wsp environmental l - cotswold archaeology€¦ · ca project: 2559 ca report: 08077 prepared by...

CARMEL COLLEGE CROWMARSH OXFORDSHIRE

ARCHAEOLOGICAL EVALUATION

For

WSP ENVIRONMENTAL LIMITED

on behalf of

COMER HOMES LIMITED

CA PROJECT: 2559 CA REPORT: 08077

APRIL 2008

CARMEL COLLEGE CROWMARSH OXFORDSHIRE

ARCHAEOLOGICAL EVALUATION

CA PROJECT: 2559 CA REPORT: 08077

prepared by Neil J. Adam, Senior Project Officer

date 15 April 2008

checked by Richard Young, Project Manager

date 28 April 2008

approved by Mark Collard, Head of Contracts

signed

date 30 April 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 Carmel College, Crowmarsh, Oxfordshire: Archaeological Evaluation

CONTENTS

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

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

2. RESULTS (FIGS 2-3) .......................................................................................... 5

3. DISCUSSION....................................................................................................... 6

4. CA PROJECT TEAM ........................................................................................... 6

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

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

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Fig. 1 Site location plan (1:25,000)

Fig. 2 Trench location plan (1:500)

Fig. 3 Sections AA and BB (1:50)

1


SUMMARY

Project Name: Carmel College

Location: Crowmarsh, Oxfordshire

NGR: SU 6078 8776

Type: Evaluation

Date: 14 April 2007

Location of Archive: To be deposited with Oxfordshire Museum Service

Site Code: CCO 08

An archaeological evaluation was undertaken by Cotswold Archaeology on 14 April 2008 at

the request of WSP Environmental Limited on behalf of Comer Homes Limited at Carmel

College, Crowmarsh, Oxfordshire. Two trenches were excavated.

The evaluation exposed a series of interleaving gravel and alluvial deposits sealing Thames

River Gravels. A layer of demolition rubble dating from the 19th century was also exposed.

2


1. INTRODUCTION

1.1 On 14 April 2008 Cotswold Archaeology (CA) carried out an archaeological

evaluation for WSP Environmental Limited on behalf of Comer Homes Limited at

Carmel College, Crowmarsh, Oxfordshire (centred on NGR: SU 6078 8776; Fig. 1).

The evaluation was undertaken prior to the submission of a planning application to

South Oxfordshire District Council (SODC) for the redevelopment of the site. The

programme of archaeological evaluation was recommended by Mr Richard Oram,

Planning Archaeologist, Oxfordshire County Archaeological Service (OCAS), the

archaeological advisor to SODC.

1.2 The evaluation was carried out in accordance with a brief for archaeological

evaluation (OCAS 2008) and with a subsequent detailed Written Scheme of

Investigation (WSI) produced by CA (2008) and approved by Mr Oram. The

fieldwork also followed the Standard and Guidance for Archaeological Field

Evaluation issued by the Institute of Field Archaeologists (2001) and the

Management of Archaeological Projects (English Heritage 1991). It was monitored

by Mr Oram, including a site visit on 14 April 2008.

The site

1.3 The site is 1350m² in size and consists of a gently sloping area of grass with some

scattered mature trees (Fig. 2). The site is bounded to the north and west by the

River Thames, to the south by the grounds of Carmel College and to the east and

south east by the college buildings themselves. The site lies at approximately 44 m

AOD, dropping away gently to the north-west.

1.4 The underlying solid geology of the area is mapped as Younger River Gravels; 1st

(Flood Plain) Terrace Deposits of the Quaternary era (BGS 1980). These river

gravels were exposed in a sondage at the north-east end of Trench 1 and in the

south-east end of Trench 2.

Archaeological background

1.5 The following information is reproduced from the Design Brief for the evaluation

(OCAS 2008). The archaeological potential of the site has been highlighted in a

3


Desk-Based Assessment carried out by Wessex Archaeology in 1997. This

concluded that the area had high archaeological potential. This was followed by a

small archaeological field evaluation which revealed a large amount of post-

medieval ground disturbance. This was thought likely to relate to landscaping during

the creation of a formal park. Two medieval ditches were recorded on the eastern

side of the site, close to the site of Mongewell Deserted Medieval Village, deserted

between 1350 and 1450 AD.

