Land off Vicarage Road Pitstone Buckinghamshire€¦ · Final 5-11-15 Final Client Reviewed SCC This report is confidential to the client. Cotswold Archaeology accepts no responsibility

Land off Vicarage Road Pitstone

Buckinghamshire

Archaeological Evaluation

for

Wilbraham Associates

on behalf of

European Property Acquisition Ltd

CA Project: 660524

CA Report: 15773 Site Code: VRP15

October 2015

Land off Vicarage Road

Pitstone Buckinghamshire

Archaeological Evaluation

CA Project: 660524 CA Report: 15773 Site Code: VRP15

Document Control Grid

Version Date Author Checked by Status Reasons for revision

Approved by

Draft 26-10-15 JSJ SRJ Internal review

SCC

Final 5-11-15 Final Client Reviewed SCC

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


1

Land off Vicarage Road, Pitstone: Archaeological Evaluation

CONTENTS

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

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

3. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ................................................................................... 6

4. METHODOLOGY ............................................................................................... 6

5. EVALUATION RESULTS ................................................................................... 7

6. THE FINDS ........................................................................................................ 9

7. DISCUSSION ..................................................................................................... 9

8. CA PROJECT TEAM .......................................................................................... 10

9. REFERENCES ................................................................................................... 10

APPENDIX A: CONTEXT DESCRIPTIONS .................................................................... 12

APPENDIX B: THE FINDS .............................................................................................. 13

APPENDIX C: OASIS REPORT FORM .......................................................................... 14

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

Fig. 1 Site location plan, 1:25,000

Fig. 2 Trench location plan showing archaeological features and geophysical survey

results, 1:750

Fig. 3 General view of the site, looking north-west

Fig. 4 General view of the site, looking south-west

Fig. 5 Trench 11: section and photograph, 1:20

Fig. 6 Trench 7: section and photograph, 1:20


2


SUMMARY

Project Name: Land off Vicarage Road

Location: Pitstone, Buckinghamshire

NGR: SP 9399 1511

Type: Evaluation

Date: 6th-8th October 2015

Planning Reference: 15/00139/OAP and 15/00140/OAP

Location of Archive: Buckinghamshire Museums Service

Site Code: VRP15

In October 2015, Cotswold Archaeology carried out an archaeological evaluation of land off

Vicarage Road, Pitstone, Buckinghamshire. The evaluation, which was commissioned by

Wilbraham Associates Ltd, acting on behalf of European Property Acquisition Ltd, was

carried out in support of an outline planning application for the residential development of the

site.

Geophysical survey of the site had shown few features of archaeological interest and the

paucity of archaeological remains was confirmed by the current evaluation. Two geophysical

anomalies, interpreted as being of possible archaeological interest, were shown to be

naturally-formed features, and the only features that were encountered were a probable

furrow and a post-medieval/modern ditch. Significant quantities of late 19th and early 20th-

century refuse in the topsoil in the western half of the site are indicative of the use of the land

for allotments, as shown on Ordnance Survey maps of this time.


3


1. INTRODUCTION

1.1 In October 2015, Cotswold Archaeology (CA) carried out an archaeological

evaluation of land off Vicarage Road, Pitstone, Buckinghamshire (site centred on

NGR: SP 9399 1511; Fig. 1). The evaluation, which was commissioned by

Wilbraham Associates Ltd, acting on behalf of European Property Acquisition Ltd,

was carried out in support of an outline planning application for the residential

development of the site (Aylesbury Vale District Council planning ref.

15/00139/OAP). Part of the site fronting on to Vicarage Road has already received

outline planning permission and the evaluation aimed to fulfil an archaeological

condition attached to consent (planning ref. 15/00140/OAP, Condition 11); however,

due to site constraints, access to the site was not achievable.

1.2 The scope of the programme of archaeological investigation was determined following

discussions between CA and Phil Markham, Buckinghamshire County Council’s

Senior Archaeology Planning Officer (BCCSAPO), archaeological advisor to

Aylesbury Vale District Council. The first stage was a geophysical survey, undertaken

by Stratascan in April 2015 (acting on behalf of CA), which identified two anomalies of

uncertain origin in the eastern part of the site (Stratascan 2015). The current

evaluation, comprising 300m of trial trench, was carried out to support and verify the

findings of the geophysical survey.

1.3 The project was carried out in accordance with the WSI (CA 2015) and abided by

the Chartered Institute for Archaeologists’ Standard and Guidance for

Archaeological Evaluation (CIfA 2014) and the Historic England (formerly English

Heritage) procedural documents Management of Archaeological Projects 2 (EH

1991) and Management of Research Projects in the Historic Environment

(MoRPHE): Project Manager’s Guide (EH 2006).

