broadway quarry, fish hill, broadway,...

BROADWAY QUARRY, FISH HILL,

BROADWAY, HEREFORD AND WORCESTER

ARCHAEOLOGICAL EVALUATION

C.A.T JOB: 0705 C.A.T REPORT: 97846

DECEMBER 1997

This report has been researched and compiled with all reasonable skill, care, and attention to detail within the terms of the project as specified by the Client and within the general terms and conditions of Cotswold Archaeological Trust Ltd. The Trust shall not be liable for any inaccuracy, error or omission in the report or other documents produced as part of the Consultancy and no liability is accepted for any claim, loss or damage howsoever arising from any opinion stated or conclusion or other material contained in this report or other documents supplied as part of the Consultancy. This report is confidential to the Client. Cotswold Archaeological Trust Ltd accept no responsibility whatsoever to third parties to whom this report, or any part of it is made known. Any such party relies upon this report entirely at their own risk.

© Cotswold Archaeological Trust

Headquarters Building, Kemble Business Park, Cirencester, Gloucestershire, GL7 6BQ Tel. 01285 771022 Fax. 01285 771033

Broadway Quarry, Fish Hill, Broadway, Hereford and Worcester: Archaeological Evaluation

1

CONTENTS

CONTENTS ..................................................................................................................... 1

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS ........................................................................................... 2

GLOSSARY .................................................................................................................... 3

SUMMARY ..................................................................................................................... 4

1. INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................. 5

1.1 Introduction ................................................................................................... 5 1.2 The Study Area .............................................................................................. 5 1.3 Archaeological and Historical Background ................................................. 5 1.4 Archaeological Specification and Methods .................................................. 6

2. EVALUATION RESULTS ........................................................................................ 7

2.1 General .......................................................................................................... 7 2.2 Prehistoric/Anglo-Saxon (Fig. 3) .................................................................. 8 2.3 Undated (Fig. 4) ............................................................................................ 8

3. CONCLUSIONS ......................................................................................................... 8

4. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ........................................................................................ 9

5. BIBLIOGRAPHY ....................................................................................................... 9

APPENDIX 1 ................................................................................................................... 14


2

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

Fig. 1 Location plan ........................................................................................................ 10 Fig. 2 Study area and location of trenches ...................................................................... 11 Fig. 3 Trench 7, plan and section .................................................................................... 12 Fig. 4 Trench 1, plan and sections .................................................................................. 13


3

GLOSSARY

ARCHAEOLOGY

For the purposes of this project, archaeology is taken to mean the study of past human societies through

their material remains, from prehistoric times to the modern era. No rigid upper date limit has been set, but

AD 1900 is used as a general cut-off point.

ANGLO-SAXON

Taken here as the period from the end of the Roman era c AD410 to the Norman conquest in 1066.

IRON AGE

The first period in which iron was the predominant metal. In Britain it is dated between c700 BC to the

Roman conquest in AD 43.

MEDIEVAL

Taken here as the period from the Norman invasion in AD 1066 to approximately AD 1500.

NATURAL

Defined in archaeological terms this refers to the undisturbed natural geology of a site, e.g. Lower Lias

clay, river terrace gravels etc.

NGR

National Grid Reference given from the Ordnance Survey Grid.

OD

Ordnance Datum; used to express a given height above mean sea level.

POST-MEDIEVAL

The period following the medieval period, from AD1500 to the Industrial Revolution.

PRN

Principal Record Number (used for entries on the County SMR)

RIDGE AND FURROW

Remains of cultivation of medieval or later date forming a corrugated surface.

SMR

Sites and Monument Record.


4

SUMMARY

In November 1997 Cotswold Archaeologcial Trust (CAT) were commissioned by

Smith and Sons (Bletchington) Ltd to undertake an archaeological evaluation as part

of a planning application to extend Broadway Quarry, Fish Hill, Broadway, Hereford

and Worcester.

The evaluation results indicate that only limited archaeological deposits, of

undetermined age, survive within the application area.


5

1. INTRODUCTION

1.1 Introduction

1.1.1 In November 1997 Cotswold Archaeological Trust (CAT) was commissioned

by Smith and Sons (Bletchington) Ltd to undertake an archaeological

evaluation as part of a planning application to extend Broadway Quarry, Fish

Hill, Broadway, Hereford and Worcester (NGR SP 1180 3660).

1.1.2 The work was undertaken in compliance with the ‘Standard and Guidance for

Field Evaluation’ issued by the Institute of Field Archaeologists (IFA). Ms

Susan Hartley, Hereford and Worcester County Council Archaeological

Service, made a monitoring visit on the 26th November 1997.

