Main Site Northampton Waterside Northamptonshire … · 2015-04-10 · Main Site . Northampton...

Main Site Northampton Waterside

Northamptonshire

Archaeological Evaluation

January 2014

for University of Northampton

CA Project: 660176 CA Report: 13702

Main Site

Northampton Waterside Northamptonshire

Archaeological Evaluation

CA Project: 660176 CA Report: 13702

prepared by Sam Wilson

date 18 December 2013

checked by Simon Cox, Head of Fieldwork

date 17 January 2014

approved by Mark Collard, Head of Contracts

signed

date 17 January 2014

issue 01

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

Cirencester Milton Keynes Andover Building 11 Unit 4 Stanley House Kemble Enterprise Park Cromwell Business Centre Walworth Road Kemble, Cirencester Howard Way, Newport Pagnell Andover, Hampshire Gloucestershire, GL7 6BQ MK16 9QS SP10 5LH t. 01285 771022 t. 01908 218320 t. 01264 347630 f. 01285 771033

e. [email protected]


1

Main Site, Northampton Waterside, Northamptonshire: Archaeological Evaluation

CONTENTS

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

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

The site .............................................................................................................. 3

Archaeological background ................................................................................ 4

Archaeological objectives ................................................................................... 5

Methodology....................................................................................................... 5

2. RESULTS (FIGS 2-3) ......................................................................................... 7

3. DISCUSSION ..................................................................................................... 8

4. CA PROJECT TEAM .......................................................................................... 8

5. REFERENCES ................................................................................................... 9

APPENDIX A: CONTEXT DESCRIPTIONS .................................................................... 10

APPENDIX B: OASIS REPORT FORM........................................................................... 11

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

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

Fig. 2 Trench location plan (1:2500; 1:1000)

Fig. 3 Section drawings (1:20; 1:100)

Fig. 4 Photograph: Trench 1 looking south (scales 1m)

Fig. 5 Photograph: Trench 1 representative west facing section (scales 1m)

Fig. 6 Photograph: Trench 2 looking east (scales 1m)

Fig. 7 Photograph: Trench 2 north facing section and concrete foundation (scales 1m)

Fig. 8 Photograph: Trench 3 looking east (scales 1m)

Fig. 9 Photograph: Trench 3 representative north facing section (scales 1m)


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SUMMARY

Project Name: Main Site (proposed University of Northampton Waterside Campus)

Location: Northampton Waterside, Northamptonshire

NGR: SP 76465 59595

Type: Evaluation

Date: 16-17 December 2013

Planning Reference: N/2013/0912

Location of Archive: To be deposited with Northampton Museum

Site Code: WNO 13

An archaeological evaluation was undertaken by Cotswold Archaeology in December 2013

immediately south west of an extant electricity sub-station on the Main Site of the proposed

University of Northampton Waterside Campus, Northampton Waterside, Northamptonshire.

Three trenches were excavated.

Evidence of modern (19th/20th century) ground disturbance and raising, probably relating to

the deposit of waste material from the nearby power station, was identified in all of the

excavated trenches. Modern concrete foundations in the east of Trench 2 mark the boundary

between deep dumps of modern material to the west, and shallower waste dumping to the

east (in Trench 3), beneath which modern buried topsoil and subsoils horizons survived from

a depth of 0.56m. These soil horizons sealed a layer of darker, disturbed material at 1.1m

depth, containing modern nails and wire fragments, which sealed the natural alluvium. This

disturbed layer suggests modern truncation had removed any earlier soil horizons which

might have persevered evidence of the Battle of Northampton, which is believed to have

occurred near to this location.

Although no features, deposits or artefacts of archaeological interest were identified during

the course of the evaluation, and modern truncation was extensive and 1.5m deep, natural

undisturbed alluvium was recorded at 1.5m depth in all three trenches.


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1. INTRODUCTION

1.1 In December 2013 Cotswold Archaeology (CA) carried out an archaeological

evaluation for University of Northampton at the Main Site of the proposed University

of Northampton Waterside Campus, Northampton Waterside, Northamptonshire

(centred on NGR: SP 76465 59595; Fig. 1). An outline planning application (ref.

N/2013/0912) was submitted to Northampton Borough Council (NBC) in August

2013 for the re-development of a site at Nunn Mills into a new university campus,

which will replace the University’s existing campuses to the north of the town centre.

