Land off Birdie Way, Rush Green, Hertford, Hertfordshire

An Archaeological Evaluation

for Bride Hall Development Limited

 

by Sarah Coles 

Thames Valley Archaeological Services 

Site Code RGH00/ 01

January 2000

Summary

Site name: Land off Birdie Way, Rush Green, Hertford, Hertfordshire Grid reference: TL 3490 1305 Site activity: Field evaluation and desk-based assessment Date of project: December 1999/January 2000 Site code: RGH00/01 Area of site: c. 0.68 hectares Summary of results: Negative Monuments identified: None Location and reference of archive: The archive is at present held by Thames Valley Archaeological Services, 47–49 De Beauvoir Road, Reading, Berkshire, RG1 5NR and will be deposited with Hertford Museum in due course.

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Land off Birdie Way, Rush Green, Hertford, Hertfordshire An Archaeological Evaluation

by Sarah Coles

Report 00/01

Introduction

This report documents the results of an archaeological field investigation carried out on land off Birdie Way,

Rush Green, Hertfordshire (TL 3490 1305). The project was commissioned by Mr Marc Freeman of Bride Hall

Development Limited, 49 Hay’s Mews, Mayfair, London, W1X 7RT.

As planning permission is to be requested from East Hertford District Council for the construction of

housing and a drive through restaurant on this site an archaeological investigation was required. This is in

accordance with the Department of the Environment’s Policy and Planning Guidance Note Archaeology and

Planning (PPG16 1990) and the Council policies covering archaeology. The project was carried out to a

specification approved by Mr Alex Hunt of the Archaeology Section of Hertfordshire County Council. The

fieldwork and desktop study was carried out by Sarah Coles, Steve Ford, Nicola Powell and Andy Taylor during

December 1999 and January 2000. The site code is RGH00/01.

Location, Topography and Geology

The site is located on the eastern outskirts of the town of Hertford, on a trapezoidal-shaped parcel of land c. 0.68

hectares in extent, between Pine Hurst housing estate and Stanstead Road (Fig 1). The northern and western

boundaries are formed by a close-board fence enclosing an area of waste ground with scrub. The eastern

boundary is fenced in the same manner and separates the waste ground from an additional car park area built for

the adjacent petrol station, behind which is a modern L-shaped ditch. The southern boundary consists of the

Stanstead Road and roundabout on the A10.

The site is divided into two parcels of land by the remains of the now redundant Thieves Lane, which runs

across the site from east to west. The lane is now a steep-sided overgrown hollow-way. In the southern part of

the site are modern brick footings. No building is shown on any of the maps studied and, as the footing trenches

were not backfilled, it may never have been completed.

The site lies on level ground at a height of c. 70m above Ordnance Datum. The underlying geology is

indicated by the British Geological Survey to be glacial gravels over Reading Beds (BGS 1975) but only glacial

gravels were observed during the evaluation.

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Desk-Based Assessment

Cartographic Evidence

Six maps were consulted at the Hertfordshire Archives and Local Studies Centre (Appendix 1). The earliest map

seen was a map of Hertfordshire by Bryant dated 1822 (Fig 3) that does not show the site area in detail. The site

lies in an open area with a lane (Thieves Lane) crossing from east to west. The Second Edition of the Ordnance

Survey dated 1898 (Fig 4) shows the southern section of the site as part of a large enclosed field, with Thieves

Lane dividing it from Barrow Field to the north. The Ordnance Survey map produced in 1923 shows no

alterations to the site (not illustrated). However, the 1938 Ordnance Survey (Fig 5) shows the replacement of the

fields with a golf course and the projected line of a Roman road (Ermine Street), which ran near to the eastern

boundary of the site. The 1964/1972 map (Fig 6) shows that Thieves Lane was still present despite the golf

course and that there were no associated buildings on the area of the site. The most recent map (Fig 2) shows that

Thieves Lane was no longer an access road between the Stanstead Road and a minor road in Ware. The golf

course has been replaced by a modern housing estate with an area of open space surrounding the round barrow.

The proposal site is an enclosed but undeveloped area.

Archaeological Background

The Hertfordshire Sites and Monuments Record was consulted in December 1999 and this revealed a number of

entries for the vicinity of the site. The closest entries are listed in Appendix 2.

There are no entries for the development area itself but there are five entries for sites nearby. To the north-

west of the site is an upstanding bowl barrow, a probable burial mound dating to the early Bronze Age [Fig 1, 1].