2. BACKGROUND

Site location, topography and geology

2.1 The proposed development site, which covers an area of c. 2ha, is situated at the

southern end of the village of Pitstone, approximately 4km to the north-east of Tring

town centre (Fig. 1). It comprises two pasture fields bounded by Vicarage Road to

the north-east, residential properties to the north-west and south-east and a belt of


4


trees to the south-west (Figs. 3 and 4). Beyond the belt of trees is the site of a

former cement works and chalk pit, part of which has now been developed for

housing. The site is situated on a gentle north-west facing slope at the foot of the

Chiltern escarpment, at approximately 117m above Ordnance Datum (aOD). The

escarpment dominates the village to the east, with the steep chalk slope rising to

233m aOD at the Iron Age hill fort at Ivinghoe Beacon c. 2.5km to the north-east

and 249m aOD at Crawley Wood c. 2.5km to the east.

2.2 The geology comprises undifferentiated Cretaceous rocks of the West Melbury

Marly Chalk Formation and Zig Zag Chalk Formation (BGS 2015). No superficial

deposits have been mapped within the proposed development area.

Archaeological and historical background

2.3 Although there are no known heritage assets within the site, reference to the

Buckinghamshire Historic Environment Record (HER) shows that the site lies

immediately adjacent to an area of known archaeology. There are also records of

archaeological sites in the surrounding area, dating from the Bronze Age to post-

medieval periods (HER references in parentheses).

Prehistoric

2.4 During excavations on the site of the former cement works immediately to the

south-west of the application area, carried out by Albion Archaeology in 2000 and

2002, two intercutting pits containing Late Bronze Age/Early Iron Age pottery,

animal bone and charcoal were investigated (0932600000; Albion 2006).

Approximately 300m to the north-east of the site, a probable prehistoric sub-circular

enclosure has been identified from cropmarks in a field to the north of Vicarage

Road (0253201000).

Roman

2.5 Four Romano-British boundary ditches on a north-east to south-west alignment

were investigated on the site of the former cement works (0932700000). The largest

of the ditches measured up to 3.2m wide by 0.44m deep, the other ditches

measured between 0.56m and 1.0m wide by 0.15m and 0.40m deep. Interpreted as

the remains of a Romano-British field system, the finds from the features include

pottery, animal bone, flint, coins and metalwork. Romano-British pottery was also

recovered by a fieldwalking survey in a field near the parish church, c. 250m to the

east of the site (0249100000).


5


Medieval

2.6 The remains of an unenclosed early Saxon settlement, comprising between four

and six sunken featured buildings and a dispersed scatter of pits, were investigated

at the cement works site (0677900000; Albion 2006). Pottery from the site dates the

settlement to before the mid 7th century, but the date that it was established and

when occupation ceased is uncertain. Saxon material has also been found in the

vicinity of the church (0249100000) and there are records of Saxon inhumations

having been found during quarrying c. 1km to the east of the site (Albion 2006).

2.7 In the medieval period the village was recorded variously as Pincenestorne,

Pinchenstorre and Pichelesburne, amongst other variants, which derive from the

Saxon name 'Picel's thorn tree' (VCH 1925). Pitstone has a complex manorial

history and comprised a number of manors, including Pitstone Morrants, Pitstone

Manor and Pitstone Neyrnut, the latter probably being an amalgamation of three

smaller manors. Following the Norman Conquest, much of the land in and around

Pitstone belonged to Robert, Count of Mortain, half-brother of William I. Robert had

received the lands from his half-brother but his son William of Mortain forfeited his

English holdings following a failed rebellion in 1104. The Chenduit family appear to

have been in possession of or had interests in several of the manors of Pitstone in

the 12th and 13th centuries. In the latter half of the 13th century Ulian Chenduit

granted Edmund, Earl of Cornwall his 'manor of Ashridge with Pitstone … with the

park of the manor in the parish of St. Peter of Berkhampstead and in the parish of

the church of Pitstone.’ In 1283 Edmund granted the manor to the new priory at

Ashridge, which was founded by the Bonhommes, a religious order that followed

the rule of St Augustine.

2.8 The redundant church of St Mary’s, Pitstone, a Grade I Listed building, is situated

less than 200m to the south-east of the site (0022300000). Its fabric predominately

dates from the 13th to 15th centuries, although some carved fragments of stone

dating from the 12th century suggest that an earlier church once stood on the site. It

was extensively restored in the 19th and 20th centuries and was declared

redundant in 1973.

