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FORMER BRITANNIA ZINC WORKS AVONMOUTH

BRISTOL

ARCHAEOLOGICAL WATCHING BRIEF

JUNE 2008

For

on behalf of

HALCROW GROUP LTD

ST MODWEN DEVELOPMENTS LTD

CA PROJECT: 2526 CA REPORT: 08107

FORMER BRITANNIA ZINC WORKS AVONMOUTH

BRISTOL

ARCHAEOLOGICAL WATCHING BRIEF

CA PROJECT: 2526 CA REPORT: 08107

prepared by Philippa Mitcheson, Kelly Saunders; Project Supervisors

date 20 June 2008

checked by Mark Collard, Head of Contracts

date 20 June 2008

approved by Mark Collard, Head of Contracts

signed

date 20 June 2008

issue 01

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 Building 11, Kemble Enterprise Park, Kemble, Cirencester, Gloucestershire, GL7 6BQ

Tel. 01285 771022 Fax. 01285 771033 E-mail: [email protected]

© Cotswold Archaeology

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Former Britannia Zinc Work, Avonmouth, Bristol: Archaeological Watching Brief

CONTENTS

SUMMARY........................................................................................................................2

1. INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................. 3

2. RESULTS (FIGS 2-4) .......................................................................................... 5

3. DISCUSSION....................................................................................................... 5

4. CA PROJECT TEAM ........................................................................................... 5

5. REFERENCES .................................................................................................... 6

APPENDIX A: CONTEXT DESCRIPTIONS ..................................................................... 7 APPENDIX B: OASIS REPORT FORM............................................................................ 8

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Fig. 1 Site location plan (1:25000)

Fig. 2 The site, showing location of observed groundworks (1:5000).

Fig. 3 The rhine during construction

Fig. 4 Close view of cross section through rhine showing deposits 100 and 200


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SUMMARY

Project Name: Former Britannia Zinc Works

Location: Avonmouth, Bristol

NGR: ST 5279 7905

Type: Watching Brief

Date: 14 January – 27 May 2008

Planning Reference: 07/03022/M

Location of Archive: Bristol Museum and Art Gallery

Site Code: BZL 08

An archaeological watching brief was undertaken by Cotswold Archaeology during the

excavation of a rhine, and other groundworks associated with the redevelopment of the

former Britannia Zinc Works, Avonmouth, Bristol.

No features or deposits of archaeological interest were observed during groundworks, and

no artefactual material pre-dating the modern period was recovered.


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1. INTRODUCTION

1.1 Between January and May 2008 Cotswold Archaeology (CA) carried out an

archaeological watching brief for for Halcrow Group Ltd on behalf of St Modwen

Developments at the site of the former Britannia Zinc Works, Avonmouth, Bristol

(centred on NGR: ST 5279 7905; Fig. 1). The watching brief was undertaken to fulfil

a condition attached to a planning consent for the construction of commercial units,

associated service trenches and a rhine (Planning ref: 07/03022/M). The objective of

the watching brief was to record all archaeological remains exposed during the

development.

1.2 The watching brief was carried out in accordance with a briefing prepared by

Halcrow Group Ltd, in agreement with by Mr Bob Jones (Bristol City Council

Archaeologist), the archaeological advisor to the Local Planning Authority (LPA).

The fieldwork also followed the Standard and Guidance for an Archaeological

Watching Brief issued by the Institute of Field Archaeologists (2001), and the

Management of Archaeological Projects (English Heritage 1991).

The site

1.3 The site lies to the eastern edge of the St. Modwen development site, and consists

of a strip of land approximately 1.3ha in area. To the north and east the site is

bounded by pasture and King’s Weston Lane and to the west by the redevelopment

of the Britannia Zinc Works (Fig. 2). The site lies at approximately 6m AOD.

1.4 At the time of the works the site was covered in modern levelling deposits, with any

infrastructure associated with the Zinc Works removed prior to the start of this

project.

1.5 The underlying solid geology of the area is mapped as Mercia Mudstone, overlain by

drift alluvium of the Pleistocene and recent era (BGS 1974). The drift geology was

encountered in the deepest areas of the groundworks.