1.6 A field evaluation 100m to the north of the site recorded a Saxon Sunken Feature

Building (SFB) or Grubenhaus and artefacts of 5th-century AD date. Further

trenching revealed a small gully containing Saxon pottery and a second feature

containing Saxon pottery. Deposits containing Neolithic pottery, an antler comb and

worked flint, along with a pit and ditch probably of the same date, were also

encountered.

1.7 The area of the proposed development is located approximately 250m south of

Grim’s Ditch. This linear earthwork was first mentioned in a charter of Richard I, but

it fairly certainly pre-conquest and there is some evidence that it may be an Iron Age

defensive feature. Late Bronze or Iron Age settlement has been recorded on the

western bank of the Thames to the north-west. A number of skeletons were

discovered along Grim’s Ditch to the north-east of the site in the 1940s and two

more were recorded in the 1970s. These were not dated but are thought to be Iron

Age or Saxon.

1.8 A number of findspots of artefacts dated to the Iron Age through to the medieval

period have been recovered south of the site and there are a number of cropmarks

on both sides of the River Thames in the wider area around the site. Fieldwalking to

the east of the site has recorded a number of prehistoric lithic scatters

Archaeological objectives

1.9 The objectives of the evaluation are to provide data on the date, character, quality,

survival and extent of the archaeological deposits within the application area in order

that an informed decision on their importance in a local, regional or national context

can be made. This information will clarify whether any remains are of sufficient

importance to warrant consideration for preservation in situ, or alternatively form the

basis of mitigation measures that may seek to limit damage to significant remains.

4


Methodology

1.10 The fieldwork comprised the excavation of 2 trenches (each 15m in length and 1.5m

in width); in the locations shown on the attached plan (Fig. 2). Both Trenches were

moved slightly to the south east of their intended locations due to the presence of

trees, park benches and the River Thames. These changes were made with the

approval of Mr Oram.

1.11 All trenches were excavated by mechanical excavator equipped with a toothless

grading bucket. All machine excavation was undertaken under constant

archaeological supervision to the top of the first significant archaeological horizon or

the natural substrate, whichever was encountered first. Where archaeological

deposits were encountered they were recorded in accordance with CA Technical

Manual 1: Fieldwork Recording Manual (2007).

1.12 Deposits were assessed for their palaeoenvironmental potential in accordance with

CA Technical Manual 2: The Taking and Processing of Environmental and Other

Samples from Archaeological Sites (2003). No samples were taken and no artefacts

were recovered.

1.13 The archive from the evaluation is currently held by CA at their offices in Kemble.

This archive will be deposited with Oxfordshire Museum Services. A summary of

information from this project, set out within Appendix B, will be entered onto the

OASIS online database of archaeological projects in Britain.

2. RESULTS (FIGS 2-3)

2.1 Trenches 1 and 2 exposed a series of alluvial and gravel deposits associated with

fluvial activity along with evidence of modern dumping episodes.

2.2 First phase Thames River Gravel was exposed in a sondage excavated at the north-

eastern end of Trench 1 and at the south-eastern end of Trench 2 (layers 105 and

203). This gravel was overlain by clay (layers 104 and 202) and a lens of gravel and

soil (layers 102 and 201). The gravel lens in Trench 1 was sealed by a layer of

demolition rubble 103 and alluvial deposit 101. This demolition rubble contained

5


19th century bricks along with fragments of chalk. Small fragments of brick and

chalk were also found in the alluvium. The presence of these brick fragments was

noted but none were retained. These two layers were then sealed by modern topsoil

that also directly overlay the gravel and soil lens in Trench 2.

3. DISCUSSION

3.1 No pre-modern archaeological features, deposits or artefacts were encountered

during the evaluation. The layer of modern demolition material appears to have been

dumped close to the bank of the Thames in an attempt to stabilise an area prone to

flooding. The gravel and alluvial deposits encountered are consistent with periods of

flooding and deposition associated with a dynamic river.

4. CA PROJECT TEAM

Fieldwork was undertaken by Neil J. Adam, assisted by Charlie Jones. The report

was written by Neil J. Adam. The illustrations were prepared by Jemma Elliot. The

archive has been compiled by Neil J. Adam, and prepared for deposition by Kathryn

Price. The project was managed for CA by Richard Young.