An associated new access road, off the A428 Bedford Road, and bridge crossing of

the River Nene are proposed to the north of the Nene, and were evaluated

separately in late 2013 (CA 2014). A resolution to grant planning permission was

given at the NBC Planning Committee on 17 December 2013. Further details of the

overall development proposals are outlined in the Environmental Statement (Savills

2013). Due to the site’s location on the floodplain of the River Nene, which has been

the focus for human activity since at least the Mesolithic, and its proximity to the site

of the Battle of Northampton, an initial archaeological evaluation of the Main Site

was agreed with Lesley-Ann Mather, Northamptonshire County Council,

Archaeological Advisor to NBC.

1.2 The evaluation was carried out in accordance with the methodology contained within

a Written Scheme of Investigation (WSI) produced by CA for the evaluation of the

new access road and bridge crossing at Midsummer Meadow (CA 2013a). The use

of this same methodology and the locations of the three proposed trenches on the

main site were agreed by Lesley-Ann Mather through correspondence with CA. The

fieldwork also followed the Standard and Guidance for archaeological field

evaluation (IfA 2009), the Management of Archaeological Projects 2 (English

Heritage 1991) and the Management of Research Projects in the Historic

Environment (MORPHE): Project Manager’s Guide (EH 2006).

The site

1.3 The current evaluation area lies immediately adjacent to an extant electricity sub-

station in the south eastern corner of the Main Site, in the south east of the

proposed University Waterside Campus development area. This covers an area of

approximately 22.5ha, and is located c. 800m to the south-east of Northampton town


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centre, on the south bank of the River Nene. The ground is typically flat, with the

evaluation area lying at approximately 58m above Ordnance datum (AOD).

1.4 The bedrock geology comprises Jurassic rocks of the Whitby Mudstone Formation,

overlain by deposits of glaciofluvial and river terrace sand and gravel at the edges of

the floodplain, with more recent (Holocene) alluvial deposits extending over most of

the site (BGS 2013). Orange grey alluvial clays were identified in all of the

excavated trenches.

Archaeological background

1.5 The summary below is taken from the Archaeology and Heritage chapter, prepared

by Cotswold Archaeology, for the Environmental Statement (Savills 2013).

1.6 There are no known prehistoric remains within the site, although a findspot of

prehistoric stone tools is recorded to the north-west (HER ref MNN25223) and the

alluvium may conceal sites of prehistoric settlement or funerary monuments on

gravel islands between braided river channels. Previous geotechnical and

archaeological investigations on the site have shown that the alluvium ranges

between 1m and 7m in thickness (CA 2013b). Palaeochannels, which may contain

archaeologically important palaeoenvironmental remains, may be encountered

beneath and within the alluvium.

1.7 During the Late Iron Age and Roman periods the site was peripheral to the main

areas of settlement, the nearest Roman town being at Duston, approximately 4km to

the northwest. Previous investigations indicate that the area was increasingly prone

to flooding in the Roman period.

1.8 The town of Northampton has its origins in the early medieval period before the

founding of the fortified town or burh in the 9th and 10th centuries. The site lies 1km

to the southeast of the core of the early town, on land that was increasingly subject

to flooding and was probably used as seasonal pasture.

1.9 The medieval period was the peak of importance for the town of Northampton, with

the first extant town charter dating from 1189. The site lies to the south-east of the

medieval town and the vast majority of the site was probably water meadow used for

seasonal grazing, which remained undeveloped throughout the period. A medieval

watermill, first recorded in 1403, is known to have stood to the west of the current


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evaluation site. A subsequent post-medieval mill complex was later built there, and

continued as a working mill until its closure and demolition in the 20th century.

1.10 On 10 July 1460, the Battle of Northampton was fought on farmland to the south of

the town, in the vicinity of Delapre Abbey. There is still some uncertainty about the

precise location of the battle and it has been suggested that it may have taken place

in the area now occupied by the current site.

1.11 The previous evaluation carried out by CA in the Midsummer Meadows area in early

December 2013 revealed evidence of post-medieval/modern ground make-up or

levelling in all trenches. This was probably undertaken to reclaim or stabilise land

adjacent to the River Nene. This is likely to have removed any potential

archaeological remains relating to the Battle of Northampton in that area, which was

the suspected site of a Lancastrian rout during the Battle of Northampton.

