ARCHAEOLOGICAL DESK BASED ASSESSMENT PROPOSED NEW BOARDING HOUSE MARLBOROUGH COLLEGE MARLBOUGH WILTSHIRE Planning ● Heritage FEBRUARY 2016 Specialist & Independent Advisors to the Property Industry Planning Authority: WILTSHIRE COUNCIL Site centred at: NGR 481234, 168800 Author: Hannah Smalley BSc (Hons) MCIfA Approved by: WILL BEDFORD BA MIfA Report Status: FINAL Issue Date: FEBRUARY 2016 CgMs Ref: HS/20776 © CgMs Limited No part of this report is to be copied in any way without prior written consent. Every effort is made to provide detailed and accurate information, however, CgMs Limited cannot be held responsible for errors or inaccuracies within this report. © Ordnance Survey maps reproduced with the sanction of the controller of HM Stationery Office. Licence No: AL 100014723 Archaeological Desk Based Assessment Proposed New Boarding House, Marlborough College, Marlborough, Wiltshire CONTENTS Executive Summary 1.0 Introduction and Scope of Study 2.0 Planning Background and Development Plan Framework 3.0 Geology and Topography 4.0 Archaeological/Historical Background and Assessment of Significance 5.0 Site Conditions, the Proposed Development and Impact on Heritage Assets 6.0 Summary and Conclusions Sources Consulted LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS, PLATES AND APPENDICES Fig. 1 Site location Fig. 2 1773 Andrews and Dury Map of Wiltshire Fig. 3 1780 Sketch Map of Barton Farm Fig. 4 1843 Preshute Tithe Map Fig. 5 1886 Ordnance Survey Map Fig. 6 1900 Ordnance Survey Map Fig. 7 1943 Ordnance Survey Map Fig. 8 1977 Ordnance Survey Map Fig. 9 1986 Ordnance Survey Map Fig. 10 1991 Ordnance Survey Map Fig. 11 1994 Ordnance Survey Map Fig. 12 Proposed Development plan Plate 1 - In the north-west corner of the study site looking east along the public footpath Plate 2 - In the north-west corner of the study site, looking north-east across the northern half of the study site Plate 3 - At the western site boundary, looking east Plate 4 - Looking west towards the north-western extent of the study site Plate 5 - In the centre of the study site, looking north-west Appendix 1: Wiltshire HER and Historic England Archive record data © CgMs Limited 1 HS/20776 Archaeological Desk Based Assessment Proposed New Boarding House, Marlborough College, Marlborough, Wiltshire © CgMs Limited No part of this report is to be copied in any way without prior written consent. Every effort is made to provide detailed and accurate information, however CgMs Limited cannot be held responsible for errors or inaccuracies within this report. © Ordnance Survey maps reproduced with the sanction of the controller of HM Stationery Office © CgMs Limited 2 HS/20776 Archaeological Desk Based Assessment Proposed New Boarding House, Marlborough College, Marlborough, Wiltshire OS Licence No. 100014723 © CgMs Limited 3 HS/20776 Archaeological Desk Based Assessment Proposed New Boarding House, Marlborough College, Marlborough, Wiltshire Executive Summary This archaeological desk-based assessment considers the archaeological potential of the site of a proposed new boarding house at Marlborough College, Marlborough, Wiltshire. This report forms the desk-based assessment required by paragraph 128 of the NPPF to identify the presence of heritage assets and, where present, to assess any impact on their significance. This desk-based assessment has established that no designated archaeological heritage assets are present within the study site. An assessment on the setting and significance of designated heritage assets in the surrounding, and wider area are discussed in a separate report. No heritage assets are currently recorded within the study site. However, given the close proximity of the study site to the Medieval settlement of Marlborough and the farmstead Barton Farm, a moderate potential for archaeological activity of this period is identified. Although the study site is likely to have been principally utilised as an area of agricultural land during this period, low density occupation activity cannot be discounted. Although it is acknowledged that the local landscape was utilised throughout the Prehistoric period, there is no current evidence to suggest the presence of significant activity to be present within or in close proximity to the study site. A low potential for archaeological deposits for all other periods is identified. The construction of the proposed development may impact upon below ground archaeological deposits if they are present. However, such remains, are likely to have been subject to previous truncation as a result of former agricultural activity and discrete areas of modern ground impacts, such as the infilling or culverting of a former drainage channel, existing service routes and minor landscaping. Should archaeological remains be