Archaeological background


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1.6 An archaeological Desk-Based Assessment (DBA) has previously been carried out

on the site by Halcrow Group Ltd (2005), and it is not the intention to repeat their

findings here.

1.7 In summary, evidence for occupation has been found within the vicinity of the study

area from the Mesolithic to the Roman periods as a series of buried land surfaces, on

average between 1-1.5m below present ground level (bpgl). To within 350m of the

North of the site lies the Scheduled Ancient Monument known as the Mere Bank, a

straight linear earthwork with flanking ditches which represents the Anglo-Saxon

reclamation of the Henbury salt marsh. The use of this reclaimed land is further

evidenced by ridge and furrow of the medieval and later periods observed in the

vicinity, finely ending in the Industrialisation of the area, and associated construction

of heavy industry, with the opening of Avonmouth Docks in the nineteenth century

(Halcrow 2005)

1.8 More recently an evaluation was undertaken by Cotswold Archaeology (CA 2008a)

within the eastern edge of the St. Modwen Development, to the north of this watching

brief. Industrial deposits were observed up to 1.5m to 2m bpgl. These covered a

mottled alluvial clay which was observed down to the base of the trenches between

2.4m to 3m bpgl. A watching brief during groundworks at the nearby Nisbets site also

identified a similar sequence of deposits (CA 2008b).

Methodology

1.9 An archaeologist was present during intrusive groundworks which included the

excavation of the rhine and service trenches. This was then altered, with the

agreement of Mr Jones (Bristol City Council Archaeologist) to the observation of the

deeper groundworks, due to the consistent level of modern make-up deposit

encountered across the site, specifically the rhine and the deeper sewage structures

(Fig. 2).

1.10 Throughout the project written, graphic and photographic records were compiled in

accordance with CA Technical Manual 1: Fieldwork Recording Manual (2007).

1.9 The archive is currently held by CA at their offices in Kemble. The site archive will be

deposited with Bristol City Museum and Art Gallery. A summary of information from


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this project, set out within Appendix B, will be entered onto the OASIS online

database of archaeological projects in Britain.

2. RESULTS (FIGS 2-4)

2.1 The drift geology of alluvial clay was encountered at between 1m and 1.3m bpgl

throughout the development area. This was overlain by modern levelling and

makeup deposits 1 and 100.

2.2 No features or deposits of archaeological interest were observed during

groundworks and, despite visual scanning of spoil, no artefactual material pre-dating

the modern period was recovered. Deposits were assessed for their palaeo-

environmental potential in accordance with CA Technical Manual 2: The Taking and

Processing of Environmental and Other samples from Archaeological Sites (2003),

but no deposits suitable for sampling were identified.

3. DISCUSSION

3.1 Despite the archaeological potential of the site, the watching brief identified no

archaeological remains within the area of observed groundworks. The absence of

archaeological deposits may indicate that they either do not extend as far as the

development, or that they were removed during the construction of the Britannia

Zinc Works, or lie within deeper layers of alluvium not exposed during the present

groundworks. These results also reflect those from the recent evaluation (CA

2008a), and the watching brief at the nearby former Nisbets site (CA 2008b).

4. CA PROJECT TEAM

Fieldwork was undertaken by Philippa Mitcheson and Kelly Saunders, who also

wrote this report. The illustrations were prepared by Lorna Gray. The archive has

been compiled by Kelly Saunders, and prepared for deposition by Kathryn Price.

The project was managed for CA by Mark Collard.