Archaeological objectives

1.12 The objectives of the evaluation were to provide information about the

archaeological resource within the site, including its presence/absence, character,

extent, date, integrity, state of preservation and quality. In accordance with the

Standard and Guidance for Archaeological Field Evaluation (IfA 2009), the

evaluation was designed to be minimally intrusive and minimally destructive to

archaeological remains. The information gathered will enable Northampton Borough

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). The evaluation also set out to identify the nature of deposits to the south and

west of the electricity sub-station, as this area had only been subject to one

geotechnical test pit (Test Pit 1) and was not included in the subsequent deposit

model of the site (Savills 2013).

Methodology

1.13 The evaluation comprised the excavation of three trenches (Fig. 2). Trench 1 was

30m long, Trench 2 was 20m long and Trench 3 was 10m long. All trenches were

1.8m wide. In order to investigate the potential for archaeological deposits to survive

within and beneath any alluvial layers identified within the trenches, all were


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excavated to a maximum depth of 1.5m or the base of the alluvium, whichever

occurred first. Trench sides were stepped or battered where necessary.

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

and scanned for live services by trained CA staff using CAT and Genny equipment

in accordance with the CA Safe System of Work for avoiding underground services.

The final ‘as dug’ trench plan was recorded with GPS.

1.15 All trenches were excavated by mechanical excavator equipped with a toothless

ditching bucket. All machine excavation was undertaken under constant

archaeological supervision to the top of the first significant archaeological horizon or

the natural 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 (2013).

1.16 Deposits were assessed for their palaeoenvironmental potential in accordance with

CA Technical Manual 2: The Taking and Processing of Environmental and Other

Samples from Archaeological Sites (2003). No deposits were identified that required

sampling. All artefacts recovered were processed in accordance with Technical

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

Metal detector survey methodology

1.17 As the site lies almost directly adjacent to the battlefield of Northampton (1460), an

intensive metal detecting survey was initially undertaken. All trenches were scanned

by an experienced battlefield archaeologist (Sam Wilson, CA), with the metal

detector set in all metal mode, in 10cm spits between machining, starting at the

surface of the trench. The objective was to recover a sample showing the absolute

density of artefacts of all periods through the soil column and any cut features.

However, during machining it became clear that modern make-up and/or levelling

deposits sealing the alluvium were present in Trench 1 and most of Trench 2 to a

depth of 1.5m rendering detecting unnecessary. After an initial deposit of modern

make up, Trench 3 contained in situ possible buried topsoil and subsoil horizons,

and was intensively scanned by metal detector in 10cm spits to a maximum depth of

1.5m. Only modern wire and nails were identified. These were noted but not

retained.


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1.18 The archive from the evaluation is currently held by CA at their offices in Andover.

The archive will be held at the CA offices in Andover until suitable county museum

storage is provided. A summary of information from this project, set out within

Appendix B, will be entered onto the OASIS online database of archaeological

projects in Britain.

2. RESULTS (FIGS 2 - 9)

2.1 This section provides an overview of the evaluation results; detailed summaries of

the recorded contexts are to be found in Appendix A. Deposits identified during

excavation were similar to those recorded during the recent evaluation of the

proposed new road and bridge access to the development to the north of the site, at

Midsummer Meadow (CA 2014).

2.2 In Trench 1, pale yellowish-brown clay alluvium 102 was recorded along the length

of the trench at a depth of 1.5m below present ground level. This was overlain by

two make-up/levelling deposits; black ‘gritty’ industrial dump 101 in turn overlain by a

0.7m thick, very compacted bluish-grey layer, 100, of modern ash up to present

ground level. It appeared that any deposits that once existed above the alluvium had

previously been truncated and modern industrial waste dumped directly onto the

undisturbed clay alluvium.

2.3 In Trench 2, a pale yellowish-brown clay alluvium 205 was identified along most of

the trench at a depth of 1.25-1.5m. Above this was a layer of disturbance, 204,

containing modern material (not retained) and sealed beneath possible buried

subsoil, 203, and topsoil 202, visible towards the eastern end of the trench. The

buried soils were truncated by a construction cut, 206, for a north/south aligned

concrete foundation, demarcating the eastern side of a large area of modern

truncation and infilling. This was recorded in Trench 1 also. The rest of the alluvial

layer 205 was overlain by a 1.5m thick, ashy deposit 200, identical to 100 in Trench

1.

