Brislands Brislands Lane, Four Marks, Alton Hampshire Archaeological Evaluation for CS Partnership LLP CA Project: 770435 CA Report: 16514 September 2016 Brislands Brislands Lane, Four Marks, Alton Hampshire Archaeological Evaluation CA Project: 770435 CA Report: 16514 Document Control Grid Revision Date Author Checked by Status Reasons for Approved revision by A 19.09.2016 T. Brown DDR Draft Edits REG B 26.09.16 T. Brown DDR Final Draft watermark Neil Adam removed SA HCC This report is confidential to the client. Cotswold Archaeology accepts no responsibility or liability to any third party to whom this report, or any part of it, is made known. Any such party relies upon this report entirely at their own risk. No part of this report may be reproduced by any means without permission. © Cotswold Archaeology © Cotswold Archaeology Brislands, Brislands Lane, Four Marks, Hampshire: Archaeological Evaluation CONTENTS SUMMARY ..................................................................................................................... 2 1. INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................ 3 2. ARCHAEOLOGICAL BACKGROUND ................................................................ 4 3. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ................................................................................... 5 4. METHODOLOGY ............................................................................................... 5 5. RESULTS (FIGS 2-4) ......................................................................................... 6 6. DISCUSSION ..................................................................................................... 7 7. CA PROJECT TEAM .......................................................................................... 7 8. REFERENCES ................................................................................................... 7 APPENDIX A: CONTEXT DESCRIPTION ...................................................................... 8 APPENDIX B: OASIS REPORT FORM .......................................................................... 9 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Fig. 1 Site location plan (1:1250) Fig. 2 Trench location plan showing modern features (1:500) Fig. 3 Trench 1 looking east (2x1m scale) Fig. 4 Trench 2 looking south (2x1m scale) 1 © Cotswold Archaeology Brislands, Brislands Lane, Four Marks, Hampshire: Archaeological Evaluation SUMMARY Project Name: Brislands, Brislands Lane, Four Marks Location: Four Marks, Alton, Hampshire NGR: SU 6600 3383 Type: Evaluation Date: 16 September 2016 Planning Reference: 25699/003 Location of Archive: Hampshire Cultural Trust Accession number: A2016.96 CA Site Code: BBL16 An archaeological evaluation was undertaken by Cotswold Archaeology in September 2016 at Brislands, Brislands Lane, Four Marks, Hampshire. Two trenches were excavated within the footprint of a proposed new residential unit. Within both trenches the natural geology was revealed beneath 0.15m of topsoil and no archaeological features or artefacts were identified or present. A small number of modern service trenches were recorded within each evaluation trench. 2 © Cotswold Archaeology Brislands, Brislands Lane, Four Marks, Hampshire: Archaeological Evaluation 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1 In September 2016, Cotswold Archaeology (CA) carried out an archaeological evaluation for Robert Maitland at Brislands, Brislands Lane, Four Marks, Hampshire (centred on NGR: SU 6600 3383; Fig. 1). 1.2 Outline planning permission (ref. 25699/003) has been granted by the Local Planning Authority (LPA), East Hampshire District Council, for a replacement dwelling and renovation of an existing mushroom farm warehouse into a workshop/studio 1.3 Following consultation by EHDC with their archaeological planning advisor, Mr Neil Adam, Senior Archaeologist for Hampshire County Council, an archaeological condition was placed on the planning permission. Condition 13 states: ‘That no development shall take place until the applicant has secured the implementation of a programme of archaeological assessment in accordance with a Written Scheme of Investigation that has been submitted to and approved by the Planning Authority. The assessment should take the form of trial trenching within the footprint of the proposed new building.’ 1.5 The evaluation was carried out in accordance with Condition 13, and with a detailed Written Scheme of Investigation (WSI) produced by CA (2016) and approved by Neil Adam – the archaeological Advisor to EHDC. The fieldwork also followed Standard and guidance: Archaeological field evaluation (CIfA 2014). The site 1.6 The proposed development area is approximately 0.57ha, and comprises a sub- rectangular area of land with an existing dwelling, outbuilding and mushroom farm building on the site, bordered by Brislands Lane to the west, domestic housing to the north, and farmland to the east and south. The site lies at approximately 170m AOD, and is relatively level. 