This earthwork is a Scheduled Ancient Monument and has not been excavated. To the south-east a later Bronze

Age pit was found and excavated and shown to contain four loomweights and pottery [2]. Another pit of Bronze

Age date was found to the south of the proposal site [3]. Just to the south-east is the projected line of Roman

Ermine Street, the location of which was confirmed by excavation at NGR TL 3500 1270 in 1974; it dates to AD

50–410 [4]. To the west of the site is the possible location of a 16th century beacon, perhaps on or near the

upstanding round barrow [5]. Further afield are cropmarks of a single-ditched ring-ditch enclosure probably

dating to the Neolithic or Bronze Age [6] and to the north-east is the location of a possible Bronze Age

occupation site [7]. More recent entries include a mine known to have been worked for chalk and flint in 1897

[8], and a pillbox with defensive trenches dating from the Second World War [9, 10].

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Evaluation

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. A specification for the fieldwork was agreed

with Mr Alex Hunt of the Archaeology Section of Hertfordshire County Council. The original scheme required

the excavation of nine trenches, 1.6 m wide and 20 m long. However, on-site considerations dictated that this

varied.

The desktop study (above) was carried out in advance so that the results could inform the fieldwork with

regard to positioning of the trenches. The earliest cartographic source available (Bryant’s map of 1822) showed

that Thieves Lane was in existence at this time and it was considered that it could be late Medieval in origin. If

so, it was thought possible that contemporary buildings may have fronted onto the lane. The position of the

trenches was therefore arranged parallel to and adjacent to Thieves Lane to enhance the chance of locating any

such deposits.

The trenches were excavated using a JCB-type machine fitted with a toothless bucket under continuous

archaeological supervision. The topsoil was removed until the natural gravel was exposed. The spoilheaps were

searched for finds and possible archaeological features were investigated.

Following an on-site discussion with the County Archaeologist, five trenches (1, 2, 7, 8 and 9) were subject

to a second phase of machining in order to verify that archaeological features were not present where their bases

would have been more easily visible; up to another 0.30m of the gravel was removed.

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

given in Appendix 3.

Results

The nine trenches dug ranged in length from 16 to 27m (Fig 2). A uniform stratigraphic sequence was present in

all of the trenches across the site, with a thin topsoil (turf) overlying sandy gravel. Trench 6 was more sandy than

the other trenches and was more disturbed by root penetration.

The topsoil typically ranged in depth from 0.20m for trenches at the northern end of the site, to 0.40m for

those towards the southern end. The south-east end of Trench 4 lay close to the boundary of Thieves Lane and

0.2m of made ground was revealed beneath the topsoil. It is not clear if the thin topsoil observed in several

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places is a product of landscaping associated with use of the site as a golf course.

A small number of possible archaeological features were examined in Trench 4 but these were shown to be

very shallow and caused by root activity. Several loam patches clearly observed at the base of the trenches

subject to the second phase of machining were investigated but their sterile, homogenous fill would appear to be

of natural origin.

None of the trenches revealed any features of archaeological significance but a number of worked flints

were retrieved from the spoilheaps (Fig 2).

Finds

Struck flint by Steve Ford

A small collection of struck flint was recovered from the spoil heaps (Appendix 4): six flakes and a bashed lump

(tested nodule). None of the pieces are chronologically diagnostic and only a general date of Neolithic to late

Bronze Age can be suggested.

Pottery by Steve Ford

A single sherd of late post-Medieval pottery was recovered from Trench 4.

Conclusion

The evaluation has produced a small number of prehistoric struck flints, which indicates some prehistoric

activity in the vicinity. This is unsurprising as a number of Bronze Age occupation deposits were revealed during

construction work in nearby areas and further traces of activity are expected from the builders of the probable

early Bronze Age round barrow found to the west of the site. Apart from these few finds no deposits of

archaeological significance were found and therefore the site would appear to have no archaeological potential.

