GGAT 120: Early Extraction in Glamorgan and Gwent February 2013 A report for Cadw GGAT report no. 2013/003 by Richard Roberts BA (Hons) Project no. GGAT 120 The Glamorgan-Gwent Archaeological Trust Ltd Heathfield House Heathfield Swansea SA1 6EL GGAT 120: Early Extraction in Glamorgan and Gwent CONTENTS ........................................................................................... Page Number SUMMARY ................................................................................................................... 3 1. INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................... 4 2. PREVIOUS SCOPING .............................................................................................. 6 3. METHODOLOGY .................................................................................................... 7 4. SOURCES CONSULTED ....................................................................................... 11 5. RESULTS ................................................................................................................ 12 6. SITE VISITS ............................................................................................................ 18 7. GAZETTEER .......................................................................................................... 21 8. SELECTED FIGURES AND PLATES ................................................................... 41 9. RECOMMENDATIONS ......................................................................................... 51 10. CONCLUSIONS .................................................................................................... 52 11. BIBLIOGRAPHY .................................................................................................. 54 Appendix I Summary of Stage 1 Appraisal ................................................................. 56 Appendix II Other Data ............................................................................................... 61 Appendix III Polygon Data .......................................................................................... 63 Appendix IV Threats and Recommendations .............................................................. 64 Appendix V Industrial features at the Garth Ironstone Mine (PRN 01563m) ............. 68 Figures Figure 1: Distribution of all protected and unprotected extraction (24 sites: Medieval and early post-medieval not distinguished; labelled) ........................................... 14 Figure 2: Medieval and early post-medieval extraction (24 sites: showing Overall Significance) ........................................................................................................ 17 Figure 3: Site visits for the Medieval and early post-medieval extraction project (17 sites: showing location) ........................................................................................ 20 Figure 4: PRN 00321m Sutton Quarries (c. NGR SS86707505) ................................. 41 Figure 5: PRN 00753g Ironstone Mine, Minepit Wood, St. Arvans (NGR ST53029789) ........................................................................................................ 41 Figure 6: PRNs 01563m/01564m/02153m Garth Iron Mine/Devil’s Hole (NGR ST10608250) ........................................................................................................ 42 Figure 7: PRN 02422m Caerphilly Mountain Shaft Mounds (NGR ST15308510; SAM GM454) ...................................................................................................... 42 Figure 8: PRN 07147g (NPRN 40516) Workings, Woolpitch Wood (NGR SO4892004880) ................................................................................................... 43 Figure 9: PRN 07976g (NPRN 302570) Upper Race, Pontypool (NGR ST276986; SAM MM256) ..................................................................................................... 43 Plates Plate 1. PRN 00321m Sutton Quarries (Area A), view to the east .............................. 44 Plate 2. PRN 00321m Sutton Quarries (Area B), quarry face and waste, view to north .............................................................................................................................. 44 Plate 3. PRN 00321m Sutton Quarries (Area B), unrecorded hut platform, view to east .............................................................................................................................. 45 1 GGAT 120: Early Extraction in Glamorgan and Gwent Plate 4. PRN 00753g Ironstone Mine, Minepit Wood, St. Arvans, typical ironstone shaft, view to north .............................................................................................. 45 Plate 5. PRN 00753g Ironstone Mine, Minepit Wood, St. Arvans, overgrown trench working, view to north ......................................................................................... 46 Plate 6. PRN 01563m/01564m/02153m Garth Iron Mine/Devil’s Hole, possible collapsed bell pit, view to south ........................................................................... 46 Plate 7. PRN 01563m/01564m/02153m Garth Iron Mine/Devil’s Hole, quarry trench, view to northwest ................................................................................................. 47 Plate 8. PRN 02422m Caerphilly Mountain Shaft Mounds, area of pitting (SAM GM454), view to southsoutheast ......................................................................... 47 Plate 9. PRN 02422m Caerphilly Mountain Shaft Mounds, area of workings to east of SAM GM454, view to southeast .......................................................................... 48 Plate 10. PRN 07147g (NPRN 40516) Workings, Woolpitch Wood, tips northwest of the scheduled furnace site (SAM MM177), view to northeast ............................ 48 Plate 11. PRN 07147g (NPRN 40516) Workings, Woolpitch Wood, ironstone quarry faces within extended area north and northeast of the furnace (SAM MM177), view to north ........................................................................................................ 49 Plate 12. PRN 07976g (NPRN 302570) Upper Race, Pontypool, scour (SAM MM256), view to north ........................................................................................ 49 Plate 13. PRN 07976g (NPRN 302570) Upper Race, Pontypool, tips from quarry workings north of SAM Area (mid-ground), view to west .................................. 50 Plate 14. PRN 07976g (NPRN 302570) Upper Race, Pontypool, scour and quarry face (SAM MM256), view to southsoutheast .............................................................. 50 Tables Table 1. Medieval and early post-medieval extractive sites (24 sites, including 26 PRNs, and 2 NPRNs) assessed as part of the current study……………………… 12 Table 2. Results of assessment: Medieval and early post-medieval extraction (24 sites, including 26 PRNs)……………………………………………… ……… 15 Table 3. Medieval and early post-medieval extraction sites selected for field visits (17 sites)………………………………………………………………………………… 18 Table 4. Stage 1 Appraisal of Medieval and early post-medieval extraction: 45 sites, including 41 PRNs, 2 NPRNs and 6 additional sites (pre-fixed by EEGG)…… 56 Table 5. Summary of NMR sites (7 NPRNs) appraised (information courtesy of the RCAHMW)…………………………………………………………………………… 61 Table 6. Summary of information on early extractive sites from Williams (Cistercian sites)……………………………………………………………………………………… 62 Table 7. GGAT 120 Polygon information for extraction sites (24 sites)…………… 63 Table 8. GGAT 120 Site specific threats and recommendations……………………… 64 Table 9. Industrial extraction sites and related structures identified at Garth Iron Mine (PRN 01563m)…………………………………………………………………… 68 2 GGAT 120: Early Extraction in Glamorgan and Gwent SUMMARY Following on from a scoping project conducted in 2010 which reviewed the need to assess various classes of site dating to the Medieval and post-medieval periods, a project examining Medieval and early post-medieval extraction in Glamorgan and Gwent has been undertaken by the Glamorgan - Gwent Archaeological Trust with grant aid from Cadw. The project entailed a further desktop appraisal of some 43 extraction sites, with specific assessment of 24 sites identified as satisfying set criteria. This included appraisal of 6 extraction sites not previously recorded on the Historic Environment Record (HER) from publications. A rapid appraisal was also made of early extractive sites on the National Monuments Record (NMR). The current number of early extraction sites on the HER is not exhaustive and it should be noted that the remit of the current project was not to search for new sites. The assessment adopted a two staged approach: first identifying extraction sites already protected (i.e. scheduled) in order to establish a threshold and also identify geographical and typological gaps, and secondly applying established criteria to access the overall significance of the resource. The work confirmed that two of the selected 24 interests were protected. In terms of the resource assessed an expected bias was noted in the geographic spread, the resource excluded the large numbers of sites in the Heads of the Valleys area, where later extraction largely obscured the survival of early extractive features, with two exceptions, including the notable iron workings at Upper Race, Cwmbran. In terms of type, the sites assessed were predominantly bell pits, or ironstone related workings, with ironstone workings accounting