T H A M E S V A L L E Y ARCHAEOLOGICAL S E R V I C E S 14–16 Milkingpen Lane, Old Basing, Basingstoke, Hampshire An Archaeological Watching Brief by Jennifer Lowe and Sean Wallis Site Code: MLB06/65 (SU 6675 5302) 14-16 Milkingpen Lane, Old Basing, Basingstoke, Hampshire An Archaeological Watching Brief For Dr Weaver & Partners by Jennifer Lowe and Sean Wallis Thames Valley Archaeological Services Ltd Site Code MLB 06/65 December 2006 Summary Site name: 14-16 Milkingpen Lane, Old Basing, Basingstoke, Hampshire Grid reference: SU6675 5302 Site activity: Watching Brief Date and duration of project: 19th July – 21st August 2006 Project manager: Steve Ford Site supervisor: Jennifer Lowe and Sean Wallis Site code: MLB06/65 Area of site: 2688 sq m Summary of results: The watching brief revealed a moderate quantity of archaeological features including ditches, gullies, several pits and a square structure. The majority of features encountered suggested activity on the site during the 13th century with later activity, mid 16th-17th century, in the form of a ditch. Three sherds of residual Romano-British pottery were also recovered during the course of the works. Monuments identified: Medieval pits, ditches, square structure. Post-medieval ditch. Location and reference of archive: The archive is presently held at Thames Valley Archaeological Services, Reading and will be deposited Hampshire Museum Service in due course. This report may be copied for bona fide research or planning purposes without the explicit permission of the copyright holder Report edited/checked by: Steve Ford 21.12.06 Steve Preston 21.12.06 i Thames Valley Archaeological Services Ltd, 47–49 De Beauvoir Road, Reading RG1 5NR Tel. (0118) 926 0552; Fax (0118) 926 0553; email [email protected]; website : www.tvas.co.uk 14-16 Milkingpen Lane, Old Basing, Basingstoke, Hampshire An Archaeological Watching Brief by Jennifer Lowe and Sean Wallis Report 06/65 Introduction This report documents the results of an archaeological watching brief carried out at 14–16 Milkingpen Lane, Old Basing, Basingstoke, Hampshire (SU 6675 5302) (Fig. 1). The work was commissioned by Mr Paul Rogers of CMS Bath Ltd, The Mews, 51–53 High Street, Corsham, Wiltshire, SN13 0EZ on behalf of Dr A Weaver and Partners, Odiham GP Surgery, Deer Park View, Odiham, Hampshire, RG29 1JY. Planning permission (BDB/58724) has been gained from Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council to demolish two existing bungalows on the site at Milkingpen Lane and erect a new doctor’s surgery and pharmacy as well as some residential properties. The consent is subject to a condition (28) which requires the implementation of a programme of archaeological work, in this case a watching brief, to be carried out on any ground disturbing works. This is in accordance with the Department of the Environment’s Planning Policy Guidance, Archaeology and Planning (PPG16 1990), and the Borough’s policies on archaeology. The field investigation was carried out to a specification approved by Mr Stephen Appleby, Senior Archaeologist for Hampshire County Council, archaeological adviser to Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council. The fieldwork was undertaken by Jennifer Lowe, Marianne Moen and Sean Wallis between 19th July and 21st August 2006 and the site code is MLB06/65. The archive is presently held at Thames Valley Archaeological Services, Reading and will be deposited with Hampshire Museum Service in due course. Location, topography and geology The site is situated within the historic core of Old Basing, which is located to the east of Basingstoke (Fig. 1). The site is a roughly rectangular plot of land with its northern boundary delineated by a railway line and Milkingpen Lane forming its eastern boundary (Fig. 2). Manor Lane marks its southern boundary and a residential property with associated garden is situated to the west. The site, prior to development, was occupied by two bungalows towards the centre of the site; gardens occupied the remainder of the plot. The centre of the site lies at height of approximately 81m above Ordnance Datum, however, there is a gradual slope upwards from 1 Manor Lane to the railway. The underlying geology is mapped as Reading Beds (BGS 1978); a yellow clay natural was observed on site. Archaeological background Prehistoric activity is recorded within close proximity of the site with numerous Mesolithic and Neolithic flint scatters in the area as well as Bronze Age and Iron Age burials. Several Bronze Age barrows are also recorded to the south-east of Old Basing. Roman activity is well recorded in the area with settlement sites excavated at Old Basing and Cowdery’s Down and Roman pottery scatters close to Milkingpen Lane. The Roman Road from Silchester (Calleva