2.9 In the medieval period the village appears to have been more extensive as there

are extant earthworks to the east and north of the church associated with medieval

settlement. These remains include house platforms, holloways (0249100000) and a

moated site that formerly surrounded Pitstone Place mansion (0046200000).


6


Medieval pottery and other medieval finds have been recovered by a fieldwalking

survey in the area near the church.

2.10 A medieval or post-medieval holloway and vestiges of ridge and furrow ploughing

were investigated during the excavations on the cement works site (0932800000;

Albion 2006).

2.11 There are no anomalies of certain archaeological significance shown on the results

of the geophysical survey undertaken by Stratascan as part of the current project

(Stratascan 2015); the only anomalies were two features in the eastern field that

have been shown by excavation to be of natural origin.

3. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

3.1 The objectives of the evaluation, as stated in the WSI (CA 2015), were to provide

information about the archaeological resource within the site, including its

presence/absence, character, extent, date, integrity, state of preservation and

quality. Furthermore, the project design outlined an approach which would

investigate and determine the nature, date and extent of anomalies shown on the

results of the geophysical survey of the site (Stratascan 2015). In accordance with

the Standard and Guidance for Archaeological Field Evaluation (CIfA 2014), the

evaluation was designed to be minimally intrusive and minimally destructive to

archaeological remains. The results will enable Aylesbury Vale District Council to

identify and assess the particular significance of any heritage asset, consider the

impact of the proposed development upon it, and to avoid or minimise conflict

between the heritage asset’s conservation and any aspect of the development

proposal, in line with the National Planning Policy Framework (DCLG 2012).

4. METHODOLOGY

4.1 The fieldwork comprised the excavation of ten trenches (nine 30m and one 15m

trench) in the locations shown in Figure 2. Trenches 8 and 9 were targeted on

geophysical anomalies, with the remaining eight trenches providing a representative

sample of the proposed development area, based on a plan agreed with BCCSAPO.

The intention had been to excavate a 15m trench (Trench 1) in the small plot of land

fronting on to Vicarage Road, but due to overhead cables and the obstruction


7


caused by trees and derelict farm machinery stored on the site, it was not possible

to excavate this trench.

4.2 Trenches were set out on OS National Grid (NGR) co-ordinates using Leica GPS

and surveyed in accordance with CA’s Technical Manual 4: Survey Manual. All

trenches were excavated by JCB 3CX mechanical excavator equipped with a 1.6m

wide toothless grading bucket. All machine excavation was undertaken under

constant archaeological supervision to the top of the first significant archaeological

horizon or the geological substrate, whichever was encountered first. Where

archaeological deposits were encountered they were excavated by hand in

accordance with CA Technical Manual 1: Fieldwork Recording Manual.

4.3 All artefacts recovered were processed in accordance with CA Technical Manual 3:

Treatment of Finds Immediately after Excavation. No deposits were identified that

were suitable for environmental sampling.

4.4 The archive and artefacts from the evaluation are currently held by CA at their

offices in Milton Keynes. Subject to the agreement of the legal landowner the

artefacts will be deposited with Buckinghamshire Museums Service along with the

site archive. A summary of information from this project, as set out within Appendix

C, will be entered onto the OASIS online database of archaeological projects in

Britain.

5. EVALUATION RESULTS

Summary

5.1 The proposed development area comprised two pasture fields and an adjoining

small plot of land fronting on to Vicarage Road. Machine access to the small plot

was impeded by large conifers and the site of the proposed trench in this area was

obstructed by trees, overhead cables and disused farm machinery; it was therefore

not possible to safely excavate the trench in this part of the site (Trench 1). Access

to the main part of the site was clear, with Trenches 2-6 located within the western

field and Trenches 7-11 in the eastern field (Fig. 2).

5.2 Two features were identified in the evaluation trenches, both in the eastern field.

These comprised the remnants of a probable furrow, its alignment corresponding


8


with furrows indicated on the geophysical survey results, and a post-medieval or

modern ditch running parallel with the southern boundary of the site. Artefactual

finds comprised a residual sherd of prehistoric pottery from the fill of the furrow.

General stratigraphy

5.3 The geological substrate, which was encountered at a depth of between 0.4m and

0.7m below current ground level (approximately 116.3m aOD), consisted of light

grey brown marly clay, interspersed with outcrops of chalk clunch and lenses of flint

gravel. Subsoil had formed to an average thickness of 0.25m and consisted of light

grey brown clay. The topsoil in the western half of the site contained frequent

inclusions of broken brick, tile, glass and coal. A single quarter pint milk bottle,

stamped United Dairies (operating between 1917 and 1959) was recovered from the

topsoil in Trench 6, but not retained.