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5. REFERENCES

BGS (British Geological Survey) 1974 Geological Survey of England and Wales, Sheet 264

Bristol, Scale 1:50,000

CA (Cotswold Archaeology) 2008a Access 18, St Modwen’s Office Block, King’s Weston

Lane, Avonmouth, Bristol, Report No. 08038

CA (Cotswold Archaeology) 2008b Nisbets, Former Britannia Zinc Works, Avonmouth,

Bristol: Archaeological Watching Brief, Report No. 08116

Halcrow Group Ltd. 2005 BZL Avonmouth: Desk-based Assessment


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APPENDIX A: CONTEXT DESCRIPTIONS

Sewage shaft No. Type Description Length

(m) Width (m)

Depth (m)

Spot-date

1 Layer Modern roadstone surface 0.32 Modern 2 Layer Gravel 0.1 3 Layer Dark grey brown fine ash, silt and clinker 0.38 4 Layer Compact rubble and clinker 0.4 5 Layer Dark grey ash, silt and clay, occasional lenses of

mid blue alluvial clay 0.1

6 Deposit Mid grey blue alluvial clay, occasional white flecks, occasional roots

0.2

7 Deposit Mid grey brown alluvial clay 2.2 8 Deposit Mid blue brown alluvial clay 0.8 + Rhine No. Type Description Length

(m) Width (m)

Depth (m)

Spot-date

100 Layer Modern levelling layer; ash, metal, clinker etc 1 Modern 200 Deposit Blue grey to medium brown alluvial clay, red smears 2


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APPENDIX B: OASIS REPORT FORM

PROJECT DETAILS Project Name Former Britannia Zinc Works, Avonmouth, Bristol

Short description (250 words maximum)

An archaeological watching brief was undertaken by Cotswold Archaeology during groundworks associated with the excavation of a rhine, and other groundworks associated with the redevelopment of the former Britannia Zinc Works, Avonmouth, Bristol. No features or deposits of archaeological interest were observed during groundworks, and no artefactual material pre-dating the modern period was recovered.

Project dates 14 January – 27 May 2008 Project type (e.g. desk-based, field evaluation etc)

Desk Based Assessment by Halcrow Group Ltd (2005)

Previous work (reference to organisation or SMR numbers etc)

CA (Cotswold Archaeology) 2008 Access 18, St Modwen’s Office Block, King’s Weston Lane, Avonmouth, Bristol, Report No. 08038

Future work Unknown

PROJECT LOCATION Site Location Former Britannia Zinc Works, Avonmouth, Bristol Study area (M2/ha) c. 1.3ha Site co-ordinates (8 Fig Grid Reference) ST 5279 7905 PROJECT CREATORS Name of organisation Cotswold Archaeology Project Brief originator Halcrow Group Ltd Project Design (WSI) originator Halcrow Group Ltd Project Manager Mark Collard Project Supervisor Kelly Saunders, Philippa Mitcheson PROJECT ARCHIVES Intended final location of

archive (museum/Accession no.)

Content (e.g. pottery, animal bone etc)

Physical Paper Bristol Museum and Art

Gallery Pro forma recording sheets

Digital Bristol Museum and Art Gallery

Digital photos

BIBLIOGRAPHY

CA (Cotswold Archaeology) 2008 Former Britannia Zinc Works, Avonmouth, Bristol: Archaeological Watching Brief, Report No. 08107

Bristol

N

SCALEDRAWN BY PROJECT NO. FIGURE NO.

PROJECT TITLE

FIGURE TITLE

COTSWOLD ARCHAEOLOGY

0 2.5km

Site

Reproduced from the 1998 Ordnance Survey Explorer map with the permissionof Ordnance Survey on behalf of The Controller of Her Majesty's Stationery Office Crown copyright Cotswold Archaeological Trust 100002109 c

1:25,000@A4 2526JE 1

Phase 2 Infrastructure Works and East Rhine Extension, Avonmouth

Site location plan

sewagepipe shaft

STST

790

530 N


PROJECT TITLE

FIGURE TITLE

COTSWOLD ARCHAEOLOGY

0 500m

site

area of observed groundworks

Reproduced from the Ordnance Survey Digital mapping with the permissionof Ordnance Survey on behalf of The Controller of Her Majesty's Stationery Office Crown copyright Cotswold Archaeological Trust 100002109 c

1:5,000@A4 2526JE 2

The site, showing locationof observed groundworks



COTSWOLD ARCHAEOLOGYPROJECT TITLE

FIGURE TITLE

3 The rhine during construction

4 Close view of cross section through rhine, showing deposits 100 and 200

Photographs

4

3

n/a 3 & 42526JE


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