STONEHENGE CAR PARK STONEHENGE WILTSHIRE

For

CA REPORT: 06035

STONEHENGE CAR PARK STONEHENGE

WILTSHIRE

ARCHAEOLOGICAL WATCHING BRIEF

MARCH 2006

For

ENGLISH HERITAGE

STONEHENGE CAR PARK STONEHENGE

WILTSHIRE

ARCHAEOLOGICAL WATCHING BRIEF

CA PROJECT: 2142 CA REPORT: 06035

Author: Franco A. Vartuca

Approved:

Signed:

Mark Collard

…………………………………………………………….

Issue: 01 Date: 6 April 2006

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

Building 11, Kemble Enterprise Park, Kemble, Cirencester, Gloucestershire, GL7 6BQ Tel. 01285 771022 Fax. 01285 771033 E-mail:[email protected]

Stonehenge Car Park, Stonehenge, Wiltshire: Archaeological Watching Brief

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CONTENTS

SUMMARY........................................................................................................................3

1. INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................. 4

The site ................................................................................................................ 4 Archaeological background.................................................................................. 4 Methodology ........................................................................................................ 5

2. RESULTS ............................................................................................................ 5

3. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION ..................................................................... 5

4. CA PROJECT TEAM ........................................................................................... 6

5. REFERENCES .................................................................................................... 6

APPENDIX 1: CONTEXT DESCRIPTIONS..................................................................... 7

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

Fig. 2 Location of observed groundworks (1:1250)

Fig. 3 Photograph showing south-east facing section in soakaway


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SUMMARY

Site Name: Stonehenge Car Park

Location: Stonehenge, Wiltshire

NGR: SU 1225 4230

Type: Archaeological Watching Brief

Date: 2 March 2005

Location of Archive: English Heritage

Site Code: SCP 06

An archaeological watching brief was undertaken by Cotswold Archaeology (CA) during

groundworks associated with the creation of an area of hard standing for an ice cream unit

and the installation of a soakaway in the car park at Stonehenge, Wiltshire.

No features or deposits of archaeological interest were observed during groundworks and no

artefactual material predating the modern period was recovered.


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1. INTRODUCTION

1.1 In March 2006 Cotswold Archaeology (CA) carried out an archaeological watching

brief for English Heritage at Stonehenge Car Park, Stonehenge, Wiltshire (centred

on NGR: SU 1225 4230; Fig. 1). The objective of the watching brief was to record all

archaeological remains exposed during the development.

1.3 The archaeological fieldwork was carried out in accordance with a written scheme of

investigation (WSI) produced by CA (2006) and approved by English Heritage. The

fieldwork also followed the Standard and Guidance for an Archaeological Watching

Brief issued by the Institute of Field Archaeologists (2001) and the Standards for

Archaeological Assessment and Field Evaluation (Wiltshire County Council

Archaeology Service 1995).

The site

1.4 The area of investigation measured approximately 5m by 5.7m, comprising part of a

grass verge adjacent to the exit from the overflow car park (Fig. 2). The site lies on

level ground at approximately 100m AOD.

1.5 The underlying geology of the area is mapped as Upper Chalk with Flints of the

Upper Cretaceous period (Geological Survey of Great Britain 1976).

Archaeological background

1.6 Archaeological interest in the site arises from the fact that it lies in such close

proximity to the henge monument itself, and from previous discoveries made during

the extension of the extant car park, and the construction of a new toilet block and

pedestrian underpass (Vatcher 1968 & 1973, Central Excavation Unit 1979).

Methodology

1.7 The fieldwork followed the methodology set out within the WSI (CA 2006). An

archaeologist was present during intrusive groundworks, comprising the mechanical

reduction of the development area measuring approximately 5m by 5.7m to a depth


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of 0.1m, and the hand-excavation of a soakaway measuring 1m by 1m to a depth of

approximately 1m (Fig. 2).

1.8 Written, graphic and photographic records were compiled in accordance with CA

Technical Manual 1: Fieldwork Recording Manual (2005).

1.9 Subject to the agreement of the legal landowner the site archive will be deposited

with English Heritage.

2. RESULTS

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

recorded contexts appear in Appendix 1.

2.2 The natural geological substrate 103 consisting of soft chalk and flint nodules was

revealed in the excavation for the soakaway at a depth of approximately 0.33m

below present ground level. This was overlain by subsoil 102, which was in turn

overlain by a gravel sub-base 101 beneath topsoil and turf 100.

2.3 No features or deposits of archaeological interest were observed during

groundworks and, despite visual scanning of spoil, no artefactual material predating

the modern period was recovered.

3. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION

3.1 Despite the archaeological potential of the application area (see archaeological

background above), the watching brief identified no archaeological remains within

the area of observed groundworks.

4. CA PROJECT TEAM

4.1 Fieldwork was undertaken by Franco A. Vartuca, who also compiled this report. The

illustrations were prepared by Liz Gardner. The archive has been compiled by

Franco A. Vartuca, and prepared for deposition by Teresa Gilmore. The project was

managed for CA by Mark Collard.


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5. REFERENCES

CA 2006 Stonehenge Car Park, Stonehenge, Wiltshire: Written Scheme of Investigation for

an Archaeological Watching Brief

Central Excavation Unit, DoE 1979 Excavations in Stonehenge Car Park. WAM, 74

Geological Survey of Great Britain (England and Wales) 1976 Sheet 298: Salisbury

1:50,000

Vatcher, L. & F. 1973 Excavation of Three Post-Holes in Stonehenge Car Park. WAM, 68,

57-63

Vatcher, L. & F. 1968 Amesbury: Stonehenge Avenue & Bronze Age Stockade Trench.

WAM, 63, 108


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APPENDIX 1: CONTEXT DESCRIPTIONS

Trench 100 Topsoil and Turf: firm, mid red-brown sandy silt. 0.1m in thickness. 101 Sub-base: moderately compacted, mid red-brown sandy coarse gravel. 0.05m in thickness. 102 Subsoil: moderately compacted, mid to dark yellow-brown sandy silt with very occasional small

fragments and flecks of chalk. 0.18m in thickness. 103 Natural substrate: soft, off-white chalk with very occasional small and medium sized flint nodules.

0.67m+ in thickness (not bottomed).

Wiltshire

SCALE PROJECT NO.

PROJECT TITLE

FIGURE TITLE

COTSWOLD ARCHAEOLOGY

N

FIGURE NO.

0 2.5km

Site

Stonehenge Car Park, StonehengeWiltshire

Site location plan

1:25,000@A4 2142

Reproduced from the 1994 Ordnance Survey Landranger map with the permissionof Ordnance Survey on behalf of The Controller of Her Majesty's Stationery Office Crown copyright Cotswold Archaeological Trust 100002109 c

1

Stonehenge

SU

423

424

121 122

0 100m

SCALE PROJECT NO.

PROJECT TITLE

FIGURE TITLE


N

FIGURE NO.


Location of observedgroundworks

1:1250@A4 2142 2

Reproduced from the 2006 Ordnance Survey Superplan map with the permissionof Ordnance Survey on behalf of The Controller of Her Majesty's Stationery Office Crown copyright Cotswold Archaeological Trust 100002109 c

site

observed groundworks

pit excavated for soakaway


SCALE PROJECT NO.

PROJECT TITLE

FIGURE TITLE

FIGURE NO.

3 Photograph showing south-east facing section in soak away

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Photograph

2142n/a

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STONEHENGE CAR PARK STONEHENGE WILTSHIRE

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