76 temple road archaeolo oxfordshire glibrary.thehumanjourney.net/110/1/oxspho08.pdfbrief at...

September 2008

Client: Vivienne Cuffolo

Issue No:1

OA Job No: 4165

NGR: SP 545 045

Springfi eld House

76 Temple Road

Oxfordshire

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Archa

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tching Brief Rep

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Archaeological Watching Brief Report

Client Name: Vivienne Cuffolo

Client Ref No:

Document Title: Springfield House, 76 Temple Road, Oxford

Document Type: Watching Brief

Issue Number: 1

National Grid Reference: SP 545 045Planning Reference: 07/01085/LBC and 07/01086/FUL

OA Job Number: 4165Site Code: OXSPHO 08Invoice Code: OXSPHOWBReceiving Museum: Oxfordshire County Museum ServiceMuseum Accession No: tbc

Prepared by: Mike SimsPosition: SWD SupervisorDate: 26th August 2008

Checked by: Dan DoddsPosition: Head of Small WorksDate: 27th August 2008

Approved by: Nick Shepherd Signed…………………….Position: Head of FieldworkDate: 2nd September 2008

Document File Location W:PROJECTS\Oxfordshire OX\Oxford City OC\8708Springfield House\wbREP.doc

Graphics File Location oaupub2*ltoQ*OXSPH08*OXSPHWB*Springfieldhouse*AH*03.09.08

Illustrated by Amy Hemingway

Disclaimer:This document has been prepared for the titled project or named part thereof and should not be relied upon or used forany other project without an independent check being carried out as to its suitability and prior written authority ofOxford Archaeology being obtained. Oxford Archaeology accepts no responsibility or liability for the consequences ofthis document being used for a purpose other than the purposes for which it was commissioned. Any person/party usingor relying on the document for such other purposes agrees, and will by such use or reliance be taken to confirm theiragreement to indemnify Oxford Archaeology for all loss or damage resulting therefrom. Oxford Archaeology accepts noresponsibility or liability for this document to any party other than the person/party by whom it was commissioned.

Oxford Archaeology© Oxford Archaeological Unit Ltd 2008Janus HouseOsney MeadOxford OX2 0ESt: (0044) 01865 263800 e: [email protected]: (0044) 01865 793496 w: www.oxfordarch.co.uk

Oxford Archaeological Unit Limited is a Registered Charity No: 285627

Oxford Archaeology Springfield House, 76 Temple Road, OxfordArchaeological Watching Brief Report

© Oxford Archaeological Unit Ltd. September 2008 iW:\PROJECTS\Oxfordshire OX\Oxford City OC\8708 Springfield House\wbREP.doc

Springfield House,76 Temple Road, Oxford

ARCHAEOLOGICAL WATCHING BRIEF REPORT

CONTENTS

Summary.................................................................................................................................... 11 Introduction ....................................................................................................................... 1

1.1 Scope of work................................................................................................................ 11.2 Location, geology and topography................................................................................ 11.3 Archaeological and historical background.................................................................... 1

2 Project Aims and Methodology......................................................................................... 22.1 Aims .............................................................................................................................. 22.2 Methodology ................................................................................................................. 2

3 Results ............................................................................................................................... 23.1 Description of deposits.................................................................................................. 23.2 Finds .............................................................................................................................. 33.3 Palaeo-environmental remains ...................................................................................... 3

4 Discussion and Conclusions.............................................................................................. 3Appendix 1 Archaeological Context Inventory .................................................................... 5Appendix 2 Bibliography and References ............................................................................ 5Appendix 3 Summary of Site Details.................................................................................... 5

LIST OF FIGURES

Fig. 1 Site locationFig. 2 Site plan and section


© Oxford Archaeological Unit Ltd. September 2008 1W:\PROJECTS\Oxfordshire OX\Oxford City OC\8708 Springfield House\wbREP.doc

SUMMARY

In August 2008, Oxford Archaeology (OA) carried out an archaeologicalwatching brief at Springfield House, 76 Temple Road, Oxford (NGR: SP545 045). The work was commissioned by Vivienne Cuffolo in advance ofthe development and alteration of the listed building, including loweringthe windows, alteration of the chimneys and the lowering of the cellarfloor. Other works included the removal of a partition and rebuilding ofthe south gable of a barn situated to the rear. The watching brief observeda 19th-century refurbishment of the cellar, but no evidence of reusedbuilding material was observed during the alterations and rebuilding ofthe structures. No other significant archaeology was observed.