1.2 The Study Area

1.2.1 The study area comprises approximately 2 hectares of agricultural land,

currently under arable cultivation. The site is bound to the west by existing

quarry workings, to the east by Buckle Street, and to the north and south by

arable fields. A small redundant quarry is contained within the north-eastern

corner of the application area.

1.2.2 The underlying solid geology of the study area is Jurassic Inferior Oolite,

overlain by limestone brash. Topographically, the proposed development

area is situated on gently sloping ground, rising from 287m OD at the

northern extent of the site to 299m OD at its southern boundary.

1.3 Archaeological and Historical Background

1.3.1 A rapid desk based assessment of readily accessible archaeological, historical

and cartographic records was undertaken prior to the commencement of

fieldwork. The main sources of information accessed consisted of relevant


6

data held by Worcestershire County Council Sites and Monuments Record

(SMR) and the County Record Offices at Fish Street, Worcester.

1.3.2 The SMR database lists a number of sites and findspots within the general

vicinity of the study area but no entries within the application area itself.

1.3.3 The earliest recorded archaeological feature within the general vicinity of the

study area is an Anglo-Saxon cemetery (PRN HWCM 3392) identified 180m

west of the application area at NGR SP 1163 3668. Limited archaeological

trenching in 1955 revealed eight graves containing east-west orientated

inhumations, all dating to the fifth to sixth centuries. Five of the burials were

accompanied by grave goods which included a square-headed brooch, saucer

brooches, applied brooches, amber, glass and silver beads, iron knives, spears

and shield bosses (Cook 1958).

1.3.4 Evidence of ridge and furrow cultivation (PRN HWCM 10085 & 10086) is

evident 800m north of the application area centred on NGR SP 1140 3755.

1.3.5 Cartographic evidence from the Ordnance Survey First Edition map of 1884

indicates the study area and immediate environs have, with the exception of

the enlargement to the existing Broadway quarry immediately to the west of

the application area, remained unchanged since the late nineteenth century.

The small quarry within the north-east corner of the study is also documented

on the 1884 map.

1.3.6 In 1995 CAT undertook an evaluation 200m north-west of the study area

centred on NGR SP 1170 3676. No archaeological deposits were encountered

during the programme of work.

1.4 Archaeological Specification and Methods

1.4.1 An archaeological specification to evaluate the archaeological potential of the

study area was approved by Ms Susan Hartley, Hereford and Worcester

County Council Archaeological Service.


7

1.4.2 The objectives of the evaluation were to determine the extent, date and

preservation of any buried archaeological remains within the study area, so an

informed opinion on their importance could be made.

1.4.3 The evaluation was fulfilled by the excavation of eight trenches. All trenches

were excavated by mechanical excavator equipped with a toothless grading

bucket. All machining was carried out under archaeological supervision to

the top of the first significant archaeological deposit or the natural substrate,

which ever was encountered first.

1.4.4 Where archaeological deposits were encountered they were sampled by hand

in accordance with CAT Technical Manual 1 Site Recording Manual (1996).

All artefacts recovered were catalogued in accordance with CAT Technical

Manual 3 Treatment of Finds Immediately after Excavation (1995).

Particular emphasis was given to potentially datable artefacts such as pottery.

A full written, drawn and photographic record was kept during the

programme of works.

1.4.5 The finds and site archive will, subject to agreement with the legal landowner,

be deposited at Hereford and Worcester County Museum, Hartlebury,

Kidderminster under accession number HWCM 26346.

2. EVALUATION RESULTS

2.1 General

2.1.1 The excavation of eight trenches, positioned according to the plan shown as

Fig. 2, fulfilled the evaluation.

2.1.2 The natural substrate (002) was revealed through out the study area between

299.05m OD and 286.75m OD, sealed beneath a thin, ploughsoil (001).


8

2.1.3 A number of shallow, irregular hollows were revealed within the limestone

brash in Trenches 1 and 4. Hand excavation of their homogenous clean

orange-brown fills revealed them to be geological irregularities.

2.2 Prehistoric/Anglo-Saxon (Fig. 3)

2.2.1 Within Trench 7, a linear ditch [701] was revealed 5m from the south-western

limit of the trench. The ditch was orientated north-south, measured 0.78m in

width and was fully excavated to a depth of 0.05m. It contained an orange-

brown fill (702) from which 6 sherds of handmade, Oolitic limestone

tempered pottery, dating to the late prehistoric or Saxon period, were

retrieved.

