Land to the rear of 182 Kidmore Road, Caversham, Reading, Berkshire

An Archaeological Evaluation

for Creative Construction Ltd

by Danielle Milbank

Thames Valley Archaeological Services Ltd

Site Code KRC 08/117

November 2008

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Thames Valley Archaeological Services Ltd, 47–49 De Beauvoir Road, Reading RG1 5NR

Tel. (0118) 926 0552; Fax (0118) 926 0553; email tvas@tvas.co.uk; website : www.tvas.co.uk

Summary

Site name: Land to the rear of 182 Kidmore Road, Caversham, Reading, Berkshire Grid reference: SU 7063 7623 Site activity: Field Evaluation Date and duration of project: 11th November 2008 Project manager: Steve Ford Site supervisor: Danielle Milbank Site code: KRC 08/117 Area of site: c. 0.28 ha Summary of results: No archaeological deposits or features were encountered Monuments identified: None Location and reference of archive: The archive is presently held at Thames Valley Archaeological Services, Reading and will be deposited at Reading Museum in due course. This report may be copied for bona fide research or planning purposes without the explicit permission of the copyright holder Report edited/checked by: Jennifer Lowe 18.11.08 Steve Preston 18.11.08

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Land to the rear of 182 Kidmore Road, Caversham, Reading, Berkshire An Archaeological Evaluation

by Danielle Milbank

Report 08/117 Introduction

This report documents the results of an archaeological field evaluation carried out on land to the rear of 182

Kidmore Road, Caversham, Reading, Berkshire (SU 7063 7623) (Fig. 1). The work was commissioned by Mr

Chris Keen of The Keen Partnership, The Courtyard, Edinburgh Road, Reading, RG30 2UA, on behalf of

Creative Construction, Model Farm Barns, Bath Road, Sonning, Reading, RG4 6TD.

Planning permission (appln. no. 07/01566/FUL) has been gained from Reading Borough Council for the

construction of six new houses following demolition of number 182 Kidmore Road. The consent is subject to a

condition (12) relating to archaeology. As a consequence of the possibility of archaeological deposits on the site

which may be damaged or destroyed by groundworks, a programme of archaeological work has been requested.

This is in accordance with the Department of the Environment’s Planning Policy Guidance, Archaeology and

Planning (PPG16 1990), and the Borough Council’s policies on archaeology. It was determined that this

programme should include evaluation (trial trenching) and watching brief components.

The field investigation was carried out to a specification approved by Ms Mary O’Donoghue, Archaeology

Officer with Berkshire Archaeology, advisers to the Borough on archaeological matters. The fieldwork was

undertaken by Danielle Milbank and James Earley on 11th November 2008 and the site code is KRC 08/117.

The archive is presently held at Thames Valley Archaeological Services, Reading and will be deposited at

Reading Museum in due course.

Location, topography and geology

The site is located in Caversham, c.3km north of the centre of Reading and c.1.2km north of the river Thames

(Fig. 1). The site lies on high ground on the east side of Kidmore Road, at a height of c.72m above Ordnance

Datum. The underlying geology is described as Plateau Gravel (BGS 1971), more specifically the Boyn Hill

gravel (Wymer 1999, 22–3; 59; and map 6), which was encountered in the form of orange sand and flint gravel

in all three trenches. The evaluation took place in the western part of the site, which was formerly the gardens of

numbers 194 and 196, and comprised a lawn area with trees, shrubs and planted beds at the margins.

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Archaeological background

The archaeological potential of the site stems from its location in an area where prehistoric and Roman finds

have been recorded in the Berkshire Historic Environment Record. The site lies opposite Smiths Pit and close to

Kidmore Road pits, which are former gravel pits noted for their prolific finds of Palaeolithic artefacts (Wymer

1968, fig. 47). The site itself includes the site of a small gravel pit (no 182) from which Palaeolithic flints were

reported, including 5 handaxes and six flakes (Wymer 1968, 144). A watching brief to the south of the site

revealed 10 Palaeolithic flakes, an undated pit and three flakes of Neolithic or Bronze Age date (Taylor and Pine

2003). At a greater distance from the current site was the finding of a hoard of three Bronze Age axes and an

Iron Age gold coin at Emmer Green Primary School, with Roman coins, another Palaeolithic stone tool and Iron

Age deposits also present (Ford 2006).

Objectives and methodology

The purpose of the evaluation was to determine the presence/absence, extent, condition, character, quality and

date of any archaeological deposits within the area of development. The specific research aims of the project

were:

to determine of archaeologically relevant levels have survived on site;

to determine if archaeological deposits of any period are present; and

to determine if there are any Palaeolithic finds or deposits present on the site.

This was to be carried out by means of trial trenching and a watching brief component. Two trenches were

originally proposed, each 8m long and 1.4m to 1.6m wide and positioned to target the footprint of the proposed

housing. As a result of non-compliance with the watching brief phase of work, an additional 8m evaluation

trench was requested by Berkshire Archaeology. As a result of limited space on the site, the location and length

of the third trench was agreed after consultation on site with the monitor, and the length of the proposed third

trench was reduced.