5.4 At the western end of Trench 8 and corresponding with an anomaly detected by the

geophysical survey was a deposit of friable, weathered, sterile grey clay, with

frequent inclusions of fragmented chalk and small sub-angular flint gravel. This was

initially interpreted as a deposit of colluvium and machined in spits to a depth of

1.0m. Further investigation revealed that the deposit was the fill of an irregular

naturally-formed hollow, possibly of periglacial origin.

Medieval/post-medieval furrow

Trench 11

5.5 The remains of a shallow furrow (1103) were identified at the eastern end of Trench

11. It was aligned north-east to south-west, corresponding with the alignment of the

furrows detected by the geophysical survey, and measured c. 1.2m wide by 0.12m

deep (Fig. 5). A residual sherd of Late Bronze Age/Early Iron Age pottery was

recovered from its fill (1104).

Post-medieval/modern

Trench 7

5.6 Passing through the south-west end of Trench 7 and cut through the subsoil was

ditch 705. It was aligned north-west to south-east and ran parallel and c. 15m to the

north of the southern boundary of the site. It had a uniform “U” shaped profile, with

moderately sloping sides and a concave base, measured c. 1.2m wide by 0.39m

deep and was filled with mid-orange brown clay (Fig. 6). There were no finds in the


9


excavated fill of this feature, but a post-medieval or modern date is suggested as it

cut the subsoil (mineralised medieval plough soil).

6. THE FINDS

6.1 The only artefactual find from the evaluation was a sherd of prehistoric pottery

recovered from a small ditch (Appendix B).

6.2 Pottery: Late prehistoric

Pottery of this date range (which spans the Late Bronze Age and Iron Age) consists

of a single unfeatured bodysherd (17g) in a fine flint-and-quartz tempered fabric

(FLQZ), from fill 1104 of ditch 1103. This pottery can be more closely dated to the

Late Bronze Age to earlier Iron Age on the basis of inclusion type and firing

characteristics. The sherd is in moderate to good condition in terms of edge

abrasion and surface preservation.

7. DISCUSSION

7.1 The geophysical survey of the site had shown few features of archaeological interest

(Stratascan 2015); the only anomalies were a possible pit and curving ditch, with a

series of parallel linear anomalies characteristic of medieval/post-medieval ridge and

furrow ploughing evident across most of the site. The paucity of archaeological

remains within the site was confirmed by the trial trench evaluation, which

encountered only two features, comprising a probable furrow and a post-medieval or

modern ditch. The geophysical anomalies interpreted as being of possible

archaeological interest were shown to be of natural origin.

7.2 The remains of ridge and furrow ploughing shown on the geophysical survey results

were not evident in the base of the trial trenches, indicating that the furrows were

shallow and largely ploughed out. Only one probable furrow was identified, in a

trench at the northern edge of the eastern field; this was aligned north-east to south-

west and corresponded with the linear trends shown by the geophysical survey in

this area. The furrows indicate that the site lay within the village’s open field system

in the medieval and post-medieval period, until the land was enclosed in the late

18th or 19th century.


10


7.3 A small ditch, running parallel to the southern boundary of the site, was identified in

the south-west corner of the eastern field. This was not shown on the geophysical

survey, probably due to it being masked by magnetic disturbance from debris

around the edge of the field. It was cut high up in the soil profile, cutting thorough the

subsoil and only penetrating 0.15m into the geological substrate.

7.4 The topsoil in the western part of the site contained sizeable quantities of modern

refuse, including brick and tile fragments, coal, coke, ashes, and glass. Reference to

the 25” Ordnance Survey map from 1898 shows the western half of the site given

over as allotments, explaining the presence of late 19th to 20th-century household

waste in the topsoil.

8. CA PROJECT TEAM

8.1 The fieldwork was undertaken by Jake Streatfeild-James, assisted by Jon Whitmore

and Matthew Ferron. The report was written by Jake Streatfeild-James, with a

contribution from Jacky Somerville, and the illustrations were prepared by Rosanna

Price. The archive has been compiled by Emily Evans and prepared for deposition

by Hazel O’Neill. The project was managed for CA by Simon Carlyle.