Bibliography

BGS, 1975, British Geological Survey, 1:50000, Sheet 239, Solid and Drift Edition, Keyworth PPG 16, 1990, Archaeology and Planning, Department of the Environment Planning Policy Guidance Note 16,

HMSO

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Appendix 1: Cartographic sources 1822 Bryant, Hertfordshire (Fig 3) 1898 Ordnance Survey Second Edition (Herts XXIX. 12) 1:2500 (Fig 4) 1923 Ordnance Survey (Herts XXIX. 12) 1:2500 1938 Ordnance Survey Revision (Herts XXIX. 12) 1:2500 (Fig 5) 1964 Ordnance Survey (Herts TL 3413 TL 3513) 1:1250) (Fig 6, north) 1972 Ordnance Survey (Herts OS 3412 TL 3512) 1:1250 (Fig 6, south)

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Appendix 2: Extract from Hertfordshire Sites and Monuments Record

No SMR No. NGR (TL) Brief description 1 98 3475 1311 Bowl Barrow: Early Bronze Age (?) 2 6512 3500 1290 Pit: Late Bronze Age 3 4712 3490 1280 Pit: Bronze Age 4 4669 3500 1270 Road (Ermine Street): Roman (AD 50–410) 5 4001 3475 1311 Beacon : Post-Medieval, 16th century 6 2169 3430 1270 Cropmarks -ring ditch: Neolithic or Early Bronze Age 7 1875 3830 1346 Occupation site: Late Bronze Age 8 7278 3520 1350 Chalk and flint mine: Post-Medieval (19th century) 9 6904 3468 1300 Pillbox : Post-Medieval (WWII) 10 9079 3450 1300 Trenches : Post-Medieval (WWII)

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Appendix 3: Trench details 0m at south or west end

Trench Number

Length (m)

Depth (m)

New depth (m)

Comments

1 20.30 0.30 0.38 Topsoil 0–0.20m, gravel 70.15m AOD 2 18.60 0.32 0.42 Topsoil 0–0.30m, gravel 69.85m AOD 3 21.70 0.30 Topsoil 0–0.30m, gravel 69.84m AOD 4 19.90 0.20 Topsoil 0–0.20m, made ground 0.20–0.40m, gravel 70.06m AOD 5 27.00 0.40 Topsoil 0–0.40m, gravel 69.63m AOD 6 20.30 0.30 Topsoil 0–0.30m, gravelly sand 69.62m AOD 7 19.00 0.35 0.58 Topsoil 0–0.30m, gravel 69.49m AOD 8 16.90 0.33 0.50 Topsoil 0–0.25m, gravel 69.30m AOD 9 19.50 0.30 0.65 Topsoil 0–0.28m, gravel 69.40m AOD

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Appendix 4: Catalogue of struck flint

Trench Number

Location Type

1 5–10 Intact flake 2 15–20 Intact flake 4 5–10 Broken flake 5 5–10 Intact flake 7 10–15 Bashed lump 8 5–10 Broken flake 9 10–15 Broken flake

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Land off Birdie Way, Rush Green, Hertford,Hertfordshire, 2000

Figure 1. Location of site within Hertford andHertfordshire showing SMR entries within a 500m

radius of the site.

Reproduced from Ordnance Survey Pathfinder 1096 TL21/31 1:25000Ordnance Survey Licence AL52324A0001

(reproduced at 1:12500)

12000

13000

TL34000 35000

SITE

RGH00/01

SITE

1, 5

2

3

46

7

8

910

0

N

100m

Birdie Way

Tee Side

footings

1

2

3

4

5

6

7 8

9

13000

13100

Thieves Lane

RGH00/01

Land off Birdie Way, Rush Green,Hertford, Hertfordshire, 2000

Flake

Flint

Bashed lump

A10 Roundabout

Figure 2. Trench loctaion plan showing flint finds.

TL34900

Land off Birdie Way, Rush Green, Hertford,Hertfordshire, 2000

Figure 3. Bryant’s Map of Hertfordshire, 1822.

RGH00/01

Approximatelocation of site

Land off Birdie Way, Rush Green, Hertford,Hertfordshire, 2000

Figure 4. Ordnance Survey 2nd edition, 1898.

RGH00/01

Site

Land off Birdie Way, Rush Green, Hertford,Hertfordshire, 2000

Figure 5. Ordnance Survey, 1938.

RGH00/01

Site

Rom

an R

oad

Land off Birdie Way, Rush Green, Hertford,Hertfordshire, 2000

Figure 6. Ordnance Survey, 1964 (south)and 1972 (north).

RGH00/01

Site

Plate 1. Trench 1 looking east, scales: 1m and 2m.

Plate 2. Trench 9 looking east, scales: 1m and 2m.

RGH00/01