cirencester park polo club daglingworth gloucestershire

CIRENCESTER PARK POLO CLUB
DAGLINGWORTH
GLOUCESTERSHIRE
ARCHAEOLOGICAL WATCHING BRIEF
For
CIRENCESTER PARK POLO CLUB
CA PROJECT: 2515
CA REPORT: 08044
FEBRUARY 2008
CIRENCESTER PARK POLO CLUB,
DAGLINGWORTH, GLOUCESTERSHIRE
ARCHAEOLOGICAL WATCHING BRIEF
CA PROJECT: 2515
CA REPORT: 08044
prepared by
date
checked by
date
approved by
Sian Reynish, Project Supervisor
29 February 2008
Cliff Bateman, Project Manager
5 March 2008
Simon Cox, Head of Fieldwork
signed
date
31 March 2008
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
Building 11, Kemble Enterprise Park, Kemble, Cirencester, Gloucestershire, GL7 6BQ
Tel. 01285 771022
Fax. 01285 771033
E-mail: enquiries@cotswoldarch.org.uk
© Cotswold Archaeology
Cirencester Park Polo Club, Daglingworth, Gloucestershire: Archaeological Watching Brief
CONTENTS
SUMMARY........................................................................................................................ 2
1.
INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................. 3
2.
RESULTS (FIG. 2) ............................................................................................... 4
3.
DISCUSSION....................................................................................................... 5
4.
CA PROJECT TEAM ........................................................................................... 5
5.
REFERENCES .................................................................................................... 5
APPENDIX A: CONTEXT DESCRIPTIONS ..................................................................... 6
APPENDIX B: OASIS REPORT FORM ............................................................................ 7
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
Fig. 1
Site location plan 1:25,000
Fig. 2
The site, showing location of groundworks 1:5000
1
© Cotswold Archaeology
Cirencester Park Polo Club, Daglingworth, Gloucestershire: Archaeological Watching Brief
SUMMARY
Project Name:
Cirencester Park Polo Club
Location:
Daglingworth, Gloucestershire
NGR:
SO 9899 0350
Type:
Watching Brief
Date:
28-29 February 2008
Planning Reference:
04/00509/FUL
Location of Archive:
To be deposited with Corinium Museum, Cirencester
Site Code:
POL 08
An archaeological watching brief was undertaken by Cotswold Archaeology during
groundworks associated with the provision of a new water supply for three recently
constructed polo grounds within Cirencester Park (adjoining Cirencester Park Polo Club),
Daglingworth, Gloucestershire.
No features or deposits of archaeological interest were observed during groundworks.
2
© Cotswold Archaeology
Cirencester Park Polo Club, Daglingworth, Gloucestershire: Archaeological Watching Brief
1.
INTRODUCTION
1.1
In February 2008 Cotswold Archaeology (CA) carried out an archaeological
watching brief during groundworks associated with the provision of a new water
supply for three recently constructed polo grounds in Daglingworth, Gloucestershire
(centred on NGR: SO 9899 0350; Fig. 1). The watching brief was undertaken on
behalf of Cirencester Park Polo Club to fulfil a condition attached to planning
consent for groundworks associated with the conversion of agricultural land to three
polo grounds (Planning ref: 04/00509/FUL). The objective of the watching brief was
to record all archaeological remains exposed during the development.
1.2
The watching brief was carried out in accordance with a detailed Written Scheme of
Investigation (WSI) produced by CA (2008) and approved by Cotswold District
Council acting on advice of Charles Parry, Senior Archaeological Officer,
Gloucestershire County Council. The fieldwork also followed the Standard and
Guidance for an Archaeological Watching Brief issued by the Institute of Field
Archaeologists (2001), the Statement of Standards and Practices Appropriate for
Archaeological Fieldwork in Gloucestershire (GCC 1995) and the Management of
Archaeological Projects (English Heritage 1991).
The site
1.3
The polo grounds are situated within Cirencester Park, north of the A419 and west
of Cirencester town centre. The new grounds lie to the north-west of the existing
polo lawns on former agricultural land which was converted to three polo pitches in
2006 (Fig. 2).
1.4
The site lies at approximately 160m AOD. The underlying geology of the area is
mapped as Forest Marble of the Middle Jurassic era (BGS 1998).
.
Archaeological background
1.5
Archaeological evaluation of the three new polo grounds was undertaken in
September and October 2004 (GCC 2004). It identified discrete concentrations of
later prehistoric activity, including Neolithic pits, postholes and a ditch, an early
Bronze Age pit, and Iron Age activity (ibid.).
3
© Cotswold Archaeology
1.6
Cirencester Park Polo Club, Daglingworth, Gloucestershire: Archaeological Watching Brief
A subsequent archaeological watching brief undertaken during ploughing and resowing to provide the playing surfaces for the new grounds ensured that the depth
at which archaeological features and deposits previously identified in the
archaeological evaluation were not reached or impacted upon (CA 2006).
Methodology
1.7
The fieldwork followed the methodology set out within the WSI (CA 2008). An
archaeologist was present during intrusive groundworks comprising the mechanical
excavation of a pipe trench for the new water supply (see Fig. 2 for location and
extent). The pipe trench typically measured 0.5m in width and was excavated to a
depth of 0.6m below the present ground surface (bpgl).
1.8
Written, graphic and photographic records were compiled in accordance with CA
Technical Manual 1: Fieldwork Recording Manual (2007).