1 INTRODUCTION

1.1 Scope of work

1.1.1 In August 2008, Oxford Archaeology (OA) carried out an archaeological watching

brief at Springfield House, 76 Temple Road, Oxford (NGR: SP 545 045). The work

was commissioned by Vivienne Cuffolo in respect of an application for Listed

Building Consent to lower the windows and rationalise the chimneys for Springfield

House, to remove a partition and reconstruct the south gable of a barn/coach house

situated to the rear (Listed Building Consent 07/01085/LBC) and to lower the

basement floor within the house (Planning Application No. 07/01086/FUL)

1.1.2 A project brief was agreed with Brian Durham, the Oxford City Archaeologist, which

required that an archaeological watching brief be undertaken during the period of

groundworks.

1.1.3 OA prepared a Written Scheme of Investigation detailing how it would meet the

requirements of the brief (OA, 2008).

1.2 Location, geology and topography

1.2.1 The site is located on the south-eastern edge of the City of Oxford within a suburban

conurbation (Fig. 1). The site is bounded to the south-east by an access road leading

off Temple Road, to the south-west by a private residence and to the north-east and

north-west by domestic gardens.

1.2.2 The site lies on a gentle slope rising to the east at approximately 78 m OD. The site

lies on the boundary between the Beckley and Temple Cowley sand and sandstone

beds (British Geological Survey Sheet 237).

1.3 Archaeological and historical background

1.3.1 The archaeological background to the watching brief was prepared for the WSI for the

project (OA, 2008) and is reproduced overleaf.



1.3.2 Land within the area was given by Queen Matilda to the Knights Templar in 1139

with the land then becoming known as Temple Couele. The area was home to an

important Preceptory dedicated by the knights.

1.3.3 Little remains of the Knight’s occupancy with the area becoming a rural settlement

by the 18th-century and incorporated into the 19th and 20th-century expansion of

Oxford. The area now comprises stone houses and cottages from this era interspersed

with stone and brick religious, manufacturing and educational institutional buildings

dating from the time of this expansion.

1.3.4 All the buildings are linked by boundary walls, predominately of stone which unify

the area.

2 PROJECT AIMS AND METHODOLOGY

2.1 Aims

2.1.1 To identify and record the presence or absence, extent, condition, quality and date of

archaeological remains in the areas affected by the development.

2.1.2 To preserve by record any archaeological features or deposits that may be disturbed

or destroyed during the course of the groundworks.

2.1.3 To examine any removed stone for evidence of earlier working such as moulding.

2.1.4 To make available the results of the archaeological investigation.

2.2 Methodology

Stonework

2.2.1 The stone removed during the course of the building work was separated and

examined for evidence of earlier building forms and for altered or adapted tool

marks. Attention was paid any for any evidence of moulding work which might

indicate that the stone had been reused.

Basement floor lowering

2.2.2 This work consisted of the removal of the existing stone flag floor and the removal of

the underlying material sufficient to lower to cellar floor by 0.5 m. This work was

accomplished by hand.

3 RESULTS

3.1 Basement floor lowering: Description of deposits

3.1.1 The underlying natural, a green sand (3), was encountered at a depth of 0.22 m below

the original cellar floor (Fig. 2, Section 1). This was overlaid by a 0.15 m deep layer

of dark green silty sand (2). This deposit produced numerous fragments of 19th-



century brick. This layer was cut by 2 south-east to north-west running trenches, each

0.28 m wide, 0.18 m deep and approximately 3.6 m long (4 and 6). Built into these

trenches were brick lined channels (5 and 7) constructed using a plain hand moulded

red brick measuring 0.225 m by 0.105 m by 0.07 m. These channels consisted of a

brick floor and lines of brick laid on edge down either side. These were presumably

dug in order to provide drainage of the underlying aquifers. Also cut within this layer

was a 0.8 m square pit (8) containing a brick built plinth (9) supporting a brick built

pier. This was constructed using similar hand-moulded bricks to the brick channels.

3.1.2 Laid on top of layer 2, butting up to the brick plinth (9) and forming the top of the

channels was a stone slab floor (1). This consisted of sandstone slabs measuring 0.55

m by 0.55 m by 0.1 m thick, smoothed on the upper surface but only roughly dressed

elsewhere.