2.4 Trench 3 contained the same alluvial deposit 304 as seen in Trenches 1 and 2. This

was covered by a 0.2m thick modern disturbance layer 303 at 1.08m depth, covered

by buried subsoil 302 and topsoil 301. These layers were covered by a modern

industrial waste layer 300 to a depth of 0.56m. Both 301 and 303 contained ferrous


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items recovered by metal detector which included of nails and wire fragments, all of

which appeared to be of relatively modern date. No other finds or features of

archaeological significance were recorded.

2.5 All trenches recorded natural, undisturbed alluvium at 1.5m depth below modern

ground level; less deep than had previously been recorded in Geotechnical test pit

1 (CA 2013b), although this earlier fieldwork identified similar made ground deposits,

particularly consistent with those in current Trenches 1 and 2.

3. DISCUSSION

3.1 Evidence of modern ground make-up/levelling was identified in all of the excavated

trenches. The broadly consistent nature of the make-up/levelling deposits

encountered in each of the excavated trenches suggests that they may represent

industrial dumping relating to the nearby power station and associated railway line

during the 19th/20th century. An intact sequence of buried soil layers was recorded

in the eastern part of the present evaluation area. However, modern iron objects

were recovered from an underlying disturbed deposit, 303, at 1.08m depth,

suggesting that there was horizontal truncation at a relatively recent date, and that

the buried sequence in Trenches 2 and 3 was therefore modern in date. Therefore,

the potential for deposits associated with the 1460 Battle of Northampton to survive

in this area would appear to be very low.

4. CA PROJECT TEAM

Fieldwork was undertaken by Chris Ellis, assisted by battlefield specialist Sam

Wilson. The report was written by Sam Wilson. The illustrations were prepared by

Dan Bashford. The archive has been compiled by Chris Ellis, and prepared for

deposition by Jon Hart. The project was managed for CA by Simon Cox.


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5. REFERENCES

BGS (British Geological Survey) 2013 Geology of Britain Viewer

http://mapapps.bgs.ac.uk/geologyofbritain/home.html Accessed 18 December 2013

CA (Cotswold Archaeology) 2013a Nunn Mills, Northampton Waterside, Northamptonshire:

Written Scheme of Investigation for an Archaeological Evaluation

CA (Cotswold Archaeology) 2013b The University of Northampton, Waterside Campus:

Watching Brief Report. CA Typescript report No. 13470

CA (Cotswold Archaeology) 2014 Midsummer Meadow, Northampton Waterside,

Northamptonshire: Evaluation Report. CA Typescript report No. 13687

Savills 2013 Waterside Campus, Northampton: Environment Statement

http://mapapps.bgs.ac.uk/geologyofbritain/home.html


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APPENDIX A: CONTEXT DESCRIPTIONS

Trench

No. Context

No. Type Context

interpretation Description L (m) W

(m) Depth/thickness (m)

1 100 Layer Made Ground Modern Ash? Very compact light grey silty sand. Sterile.

>30 >1.8 0.7

1 101 Layer Made Ground Industrial waste dump of black gritty coarse sand/clinker

>30 >1.8 0.8

1 102 Layer Alluvium Pale yellowish brown silty clay >30 >1.8 >0.06 2 200 Layer Made Ground Modern Ash? Very compact light

grey silty sand. Sterile.. Not visible in eastern 2.5m of trench. Thickens to the west to max trench depth

>17.5 >1.8 1.5

2 201 Layer Made Ground Industrial waste dump of black gritty coarse sand/clinker

>7 >1.8 1.4

2 202 Layer Buried Topsoil Light greyish-brown silty loam >1 >1.8 0.3

2 203 Layer Subsoil Pale yellowish-brown stiff silty clay >2 >1.8 0.3

2 204 Layer Disturbance Layer

Light brown fine silty clay with charcoal inclusions.

>4 >1.8 0.2

2 205 Layer Alluvium Pale yellowish-brown silty clay >17 >1.8 >0.25

2 206 Cut Foundation trench

Foundation trench cut for concrete footing

>1.7 >2.5 >1

3 300 Layer Made Ground Industrial waste dump of black gritty coarse sand/clinker. Contained large amounts of modern rubbish including electrical sub-station components

>10 >1.8 0.56

3 301 Layer Buried Topsoil Light greyish-brown silty loam >10 >1.8 0.32

3 302 Layer Subsoil Pale yellowish brown stiff silty clay >10 >1.8 0.2

3 303 Layer Disturbance Layer

Light brown fine silty clay with charcoal inclusions. Contained occasional iron nails and wire frag’s

