 3, showing fireplace, floor and demolition deposits within workers’ cottages (view from the east; scale = 2m) Plate 8: Trench 5, showing precarious nature of walls (view from the north-west; no scale) Figure 9: Trench 6: plan Figure 10: Trench 7: plan Figure 11: Trench 7: south-facing section Figure 12: Trenches 6 and 7: photographs Plate 9: Trench 6, showing wheel-pit wall 6009 with waterwheel fixing points 6003 (view from the north-east; no scale) Plate 10: Trench 7, showing wall 7012 (view from the south-west; scale = 2m) Figure 13: Phased plan of workers’ cottages WA Project No. 74157.02 iv Derwentcote, County Durham Archaeological Evaluation and Assessment of Results Figure 14: Workers’ cottages: photographs Plate 11: General view looking into workers’ cottages (view from the south) Plate 12: General view of the rear (north side) of