1.9
The archive from the watching brief is currently held by CA at their offices in Kemble
and will be deposited with the Corinium Museum, Cirencester. 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 (FIG. 2)
2.1
The pipe trench was initially excavated to the top of natural substrate 102, prior to
subsequent excavation to the full depth of 0.6m bpgl. The natural limestone brash
was revealed at an average depth of 0.3m bpgl overlain by subsoil 101, typically
0.2m in thickness, which was in turn sealed by topsoil/turf line 100.
2.2
A number of anomalies comprising orange-brown clay silts were identified within the
natural limestone. The irregular nature of these deposits and the lack of artefactual
material suggests they are variations in the natural substrate rather than
archaeological features.
2.3
Despite visual scanning of spoil, no artefactual material was recovered during the
current works
4
© Cotswold Archaeology
Cirencester Park Polo Club, Daglingworth, Gloucestershire: Archaeological Watching Brief
3.
DISCUSSION
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
Fieldwork was undertaken by Sian Reynish. The report was written by Sian Reynish.
The illustrations were prepared by Jemma Elliott. The archive has been compiled by
Sian Reynish, and prepared for deposition by Kathryn Price. The project was
managed for CA by Cliff Bateman.
5.
REFERENCES
BGS (British Geological Survey) 1998 Cirencester Sheet 235 Scale 1:50,000
CA
(Cotswold
Archaeology)
2008
Cirencester
Park
Polo
Club,
Daglingworth,
Gloucestershire: Written Scheme of Investigation for an Archaeological Watching
Brief
CA
2006
Proposed
New
Grounds,
Cirencester
Park
Polo
Club,
Daglingworth,
Gloucestershire: Programme of Archaeological Recording. CA typescript report
06154
GCC (Gloucestershire County Council) 2004 An Archaeological Evaluation at Cirencester
Park Polo Club, Daglingworth, Gloucestershire
5
© Cotswold Archaeology
Cirencester Park Polo Club, Daglingworth, Gloucestershire: Archaeological Watching Brief
APPENDIX A: CONTEXT DESCRIPTIONS
No.
Type
Description
100
101
102
Layer
Layer
Layer
Topsoil
Subsoil
Natural limestone brash
Length (m)
Width (m)
Depth
(m)
0.1
0.2
<0.3
Spotdate
6
© Cotswold Archaeology
Cirencester Park Polo Club, Daglingworth, Gloucestershire: Archaeological Watching Brief
APPENDIX B: OASIS REPORT FORM
PROJECT DETAILS
Project Name
Cirencester Park Polo Club
Short description
(250 words maximum)
An archaeological watching brief was undertaken by
Cotswold
Archaeology
during
groundworks
associated with the provision of a new water supply
for three recently constructed polo grounds. No
features or deposits of archaeological interest were
observed during groundworks.
Project dates
Project type
(e.g. desk-based, field evaluation etc)
28-29 February 2008
Watching Brief
Previous work
(reference to organisation or SMR numbers etc)
2006 Archaeological Watching Brief
2004 Archaeological Evaluation
Future work
Unknown
PROJECT LOCATION
Site Location
Cirencester Park
Gloucestershire
Polo
Club,
Daglingworth,
2
Study area (M /ha)
Site co-ordinates (8 Fig Grid Reference)
PROJECT CREATORS
Name of organisation
Project Brief originator
Project Design (WSI) originator
Project Manager
Project Supervisor
PROJECT ARCHIVES
SO 9899 0350
Cotswold Archaeology
No brief supplied
Cotswold Archaeology
Cliff Bateman
Sian Reynish
Intended final location of
archive
(museum/Accession no.)
Physical
Paper
n/a
Corinium
Cirencester
Digital
BIBLIOGRAPHY
n/a
CA
Museum,
Content (e.g. pottery,
animal bone etc)
None
1 Written Scheme of
Investigation
1
Trench
recording
forms
1 Black and white/Colour
slide photo register
1 Levels register
None
(Cotswold Archaeology) 2008 Cirencester Park Polo Club, Daglingworth, Gloucestershire:
Archaeological Watching Brief. CA typescript report 08044
CA 2006 Proposed New Grounds, Cirencester Park Polo Club, Daglingworth, Gloucestershire: Programme
of Archaeological Recording. CA typescript report 06154
GCC (Gloucestershire County Council) 2004 An Archaeological Evaluation at Cirencester Park Polo Club,
Daglingworth, Gloucestershire
7
Reproduced from the 1998 Ordnance Survey Explorer map with the permission
of Ordnance Survey on behalf of The Controller of Her Majesty's Stationery Office
c Crown copyright Cotswold Archaeological Trust 100002109
N
Site
0
2.5km
COTSWOLD ARCHAEOLOGY
PROJECT TITLE
Cirencester Park Polo Club
Gloucestershire
FIGURE TITLE
Site location plan
DRAWN BY
JE
SCALE
1:25,000@A4
PROJECT NO. FIGURE NO.
2515
1
99
Reproduced from the 2006 Ordnance Survey Landplan map with the permission
of Ordnance Survey on behalf of The Controller of Her Majesty's Stationery Office
c Crown copyright Cotswold Archaeological Trust 100002109
N
GROUND
2
GROUND
3
GROUND
1
03
0
ST
500m
COTSWOLD ARCHAEOLOGY
PROJECT TITLE
site
proposed polo ground
location of pipe trench
Cirencester Park Polo Club
FIGURE TITLE
The site, showing location
of groundworks
DRAWN BY
JE
SCALE
1:5000@A4
PROJECT NO. FIGURE NO.
2515
2