All possible archaeological deposits or features were to be cleaned by hand and sampled. All trenches were

excavated under continuous archaeological supervision and all spoilheaps were monitored for finds. This work

was to be carried out in a manner which would not damage any deposits that might warrant preservation in situ

or that might be better investigated under conditions pertaining to full excavation.

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Results

A complete list of trenches giving lengths, breadths, depths and a description of sections and geology is given in

Appendix 1.

Trench 1

Trench 1 was aligned SSW–NNE and was 8m long, 1.6m wide and 0.89m deep overall. The stratigraphy

comprised turf and topsoil 0.29m thick, which overlay brown slightly sandy silt with very frequent gravel

inclusions, which was 0.45m thick. This in turn overlay the natural geology, which was orange sand and flint

gravel. A test pit was excavated to a depth of 1.10m at the north end to verify the nature of the underlying

geology. No archaeological finds or features were encountered in this trench.

Trench 2 (Plate 1)

Trench 2 was aligned SW–NE and was 8m long, 1.6m wide and 0.64m deep overall. The stratigraphy comprised

turf and topsoil 0.28m thick, which overlay brown slightly sandy silt with very frequent gravel inclusions, which

was 0.31m thick. This in turn overlay the natural geology, which was orange sand and flint gravel. No

archaeological finds or features were encountered in this trench.

Trench 3 (Plate 2)

This trench was aligned roughly east-west and was 2.8m long, 1.4m wide and 0.42m deep. Here, turf and topsoil

0.26m deep overlay a brown slightly sandy silt layer with frequent gravel inclusions, 0.13m thick. This in turn

overlay the orange sand and gravel geology.

Conclusion

The evaluation showed that on the western part of the site, the stratigraphy was broadly consistent. The topsoil

layer was 0.26m to 0.29m thick and overlay a brown slightly sandy silt layer with frequent gravel inclusions.

This subsoil layer varied from 0.13m to 0.45m thick, and was thickest in Trench 1. It is likely that this is not the

true subsoil layer and is more likely to represent a levelling layer, perhaps associated with the nearby quarrying.

The natural gravel geology was clean and bright in colour, and there were no truncations of any kind present.

Although the relevant levels had survived on the site and there was clearly some potential to encounter

archaeological deposits, none were present.

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References

BGS, 1971, British Geological Survey, 1:50 000, Sheet 268, Drift Edition, Keyworth Ford, S, 2006, ‘Cedarcot, Lyefield Court, Emmer Green, Reading, Berkshire, an archaeological evaluation’,

Thames Valley Archaeological Services report 06/132, Reading Taylor, A and Pine, J, 2003, ‘Former Church of Our Lady, Richmond Road, Caversham, Reading, an

archaeological watching brief’, Thames Valley Archaeological Services report 03/81, Reading PPG16, 1990, Archaeology and Planning, Dept of the Environment Planning Policy Guidance 16, HMSO Wymer, J, 1968, Lower Palaeolithic Archaeology in Britain, London Wymer, J J, 1999, The Lower Palaeolithic occupation of Britain, Salisbury

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APPENDIX 1: Trench details

0m at SW, south or west end

Trench Length (m) Breadth (m) Depth (m) Comment 1 8.0 1.6 0.89 0.00m-0.29m turf and topsoil; 0.29m-0.74m brown sandy silt and gravel;

0.74m+ orange sand and gravel (natural geology) 2 8.0 1.6 0.64 0.00m-0.28m turf and topsoil; 0.28m-0.59m brown sandy silt and gravel;

0.59m+ (natural geology) 3 2.78 1.6 0.42 0.00m-0.26m turf and topsoil; 0.26m-0.37m brown sandy silt and gravel;

0.37m+ orange sand and gravel (natural geology)

Land to the rear of 182 Kidmore Road,Caversham, Reading, Berkshire, 2008

Archaeological Evaluation

Figure 1. Location of site within Cavershamand Berkshire.

Reproduced from Ordnance Survey Explorer 159 at 1:12500. Ordnance Survey Licence 100025880

SU71000 72000

SITE

KRC 08/117

SITE

75000

76000

77000

Land to rear of 182 Kidmore Road, Caversham,Reading, Berkshire, 2008Archaeological evaluation

Figure 2. Location of site off Kidmore Road.

SU70600 70700

SITE

KRC 08/117

N

76300

Reproduced from Ordnance Survey digital mapping under licence.Crown copyright reserved. Scale: 1:1250

76200

KRC 08/117Figure 3. Plan of trenches.

Land to the rear of 182 Kidmore Road, Caversham, Reading, Berkshire, 2008

0 50m

N

SITE

Kidmore Road

SU70600

76200

76300

STATION100.000

STN1

STATION100.063

TIEA

1

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test pit

Former gravel pit and swimming pool (approx.)

No. 182 demolished

No. 194

No. 184

No. 174

KRC08/117

Land to the rear of 182 Kidmore Road, Caversham, Reading, Berkshire, 2008

Figure 4. Representative section0 1m

Orange sand and gravel natural

Trench 2

Turf and topsoil

Brown slightly sandy silt and gravel

71.85m AODSW NE

Plate 1. Trench 2, looking south west; scales, 2m and 1m. Plate 2. Trench 3, looking west north west; scales, 2m and 1m.

KRC 08/117

KRC08-117ev.pdff1.pdfF3.pdfF4.pdffig2.pdfplates.pdf