1.7 The underlying bedrock geology of the area is mapped as Newhaven Chalk Formation of the Upper Cretaceous age (100.5 – 66 million years ago), with Seaford Chalk Formation, also of the Upper Cretaceous age, located in the northernmost 3 © Cotswold Archaeology Brislands, Brislands Lane, Four Marks, Hampshire: Archaeological Evaluation corner of the site (BGS, 2016). Superficial deposits of clay with flints are recorded as overlaying the chalk, and this was encountered as mid brown silty clay with flint. 2. ARCHAEOLOGICAL BACKGROUND 2.1 Below is a brief description of the archaeological character of the site and its environs. A detailed description can be found within the Written Scheme of Investigation (CA, 2016). Prehistoric (500,000 BC – AD 43) 2.2 No prehistoric heritage assets have been identified within the site. However, a small number of Palaeolithic (500,000 – 10,000 BC) and Neolithic (4000 – 2400 BC) flint tools and Bronze Age (2400 – 700 BC) material has been recovered from the Alton area. A small Middle to Late Iron Age settlement (700 – 100 BC) has been recorded on the northern edge of Alton. Roman (AD 43 – AD 410) 2.3 Several Romano-British findspots have been recorded in the Alton area, including coins, pottery, a lamp, and a paved floor. Artefacts and evidence of a small settlement have been recovered from within the modern limits of Alton. 2.4 A number of Roman roads may meet at a Romano-British town located 1km to the north-east of Alton, near Neatham (believed to be Roman Vindomis). The projected line of the Roman road between London and Winchester crosses the north-eastern corner of the site and is included within the footprint of the proposed new driveway into the New Mushroom Farm Building. Anglo-Saxon (AD 410 – 1066) 2.5 Alton is believed to have Anglo-Saxon origins. A cemetery from this period was discovered, yielding approximately 50 burials and a similar number of cremations. The Alton Buckle was recovered from this cemetery. Medieval (1066 – 1539) 2.6 Records relate to the settlements, and royal manors, of Holybourne and Antsy, and earthworks relating to a former churchyard boundary. 4 © Cotswold Archaeology Brislands, Brislands Lane, Four Marks, Hampshire: Archaeological Evaluation 2.7 The presence of a market in Alton was first recorded in the Domesday Book in the 11th century, and a Charter of 1307 gave Alton the right to hold an annual fayre. Post-medieval (1540 – 1800) 2.8 During this period, Alton hosted a number of breweries and paper-making, tanning and cloth-making industries by the 18th century. 2.9 Historical maps show a number of disused chalk and gravel pits, particularly on the north side of the site. The same mapping survey has shown the site to be used as farmland since at least the early 19th century and contained buildings from the 1930s. 3. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES 3.1 The objectives of the evaluation are to provide information about the archaeological resource within the site, including its presence/absence, character, extent, date, integrity, state of preservation and quality, in accordance Standard and guidance: Archaeological field evaluation (CIfA 2014). This information will enable the Local Planning Authority - Hampshire County Council - to identify and assess the particular significance of any heritage asset, consider the impact of the proposed development upon it, and to avoid or minimise conflict between the heritage asset’s conservation and any aspect of the development proposal, in line with the National Planning Policy Framework (DCLG 2012). 4. METHODOLOGY 4.1 The fieldwork comprised the excavation of 2 trenches, measuring 10mx1.8m, in the locations shown on the attached plan (Fig. 2) within the footprint of the proposed new residential unit. Trenches were set out on OS National Grid (NGR) co-ordinates using Leica GPS and surveyed in accordance with CA Technical Manual 4 Survey Manual. 4.2 A proposed new trackway (Fig. 2) will be constructed on the existing ground surface and will not result in any below ground excavation. Following consultation with Neil Adam it was agreed that no evaluation trenches would be required within the footprint of the new trackway as a result of the proposed construction methodology. 5 © Cotswold Archaeology Brislands, Brislands Lane, Four Marks, Hampshire: Archaeological Evaluation 4.3 All trenches were excavated by mechanical excavator equipped with a toothless grading bucket. All machine excavation was undertaken under constant archaeological supervision to the top of the first significant archaeological