Atrebatum) to Chichester (Noviomagus Regensium) passes to the east of Milkingpen Lane, and a small section of the road was excavated during the laying of a pipeline (Moore 2002). Saxon activity is not as well represented in the area, although a Middle Saxon settlement has been excavated to the west of the site at Riverdene (Hall and Weaver 2003) and both Basingstoke and Old Basing have Saxon origins. Old Basing is recorded as Basengum in 871 AD meaning ‘(Settlement of) the family or followers of (a man called) Basa’ (Mills 1998). Basingstoke is recorded as Basingastoc in 990 and Basingestoches by 1086 meaning ‘a secondary settlement or outlying farmstead of the family or followers of a man called Basa’ (Mills 1998). By the time of Domesday Book (AD1086) Basing is recorded as Basinges and was held by a Hugh de Port. Before the conquest the settlement was assessed at 11 hides however post Conquest it was only accounted at 6½ hides. (Williams and Martin 2002). According to Domesday Book there was land for 10 ploughs, 7 slaves, 3 mills, 19 acres of meadow and woodland for 25 pigs; before the Conquest Old Basing was valued at £12 and by 1086 at £16 (Williams and Martin 2002). The archaeological potential of the site stems from its location within the historic core of Old Basing, with the parish church located roughly 150m to the south west of the site. Work carried out to the west of the site at 7 Manor Lane identified human remains indicating the presence of a possible graveyard close to the site (Coles 2004). The site of a Norman ringwork and bailey exists at Old Basing House further to the south-west, and a later fortified Tudor house is located inside the ringwork. This site was besieged during the Civil War with the Royalist civil war earthworks still present. A medieval Tithe Barn and post-medieval watermill also exist within close proximity to the site. 2 Objectives and methodology The purpose of the watching brief was to excavate and record any archaeological deposits affected by the groundworks. This would involve examination of all areas of intrusive groundworks, in particular any ground reduction, and the digging of foundation trenches and service runs. Two plots were to be excavated on the site (Fig. 3). Plot 1, in the north-west corner of the site was for a doctor’s surgery. This entire plot was to be reduced by over a metre therefore disturbing any archaeology, if present. The remainder of the site including Plot 2 in the south-east corner was also to be reduced but not by quite so much as Plot 1. In discussion with the county archaeologist it was decided that the site should be stripped to the archaeologically relevant layer and any archaeology exposed to be dealt with prior to construction, particularly in the case of Plot 1, where any archaeology would be completely destroyed by the proposed development. Approximately 0.10-0.20m of topsoil was removed across the site to reveal the archaeologically relevant level. All archaeology exposed within the foundation of plot 1 was planned and excavated. Across the remainder of the site archaeology was simply planned if it was not to be disturbed further or planned and recorded in section in the case of Plot 2. Where possible, finds were retrieved from all deposits and features. An electricity cable trench was excavated along the east edge of the site, in the south east corner. The trench was approximately 0.70m wide and 0.50m deep. No archaeology was observed in this trench. Results A total of 23 features were identified, including ditches, pits and a square structure (Figs 3 and 4). Pottery was retrieved from approximately half of the features and many, particularly in Plot 2, had a direct stratigraphic relationship with another. Apart from a single ditch (1001), all the features can be dated either closely to the early 13th century or only more generally to an undetermined date between the 11th and 14th century. Ceramic periods can be distinguished within this medieval phase, but essentially these amount to little more than ‘closely dated (CP2: early to middle 13th century)’ and ‘broadly dated’ (CP1 and CP3; and CP3’s pottery is all in a post- medieval feature). As the features all appear to involve the same kinds of activity in the same location, it is considered that they all form a single phase in the 13th century. 3 Phase 1: 13th century Pit 8 was identified during the initial strip of the site, on the southern margins of Plot 1 (Fig. 3). This feature was approximately 5m in length, 3m wide and 1.20m deep. It had six fills (58–63) with a total of 26 sherds of pottery collected from 60, 63 and 64. A single sherd of Roman pottery was recovered from fill 58. Ditch 1000, recorded crossing Plot 1 from north-east to south-west had two slots (1 and 4) excavated through its length.