5. REFERENCES

BGS (British Geological Survey) 1980 Solid and Drfit Geology, Sheet 254, Henley on

Thames, 1:50,000 series

CA (Cotswold Archaeology) 2008 Carmel College, Crowmarsh, Oxfordshire: Written Scheme

of Investigation for an Archaeological Evaluation

OCAS (Oxfordshire County Archaeological Service) 2008 Carmel College, Crowmarsh:

Design Brief for Archaeological Field Evaluation

6

APPENDIX A: CONTEXT DESCRIPTIONS

Trench 1 No. Type Description Length

(m) Width (m)

Depth (m)

Top of deposit (m AOD)

100 Layer Very dark brown friable silty clay. Topsoil. 0.16 44.08 101 Layer Light brown alluvial clay with occasional chalk and

brick inclusions. 0.50 43.92

102 Layer Very dark brown gravel in a thin silty clay matrix 0.18 43.42 103 Layer Demolition layer composed of brick and chalk

fragments in a dark brown silty clay matrix. 6.5 0.29 43.78

104 Layer Light brown alluvial clay with no inclusions. 0.87 43.48 105 Layer Thames 1st Stage River Gravel. Not excavated

fully. 0.20+ 42.46

Trench 2 No. Type Description Length

(m) Width (m)

Depth (m)

Top of deposit (m AOD)

200 Layer Very dark greyish brown silty clay with rare stone inclusions.

0.28 44.17

201 Layer Rounded and angular gravel in a dark brown silty clay matrix.

0.81 43.96

202 Layer Dark greyish brown clay with occasional angular gravel inclusions. Not excavated fully

43.54

203 Layer Thames 1st Stage River Gravel. Not excavated fully 43.77

7

APPENDIX B: OASIS REPORT FORM

PROJECT DETAILS Project Name Carmel College, Crowmarsh, Oxfordshire

Short description (250 words maximum)

An archaeological evaluation was undertaken by Cotswold Archaeology on 14 April 2008 at the request of WSP Environmental Limited on behalf of Comer Homes Limited at Carmel College, Crowmarsh, Oxfordshire. Two trenches were excavated. The evaluation exposed a series of interleaving gravel and alluvial deposits sealing Thames River Gravels. A layer of demolition rubble dating from the 19th century was also exposed.

Project dates 14 April 2008 Project type (e.g. desk-based, field evaluation etc)

Field Evaluation.

Previous work (reference to organisation or SMR numbers etc)

Desk-based Assessment and Field Evaluation by Wessex Archaeology.

Future work Unknown

PROJECT LOCATION Site Location Carmel College, Crowmarsh, Oxfordshire Study area (M2/ha) 1350m2 Site co-ordinates (8 Fig Grid Reference) SU 6078 8776

PROJECT CREATORS Name of organisation Cotswold Archaeology Project Brief originator Oxfordshire County Archaeological Service Project Design (WSI) originator Cotswold Archaeology Project Manager Richard Young Project Supervisor Neil Adam PROJECT ARCHIVES

Physical N/A None Paper Oxfordshire Museum

Services Trench Record Sheets, Drawings, Drawing Record sheet, Levels sheet, Photographic Record sheets.

Digital N/A None BIBLIOGRAPHY

CA (Cotswold Archaeology) 2008 Carmel College, Crowmarsh, Oxfordshire: Archaeological Evaluation, CA typescript report no. 08077

8

Oxfordshire

PROJECT TITLE

FIGURE TITLE

N

PROJECT TITLE

SCALEDRAWN BY PROJECT NO. FIGURE NO.

COTSWOLD ARCHAEOLOGY

0 2.5km

Site

Reproduced from the 1999 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

Carmel College, CrowmarshOxfordshire

Site location plan

1:25,000@A4 2559JE 1

RIV

ER

TH

AM

ES

BOATHOUSE

JETTY

SLUICE

SYNAGOGUE

POND

B

T1

A

A

A

A

B

T2

SU

608

878

PROJECT TITLE

FIGURE TITLE

N

PROJECT TITLE

SCALEDRAWN BY PROJECT NO. FIGURE NO.


0 50m

site

evaluation trench showing Thames river gravels

Reproduced from the 1999 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


Trench location plan

1:500@A4 2559JE 2

mAOD

100

101

102 104

103

104

105

SW NE45

45

201

203

200

203202

mAOD

NW SE

Section AA: South-east facing section of Trench 1

Section BB: South-west facing section of Trench 2

PROJECT TITLE

FIGURE TITLE


SCALEDRAWN BY PROJECT NO. FIGURE NO.0 5m

Sections AA and BB

1:50@A3 3


2559JE

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