9. REFERENCES

Albion Archaeology 2005 Excavation of an early Saxon settlement at Pitstone,

Records of Buckinghamshire, 45, 1–32

BGS (British Geological Survey) 2015 www.bgs.ac.uk/geoindex, accessed 13 July

2015

CA (Cotswold Archaeology) 2015 Land off Vicarage Road, Pitstone,

Buckinghamshire: Written Scheme of Investigation for an Archaeological

Evaluation, unpublished document

DCLG (Department for Communities and Local Government) 2012 National

Planning Policy Framework


11


Stratascan 2015 Pitstone, Buckinghamshire: Geophysical Survey Report, report

J8282

VCH (Victoria County History) 1925 A History of the County of Buckinghamshire,

Volume 3, 406–412


12


APPENDIX A: CONTEXT DESCRIPTIONS

Trench No.

Context No.

Type Context interpretation

Description L (m)

W (m)

D/T (m)

Spot-date

2

201 Layer Topsoil Dark grey brown loam 0.3

202 Layer Subsoil Light grey brown clay 0.2

203 Layer Natural Grey clay and flints

3

301 Layer Topsoil Mid grey brown loam 0.3


303 Layer Natural Chalk clunch, clay with flints

4


402 Layer Subsoil Mid grey brown clay 0.1

403 Layer Natural Grey chalk and clay

5



503 Layer Natural Grey chalky clay

6

601 Layer Topsoil Mid grey brown clay 0.2

602 Layer Subsoil Light orange brown clay 0.2

603 Layer Natural Light grey clay with flints

7

701 Layer Topsoil Mid grey brown loam 0.2


703 Layer Natural Chalk and clunch

704 Fill Fill of 705 Mid orange brown, compact clay 0.4

705 Cut Cut of ditch Moderate sides, concave base >2.2 1.2 0.4 Post-med/ modern

8



803 Layer Natural Mid brown chalky clay and flint

9

901 Layer Topsoil Dark grey brown silty clay 0.3

902 Layer Subsoil Light grey brown friable silty clay 0.3

903 Layer Natural Light grey brown clay and flints

10

1001 Layer Topsoil Mid grey brown silty clay 0.3

1001 Layer Subsoil Light grey brown silty clay 0.4

1001 Layer Natural Light white grey clay and flints

11

1100 Layer Topsoil Dark grey brown silty clay 0.2

1101 Layer Subsoil Mid grey brown silty clay 0.4

1102 Layer Natural Light white grey chalk and flints

1103 Cut Cut of furrow Shallow sides concave base >2.1 1.2 0.1 Medieval

1104 Fill Fill of 1103 Mid grey brown compacted clay 0.1


13


APPENDIX B: THE FINDS

Context Category Description Fabric Code

Count Weight (g)

Spot-date

1104 Late prehistoric pottery Fine flint-and-quartz tempered fabric

FLQZ 1 17 LBA/EIA


14


APPENDIX C: OASIS REPORT FORM

PROJECT DETAILS

Project name Land off Vicarage Road, Pitstone Short description

Geophysical survey of the site had shown few features of archaeological interest and the paucity of archaeological remains was confirmed by the current evaluation. Two geophysical anomalies, interpreted as being of possible archaeological interest, were shown to be naturally-formed features, and the only features that were encountered were a probable furrow and a post-medieval/modern ditch. Significant quantities of late 19th and early 20th-century refuse in the topsoil in the western half of the site are indicative of the use of the land for allotments, as shown on Ordnance Survey maps of this time.

Project dates 6th–8th October 2015

Project type Field evaluation

Previous work Geophysical survey (Stratascan 2015) Future work Unknown

Monument type Plough furrows Significant finds LBA/IA pottery (residual) PROJECT LOCATION

Site location Vicarage Road, Pitstone, Buckinghamshire Study area 2.0ha

Site co-ordinates SP 9399 1511 PROJECT CREATORS

Name of organisation Cotswold Archaeology (CA)

Project Brief originator -

Project Design (WSI) originator CA Project Manager Simon Carlyle (CA)

Project Supervisor Jake Streatfeild-James (CA) PROJECT ARCHIVE

Accession no: - Content

Physical Buckinghamshire Museums Service

Pottery

Paper Site records

Digital Buckinghamshire HER Report, digital photos

BIBLIOGRAPHY

CA (Cotswold Archaeology) 2015 Land off Vicarage Road, Pitstone, Buckinghamshire: Archaeological Evaluation. CA typescript report 15773

15

Land off Vicarage Road Pitstone Buckinghamshire€¦ · Final 5-11-15 Final Client Reviewed SCC This report is confidential to the client. Cotswold Archaeology accepts no responsibility

Documents