present within the proposed development area, based on current evidence, it is anticipated that they would not be of such significance as to preclude development. Given the archaeological potential of the study site, the local authority archaeological advisor has requested a programme of archaeological evaluation prior to the determination of a proposed development. The results of this investigation will help determine the presence or absence of archaeological deposits within the proposed development area and will inform the requirement and scope for further archaeological work, if necessary. Any further work could be secured by a suitably worded condition to planning consent. © CgMs Limited 4 HS/20776 Archaeological Desk Based Assessment Proposed New Boarding House, Marlborough College, Marlborough, Wiltshire 1.0 INTRODUCTION AND SCOPE OF STUDY 1.1 This archaeological desk-based assessment has been researched and prepared by CgMs Consulting, commissioned by Edgars Limited on behalf of Marlborough College. 1.2 The assessment considers the site of a proposed new boarding house at Marlborough College, Marlborough, Wiltshire (also referred to as the study site). The study site is approximately 0.7ha in area and is centred at National Grid Reference 481234, 16880 (Fig. 1). 1.3 In accordance with government guidance on archaeology and planning (Section 12 of the National Planning Policy Framework) and the Wiltshire Core Strategy (adopted January 2015), this assessment draws together the available archaeological, topographic and land-use information in order to clarify the archaeological potential of the study site. 1.4 It comprises, in accordance with the ‘Standard and Guidance for Archaeological Desk-Based Assessments’ (Chartered Institute for Archaeologists (CIfA) 2014), an examination of evidence in the Wiltshire Historic Environment Record (HER), the Historic England Archive (HEA) and the National Heritage List for England (NHLE), Wiltshire and Swindon History Centre, incorporates published and unpublished material and charts historic land-use through a map regression exercise. A site inspection was undertaken in October 2015. 1.5 As a result, the assessment enables relevant parties to assess the significance of any heritage assets within the study site, assess the potential for as yet to be discovered archaeological assets and enable potential impacts on assets to be identified, along with the need for design, civil engineering or archaeological solutions. © CgMs Limited 5 HS/20776 Archaeological Desk Based Assessment Proposed New Boarding House, Marlborough College, Marlborough, Wiltshire 2.0 PLANNING BACKGROUND AND DEVELOPMENT PLAN FRAMEWORK 2.1 In March 2012, the government published the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), which replaces national policy relating to heritage and archaeology (Planning Policy Statement 5: Planning for the Historic Environment). 2.1.1 Section 12 of the NPPF, entitled Conserving and enhancing the historic environment provides policy for planning authorities, property owners, developers and others on the conservation and investigation of heritage assets. Overall, the objectives of Section 12 of the NPPF can be summarised as seeking the: Delivery of sustainable development Understanding the wider social, cultural, economic and environmental benefits brought by the conservation of the historic environment Conservation of England's heritage assets in a manner appropriate to their significance, and Recognition that heritage contributes to our knowledge and understanding of the past. 2.1.2 Section 12 of the NPPF recognises that intelligently managed change may sometimes be necessary if heritage assets are to be maintained for the long term. Paragraph 128 states that planning decisions should be based on the significance of the heritage asset, and that level of detail supplied by an applicant should be proportionate to the importance of the asset and should be no more than sufficient to review the potential impact of the proposal upon the significance of that asset. 2.1.3 Heritage Assets are defined in Annex 2 of the NPPF as: a building, monument, site, place, area or landscape positively identified as having a degree of significance meriting consideration in planning decisions. They include designated heritage assets (as defined in the NPPF) and assets identified by the local planning authority during the process of decision-making or through the plan-making process. 2.1.4 Annex 2 also defines Archaeological Interest as a heritage asset which holds or potentially could hold, evidence of past human activity worthy of expert investigation at some point. Heritage assets with archaeological interest are the primary source of evidence about the substance and evolution of places, and of the people