ARCHAEOLOGICAL DESK-BASED ASSESSMENT Mill Lane, Taplow Berkeley Homes 12/03/2015 Quality Management Issue/revision Issue 1 Revision 1 Revision 2 Revision 3 Remarks Draft for issue Date Prepared by Signature Checked by Signature Authorised by Signature Project number 44170 Report number V1 File reference Project number: 44170 Dated: 12/03/2015 | Archaeological Desk-Based Assessment Mill Lane, Taplow 12/03/2015 Client Berkeley Homes (Three Valleys) Ltd Consultant WSP Environmental Ltd One Queens Drive Birmingham B5 4PJ UK Tel: +44 (0)121 352 4759 Fax: +44 (0)121 352 4701 www.wspgroup.co.uk Registered Address WSP Environmental Limited 01383511 WSP House, 70 Chancery Lane, London, WC2A 1AF www.wspgroup.co.uk WSP Contacts Tony Hanna [email protected] 3 Table of Contents 1 Introduction ............................................................................ 6 1.1 Overview ................................................................................ 6 1.2 Existing Site ........................................................................... 6 1.3 Topography and Geology ...................................................... 8 1.4 The Proposed Development .................................................. 8 1.5 Legislation and Planning Policy Context ................................ 9 2 Methodology ........................................................................ 10 2.1 Consultation ......................................................................... 10 2.2 Collection of Baseline Data .................................................. 10 2.3 Identification and Assessment of Effects ............................. 11 2.4 Limitations ........................................................................... 12 3 Archaeological and Historical Background .......................... 13 3.1 Introduction .......................................................................... 13 3.2 Prehistoric period (c.700,000 BC – AD 43) .......................... 14 3.3 Roman period (AD 43 – 410) ............................................... 14 3.4 Early Medieval (Anglo-Saxon) period (AD 410 – 1066 AD) . 15 3.5 Medieval period (1066 AD – 1539) ...................................... 15 3.6 Post-Medieval period (1539 AD – 1899) .............................. 15 3.7 Modern period (1900 AD – Present Day)............................. 15 3.8 Site Visit ............................................................................... 16 3.9 Historic Landscape Characterisation ................................... 17 3.10 Previous Archaeological Investigations ............................... 18 4 Archaeological Assessment ................................................. 20 4.1 Archaeological Potential and Importance ............................ 20 5 Previous Disturbance .......................................................... 22 6 Recommendations ............................................................... 22 7 Summary ............................................................................. 23 References ...................................................................................... 24 Documentary sources .................................................................. 24 Cartographic and Photographic Sources...................................... 24 Figures ............................................................................................ 25 Figure 1 Site Location Plan .......................................................... 26 Figure 2 Historic Environment Record Plan ................................. 27 Figure 3 Location of Heritage Assets ........................................... 28 Figure 4 HER Events.................................................................... 29 Figure 5 HER Fieldnames ............................................................ 30 Figure 6 Historic Landscape Characterisation……………………..31 Figure 7 National Monuments Record………………………………32 Figure 8 Proposed Development Plan………………………………33 Figure 9 Previous Disturbance……………………………………….33 Figure 10 First Ed. OS Map 1875……………………………………34 Project number: 44170 Dated: 12/03/2015 | Figure 11 Ordnance Survey Map 1899……………………………...35 Figure 12 Ordnance Survey Map 1900……………………………..36 Figure 13 Ordnance Survey Map 1913-14…………………………37 Figure 14 Ordnance Survey Map 1931……………………………..38 Figure 15 Ordnance Survey Map 1955……………………………..39 Figure 16 Ordnance Survey Map 1973……………………………..40 Figure 17 Ordnance Survey Map 2013……………………………..41 Figure 18 Plan of Taplow Mill Buildings 1868……………………...42 Appendices ...................................................................................... 43 Appendix A - Site Photographs .................................................... 44 Appendix B – Gazetteer ............................................................... 