ARCHAEOLOGY AND AGGREGATES IN WORCESTERSHIRE: A RESOURCE ASSESSMENT AND RESEARCH AGENDA Robin Jackson and Hal Dalwood With contributions by Victoria Bryant, Annette Hancocks, Neil Holbrook, Derek Hurst, Richard Morton, David Mullin, Elizabeth Pearson and Gail Stoten 30 November 2007 © Historic Environment and Archaeology Service, Worcestershire County Council and Cotswold Archaeology Supported by English Heritage through the Aggregates Levy Sustainibility Fund Historic Environment and Archaeology Service, Worcestershire County Council, Woodbury, University College Worcester, PNUM 3966 Henwick Grove, WHEAS P2677 Worcester WR2 6AJ Report 1477 Contents Project summary ......................................................................................................................................1 Acknowledgements...................................................................................................................................2 Part 1: Introduction ................................................................................................................................3 1. Background.......................................................................................................................................3 2. Minerals planning frameworks.......................................................................................................4 2.1 The national legislative framework ................................................................................................4 2.2 Minerals planning guidance ...........................................................................................................4 2.3 The regional and local framework..................................................................................................7 2.4 Environmental constraints..............................................................................................................8 2.5 Relationship of the project to minerals planning............................................................................8 3. Aims and Objectives.........................................................................................................................9 3.1 Aims ...............................................................................................................................................9 3.2 Objectives.......................................................................................................................................9 4. Project methodology.......................................................................................................................11 4.1 Minerals resource mapping ..........................................................................................................11 4.2 Definition of the Project Study Area............................................................................................11 4.3 Permissions mapping....................................................................................................................12 4.4 Aerial photographic mapping.......................................................................................................13 4.5 HER data analysis (David Mullin) ...............................................................................................13 4.6 Limitations of HER data (Victoria Bryant and David Mullin).....................................................14 4.7 Data summaries ............................................................................................................................15 4.8 Mapping HER bias .......................................................................................................................17 5. Appraisal and review of development control methodologies and archaeological mitigation strategies..................................................................................................................................................19 5.1 Background ..................................................................................................................................19 5.2 Approaches to non-deeply buried sites.........................................................................................20 5.3 Deeply buried sites .......................................................................................................................22 5.4 The archive...................................................................................................................................25 Part 2: Mineral resource assessment ...................................................................................................26 6. Topography, geology and geomorphology ...................................................................................26 7. Mineral resources and aggregates in Worcestershire .................................................................26 7.1 Sand and gravel ............................................................................................................................27 7.2 The Cotswold limestone...............................................................................................................28 7.3 Igneous rocks................................................................................................................................28 8. Overview of former aggregate extraction and archaeology .......................................................29 8.1 Avon and Carrant Valleys ............................................................................................................29 8.2 South-east Worcestershire (Broadway and Cleeve Prior) ............................................................30 8.3 Severn south of Worcester ...........................................................................................................31 8.4 Worcester City..............................................................................................................................32 8.5 Severn north of Worcester (to Stourport).....................................................................................33 8.6 Teme Valley .................................................................................................................................34 8.7 Severn and Stour Valleys (north of Stourport and around Kidderminster)..................................34 8.8 North-east Worcestershire (Bromsgrove and Redditch) ..............................................................35 8.9 Malvern Hills and Abberley Hills AONBs...................................................................................35 9. Future mineral extraction..............................................................................................................43 9.1 Patterns of supply and demand.....................................................................................................43 9.2 The future of sand and gravel exploitation in Worcestershire......................................................43 9.3 The future of crushed rock exploitation in Worcestershire ..........................................................44 9.4 Implications for the archaeological resource................................................................................45 10. Archaeological and historical research frameworks for the aggregate-producing areas in Worcestershire........................................................................................................................................46 11. Palaeolithic (Robin Jackson) .....................................................................................................48 11.1 Background ..................................................................................................................................48 11.2 Palaeolithic Worcestershire..........................................................................................................51 11.3 Research directions.......................................................................................................................54 12. Mesolithic (Robin Jackson) .......................................................................................................56 12.1 Background ..................................................................................................................................56 12.2 Mesolithic Worcestershire............................................................................................................58 12.3 Environment (Elizabeth Pearson).................................................................................................60 12.4 Key sites/assemblages and discussion..........................................................................................62 12.5 Research directions.......................................................................................................................63 13. Neolithic and Earlier Bronze Age (Robin Jackson).................................................................67 13.1 Background ..................................................................................................................................67 13.2 Neolithic and Earlier Bronze Age Worcestershire .......................................................................71 13.3 Environment (Elizabeth Pearson).................................................................................................77 13.4 Summary discussion.....................................................................................................................79