3.2 Finds

3.2.1 All finds recovered were of a late post-medieval date (19th and early 20th centuries)

and included fragments of brick and salt-glazed pottery. The presence of these

artefacts was recorded but they were not retained.

3.3 Palaeo-environmental remains

3.3.1 No deposits suitable for palaeo-environmental sampling were encountered during the

course of the watching brief.

4 DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS

4.1.1 The watching brief showed that there was no significant archaeology present

underneath the existing cellar floor. The deposits and features observed were

consistent with a 19th-century refurbishment of the cellar, which included the

insertion of a brick pillar and plinth in the centre of the cellar, brick piers added to

the south-east and north-west walls and the insertion of a brick arch into the fireplace

in the south-west wall. The bricks used to construct the brick channels underneath the

original cellar floor are identical to the bricks used for the pillar and piers and it

would be reasonable to assume that they were also part of the refurbishment.

4.1.2 The stone slabs removed from the cellar floor showed some evidence to suggest that

the flat face may have been cut using either a circular stone saw or possibly a rotary

grinder to smooth the upper face, which is consistent with late 19th-century

technology.

4.1.3 The fragments of brick observed in layer 2 are similar to the bricks used for the

above works and are presumably construction debris arising from these works.

4.1.4 The absence of earlier deposits within this area may be explained by the depth of

excavation for the original cellar which would have truncated all but the deepest



foundations or excavations. The refurbishment of the cellar in the 19th-century had

also removed evidence for the original cellar floor construction.

4.1.5 No evidence for the incorporation of reused stone within the walls of the barn or

house was observed. The architecture of the barn and house bear similarities,

particularly the arches above the door and window frames, suggesting that they are

contemporary. This style of arching known as a “four-centred arch” was common

between the 17th and early 19th centuries, which agrees with the known construction

date of the house (The date 1761 is visible on the north gable). The dating of this

architectural style indicates that they were not reused from an earlier building such as

the Knights Templar Preceptory.

4.1.6 All the stone observed removed from the buildings and also that still incorporated, is

of a similar material (sandstone) suggesting that it originated from the same quarry

area. Although any earlier buildings would have also used local stone, they may have

used different materials such as limestone for selected features. The absence of any

differing material within the fabric of the house may also suggest that no reused

material was used.



APPENDICES

APPENDIX 1 ARCHAEOLOGICAL CONTEXT INVENTORY

Context Type Depth Width Comments Finds Date

1 Surface 0.1 m 3.6 m Sandstone slab floor - C19th

2 Layer 0.18 m - Levelling layer/constructiondebris

Brick, pottery C19th

3 Layer > 0.3 m - Natural sand - -

4 Cut 0.18 m 0.3 m Cut for drainage channel - C19th

5 Structure 0.18 m 0.25 m Brick built drainage channel - C19th

6 Cut 0.18 m 0.3 m Cut for drainage channel - C19th

7 Structure 0.18 m 0.25 m Brick built drainage channel - C19th

8 Cut > 0.4 m 0.8 m Foundation pit for plinth 9 - C19th

9 Structure > 0.4 m 0.8 m Brick built plinth supportingcentral brick pillar

- C19th

APPENDIX 2 BIBLIOGRAPHY AND REFERENCES

OCC, 2007 Brief for Archaeological Fieldwork

IFA, 2001 Standards and Guidelines for Archaeological Watching Briefs

OA, 1992 Fieldwork Manual, (Ed. D Wilkinson, first ed, August 1992)

OA, 2008 Springfield House, 76 Temple Road, Oxford: Written Scheme ofInvestigation for an Archaeological Watching Brief

APPENDIX 3 SUMMARY OF SITE DETAILS

Site name: Springfield House, 76 Temple Road, OxfordSite code: OXSPHO 08Grid reference: SP 545 045Type of watching brief: Hand excavation during the lowering of the cellar floor. Removalof structural stone.Date and duration of project: August 2008, 3 site visitsArea of site: 300 m2

Summary of results: The watching brief revealed 19th-century construction directlyoverlying natural sand.Location of archive: The archive is currently held at OA, Janus House, Osney Mead,Oxford, OX2 0ES, and will be deposited with Oxfordshire County Museums Service in duecourse.

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Plan 1

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Cellar

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New doorway

Fire

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