49 5 1 Introduction 1.1 Overview 1.1.1 On the instruction of Berkeley Homes (Three Valleys Ltd) an Archaeological Desk-Based Assessment (ADBA) has been prepared by WSP UK to accompany the planning Applications at Mill Lane, Taplow, Buckinghamshire. The national grid reference for the centre of the Site is SU490270182050. The Site location is shown in Figure 1. 1.1.2 These Applications form a redesign of the previous Masterplan development that was the subject of four separate planning Applications submitted in September 2014 (Ref: 14/01714/FUL, 14/01715/LBC, 14/01716/FUL, 14/01760/FUL) which sought a similar for of development across the same Site area. In December 2014 South Bucks District Council (SBDC) resolved to refuse those Applications for the entire Site. 1.1.3 This ADBA (2015 ADBA) has been updated to reflect the revised scheme proposals and consultation with Buckinghamshire County Council (BCC) Archaeology Services. The scope and principles of the previous 2014 ADBA, that were agreed and accepted, have been relied upon in the preparation of this ADBA. 1.1.4 Whilst this ADBA does not seek to provide an assessment of impacts that the Proposed Development may have on heritage assets, the purpose of this ADBA is to determine, as far as is reasonably possible from existing records, the nature, extent and significance of the historic environment within the Site in accordance with the guidelines set out in the Chartered Institute for Archaeologists ‘Standard and Guidance for historic environment desk based assessment’ (Ref. 1). 1.1.5 Therefore, the aims and objectives of this ADBA are as follows: ■ Provide an assessment of the potential for heritage assets to survive within the Site and wider 1km Study Area; ■ Identify and assess the significance of the known or predicted heritage assets considering their archaeological, historic, architectural and artistic interests and relevant Regional Archaeological Research Framework; and ■ Identify strategies for further evaluation whether or not intrusive, where the nature, extent or significance of the resource is not sufficiently well-defined. 1.2 Existing Site 1.2.1 The 20 hectare Site is designated as a Major Developed Site in the Green Belt, between the towns of Maidenhead and Taplow situated broadly between the River Thames to the west, the Jubilee Relief River to the east and directly north of the A4 Bath Road forming a triangular shape reaching a tip to the north by Ray Mill Island. It falls within the administrative boundary of SBDC with a small portion falling within the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead (RBWM). The location of the Site is shown in Figure 1. Site photographs illustrating the current conditions at the Site are provided in Appendix A. 1.2.2 The Site can be broadly split into four areas: ■ Taplow Mill - forms northern most part of the Site; ■ Riverside - forms the Western boundary of the Site; ■ Severnside - area located to the north of the footpath; and ■ The Southern Zone - between Mill Lane to the west and the Jubilee River and beyond to the east. 1.2.3 These four areas are discussed in more detail below and are illustrated on Figure 9. Project number: 44170 Dated: 12/03/2015 | Taplow Mill 1.2.4 This area of the Site is the most northerly. It captures the former St. Regis Paper Mill, Mill Island House and Glen Island House. This part of the Site narrows to form the tip of the Site, with the River Thames forming the western boundary and the Jubilee Relief River forming the eastern boundary. There are two inlets that run into the Site, to the north and south of Mill Island House. These inlets extend as far into the Site as the Mill Buildings and where probably once part of the 19th century mill complex. 1.2.5 The Taplow Mill area is largely formed of woodland which stretches north along the east bank of the Thames. There are clear views of this area from the publically accessible Ray Mill Island, which lies to the west. 1.2.6 The southern part of Taplow Mill consists of tree lined verges along the River Thames to the west. This part of the Site is highly visible from Ray Mead Road, which runs along the western bank of the Thames in a north-south direction. 1.2.7 Further to the south the western side is visible from Ray Mead Road, which runs along the western bank of the Thames in a north-south direction. Glimpses of Mill Island House and Glen Island House are also obtained from the riverbank, whilst numerous mature trees extend down to the riverside. There are limited views of the former Mill buildings from Ray Mead Road (although the main Mill Chimney is clearly visible). The eastern boundary of the Site is more protected from long and medium distance views given the amount of vegetation, and the topography