>10 >1.8 0.22

3 304 Layer Alluvium Pale yellowish-brown silty clay >10 >1.8 >0.2


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APPENDIX B: OASIS REPORT FORM

PROJECT DETAILS Project Name Main Site, Northampton Waterside, Northamptonshire

Short description

An archaeological evaluation was undertaken by Cotswold Archaeology in December 2013 immediately south west of an extant electricity sub-station on the Main Site of the proposed University of Northampton campus, Northampton Waterside, Northamptonshire. Three trenches were excavated. Evidence of modern (19th/20th century) ground disturbance and raising, probably relating to the deposit of waste material from the nearby power station, was identified in all of the excavated trenches. Modern concrete foundations in the east of Trench 2 mark the boundary between deep dumps of modern material to the west, and shallower waste dumping to the east (in Trench 3), beneath which modern buried topsoil and subsoils horizons survived from a depth of 0.56m. These soil horizons sealed a layer of darker, disturbed material at 1.1m depth, containing modern nails and wire fragments, which sealed the natural alluvium. This disturbed layer suggests modern truncation had removed any earlier soil horizons which might have persevered evidence of the Battle of Northampton, which is believed to have occurred near to this location. Although no features, deposits or artefacts of archaeological interest were identified during the course of the evaluation, and modern truncation was extensive and 1.5m deep, natural undisturbed alluvium was recorded at 1.5m depth in all three trenches.

Project dates 16-17 December 2013 Project type Feld Evaluation Previous work Environmental Statement (Savills 2013); Watching Brief (CA 2013); Field

Evaluation (CA 2013) Future work Unknown

PROJECT LOCATION Site Location Main Site, Northampton Waterside, Northamptonshire Study area (M2/ha) 22.5ha Site co-ordinates SP 76465 59595 PROJECT CREATORS Name of organisation Cotswold Archaeology Project Design (WSI) originator Cotswold Archaeology Project Manager Simon Cox Project Supervisor Chris Ellis MONUMENT TYPE None SIGNIFICANT FINDS None PROJECT ARCHIVES Intended final location of archive

(museum/Accession no.) Content

Physical N/A N/A Paper Northampton Museum Trench recording forms, site

drawings (A4), photographic registers

Digital Northampton Museum Digital photos, survey data, report BIBLIOGRAPHY

CA (Cotswold Archaeology) 2014 Main Site, Northampton Waterside, Northamptonshire: Archaeological Evaluation. CA typescript report 13702

Northamptonshire

CotswoldArchaeology

Cirencester 01285 771022

Milton Keynes 01908 218320

Andover 01264 326549

w www.cotswoldarchaeology.co.uk

e [email protected]

PROJECT TITLE

FIGURE TITLE

FIGURE NO.DATEREVISIONSCALE@A4

PROJECT NO.DRAWN BYAPPROVED BY

N

0 1km

Site location plan

Main Site, Northampton WatersideNorthamptonshire

660176DJBLM 1

03/01/2014001:25,000

Reproduced from the 1999 Ordnance Survey Explorer map with the permission of Ordnance Survey on behalf of The Controller of Her Majesty's Stationery Office Crown copyright Cotswold Archaeology Ltd 100002109

c

Tr1

Tr2 Tr3

concretefoundations

stantionline

CotswoldArchaeology

N

PROJECT TITLE

FIGURE TITLE



0 100m

0 50m

Trench location plan

Main Site, Northampton WatersideNorthamptonshire

03-01-2014001:2500 1:1000

660176DJBLM 2



Andover 01264 326549


e [email protected]

site

evaluation trench

inset

259800

476200

A

A

B B C C

CotswoldArchaeology



Andover 01264 347630


e [email protected]

PROJECT TITLE

FIGURE TITLE



03/01/2014001:20 1:100

660176DJBLM 3

Main site, Northampton Waterside, Northamptonshire

Section drawings

0 1m 0 1m

0 5m

alluvium

industrialwaste101

ash 100

alluvium 102

57.25mAOD

N S

Section AA

57.25mAOD

E W

Section BB

200

201201

ash 200202

foundationcut206

203

distubedlayer204

alluvium 205205205 concrete

foundation

57.0mAOD

E W

Section CC

industrial waste300

buried topsoil301

buried subsoil 302

disturbed layer 303

alluvium 304

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