2.3 Undated (Fig. 4)

2.3.1 Two parallel ditches, orientated north-east to south-west, were revealed 9m

from the south-eastern limit of Trench 1. Ditch [102] measured 1m in width

and was fully excavated to a depth of 0.55m. Ditch [104] measured 0.85m in

width and was fully excavated to a depth of 0.18m. No artefactual material

was retrieved from orange-brown fills (701) and (703) respectively.

3. CONCLUSIONS

3.1 The evaluation results indicate that only limited archaeological deposits

survive within the application area. Interpretation of ditch [701] is

problematic due to the poor state of preservation of the feature and the

undetermined date of the pottery retrieved from fill (702). It therefore

remains uncertain whether the ditch can be interpreted as a peripheral

elements of an Anglo-Saxon settlement associated with the nearby cemetery


9

discovered in 1955, or is indicative of late prehistoric activity within the

general vicinity.

3.2 Ditches [102] and [104] remain undated due to the lack of artefactual material

retrieved from their respective fills. Interpretation of such features is

consequently limited, although the likelihood of them being contemporary

with ditch [701] must be considered.

4. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Cotswold Archaeologcial Trust would like to thank Ms Susan Hartley, Hereford and

Worcester County Council; Simon Smith, Smith and Sons (Bletchington) Ltd and

Martin Layer, D.K.Symes Associates for their assistance during the course of this

project.

The fieldwork was carried out by Cliff Bateman, Tim Harvard, and Franco Vartuca.

The report was written by Cliff Bateman and the illustrations drawn by Rick Morton.

5. BIBLIOGRAPHY

CAT 1995 Fish Hill Quarry, Broadway, Hereford and Worcester: Archaeological

Evaluation. Typescript Report 95314.

Cook, J.M. 1958 An Anglo-Saxon cemetery at Broadway Hill, Broadway,

Worcestershire. Antiquaries Journal XXXVIII, 58-84


10

Fig. 1 Location plan


11

Fig. 2 Study area and location of trenches


12

Fig. 3 Trench 7, plan and section


13

Fig. 4 Trench 1, plan and sections


14

APPENDIX 1

Trench Descriptions Note: Cut features are designated by square brackets thus; [000], all other deposits/layers are in round brackets; (111). Heights are based on the spot height on Buckle Street, adjacent to the application area. The height was taken to be 294.3m OD. Trench 1 Natural substrate was encountered at a depth of 0.13m below existing ground surface at 286.77m OD to 287.26m OD. Irregular, shallow hollows revealed within the limestone brash, filled by homogenous clean orange brown sandy clays. Ditch [102]: orientated NE-SW, measured 1m in width and 0.55min depth. Contains orange-brown fill

(701). No finds

Ditch [104]: orientated NE-SW, measured 0.85m in width and 0.18m in depth. Contains orange-brown

fill (703). No finds

Ploughsoil: grey-brown silty clay Trench 2 Natural substrate was encountered at a depth of 0.22m below existing ground surface between 290.72m OD.and 292.20m OD. Ploughsoil: grey-brown silty clay. Trench 3 Natural substrate was encountered at a depth of 0.22m below existing ground surface between 289.17m OD.and 291.19m OD. Ploughsoil: grey-brown silty clay. Trench 4 Natural substrate was encountered at a depth of 0.19m below existing ground surface between 295.04m OD.and 296.09m OD. Irregular, shallow hollows revealed within the limestone brash, filled by homogenous clean orange brown sandy clays. Ploughsoil: grey-brown silty clay.


15

Trench 5 Natural substrate was encountered at a depth of 0.14m below existing ground surface between 293.61m OD.and 294.94m OD. Ploughsoil: grey-brown silty clay. Trench 6 Natural substrate was encountered at a depth of 0.18m below existing ground surface between 296.97m OD.and 297.59m OD. Ploughsoil: grey-brown silty clay. Trench 7 Natural substrate was encountered at a depth of 0.20m below existing ground surface between 295.67m OD.and 296.57m OD. Ditch [701]: orientated north-south, measured 0.78m in width and 0.05m in depth. Contains orange-brown fill (702). Finds: 6 sherds of late prehistoric/Saxon pottery. Ploughsoil: grey-brown silty clay. Trench 8 Natural substrate was encountered at a depth of 0.22m below existing ground surface between 298.89m OD.and 299.04m OD. Ploughsoil: grey-brown silty clay.

broadway quarry, fish hill, broadway,...

Documents