Land at Warleys Lane West Wick Weston-Super-Mare · 2018. 5. 1. · Land at Warleys Lane West Wick Weston-Super-Mare North Somerset Archaeological Evaluation CA Project: 6452 CA Report:

Land at Warleys Lane West Wick

Weston-Super-Mare North Somerset

Archaeological Evaluation

for

CgMs

on behalf of

Tand Advisory Corporation Ltd

CA Project: 6452

CA Report: 17669

November 2017

Land at Warleys Lane

West Wick Weston-Super-Mare

North Somerset

Archaeological Evaluation

CA Project: 6452 CA Report: 17669

Document Control Grid

Revision Date Author Checked by Status Reasons for revision

Approved by

A 29 November 2017

Christopher Leonard

Laurent Coleman

Client review

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


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Land at Warleys Lane, West Wick, Weston-Super-Mare, North Somerset: Archaeological Evaluation

CONTENTS

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

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

2. ARCHAEOLOGICAL BACKGROUND ................................................................ 3

3. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ................................................................................... 4

4. METHODOLOGY ............................................................................................... 5

5. RESULTS (FIGS 2–3) ........................................................................................ 5

6. DISCUSSION ..................................................................................................... 6

7. CA PROJECT TEAM .......................................................................................... 7

8. REFERENCES ................................................................................................... 8

APPENDIX A: CONTEXT DESCRIPTIONS .................................................................... 9

APPENDIX B: LEVELS OF PRINCIPAL DEPOSITS ....................................................... 9

APPENDIX C: OASIS REPORT FORM .......................................................................... 10

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

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

Fig. 2 Trench location plan (1:250)

Fig. 3 Trench 1, section (1:20) and photograph

Fig. 4 Trench 2, photograph


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SUMMARY

Project Name: Land at Warleys Lane

Location: West Wick, Weston-Super-Mare, North Somerset

NGR: 337442 162236

Type: Evaluation

Date: 8 November 2017

Planning Reference: 17/P/2283/O

Location of Archive: To be deposited with Somerset Heritage Service

Site Code: WLWW 17

An archaeological evaluation was undertaken by Cotswold Archaeology in November 2017

on land at Warleys Lane, West Wick, Weston-Super-Mare, North Somerset. Two trenches

were excavated.

The evaluation revealed a sequence of alluvial layers, probably starting from the prehistoric

period. A thin layer of dark grey clay containing some organic content was probably a

stabilised land surface dating to the later prehistoric or Roman periods.

No cut features or artefacts were identified during the evaluation.


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1. INTRODUCTION

1.1 In November 2017 Cotswold Archaeology (CA) carried out an archaeological

evaluation for CgMs on behalf of Tand Advisory Corporation Ltd on land at Warleys

Lane, West Wick, Weston-Super-Mare, North Somerset (centred at NGR: 337442

162236; Fig. 1). The evaluation was undertaken to accompany a planning

application to North Somerset Council (NSC; ref: 17/P/2283/O) for the construction

of up to 8 dwellings and associated landscaping. Cat Lodge, County Archaeologist,

NSC recommended that an archaeological evaluation of the site be undertaken prior

to determination of the planning application.

1.2 The evaluation was carried out in accordance with a detailed Written Scheme of

Investigation (WSI) produced by CA (2017) and approved by Cat Lodge. The

fieldwork also followed Standard and guidance: Archaeological field evaluation (CIfA

2014).

The site

1.3 The proposed development area is approximately 0.32ha, and comprises vacant

undeveloped land on the north-eastern outskirts of Weston-Super-Mare. The site is

bounded to the east by Warleys Lane and a supermarket warehouse, to the south

by Scot Elm Drive, to the west by the B3440 and fields adjoining recent residential

developments, and to the north by scrubland to the south of the A370 junction with

the M5 motorway. The site lies at approximately 6m AOD.

1.4 The underlying bedrock geology of the area is mapped as Mercia Mudstone Group -

Mudstone and Halite-stone of the Triassic Period, with overlying Tidal Flat Deposits -

Clay, Silt and Sand of the Quaternary Period (BGS 2017).

2. ARCHAEOLOGICAL BACKGROUND

2.1 The area surrounding Weston-Super-Mare is known to have been actively settled

since the Neolithic period, although most of the evidence for prehistoric activity

comes from close to the Scheduled Monument at Worlebury Hillfort, approximately

5km north-west of the site (CA 2017). A possible Iron Age urned cremation has been

excavated at Scot Elm Drive, immediately to the south of the site (MNS6970) and

late prehistoric features were uncovered next to the West Wick bypass (MNS7811).


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2.2 Excavations at St Georges (MNS8953), approximately 800m north-east of the site,

revealed a substantial late 1st-century salt making site. The site comprised part of a

network of salt production sites on the Somerset levels in the later prehistoric and

Roman periods, perhaps starting as early as the Bronze Age (Cox and Holbrook

2009). The excavations identified one or more salterns and an important collection

of briquetage. In the later Roman period a series of drainage ditches was dug,

probably transforming the site into an embanked freshwater environment (ibid.). An

evaluation at Bristol Road, approximately 250m north-west of the site identified

further evidence of Roman salt production, along with contemporary drainage

ditches and palaeochannels (CA 2010).

2.3 Further evidence for Roman activity in the area surrounding the site come from the

identification of ditches at Scot Elm Drive (MNS6969), field systems at Westacres

Farm (MNS4832) and Roman pottery and bone finds at Locking Castle Business

Park (MNS2743), where preserved peat layers were also encountered (MNS2742

and MNS2744). Archaeological works in the area have also identified a thin layer of

organic clay at between 4m and 5m AOD, which was probably a buried Roman land

surface.

2.4 The place name Wick is likely to have derived from the Anglo-Saxon for ‘dwelling’ or

‘fortified place’ and suggests the presence of a settlement of this date. Evaluations

to the south of the site have provided evidence for early medieval activity, as well as

post-medieval settlement.

2.5 Historic mapping indicates that the site has been farmland throughout the post-

medieval and modern periods (NLS 2017).

3. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

3.1 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 Standard and

guidance: Archaeological field evaluation (CIfA 2014). This information will enable

NSC 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


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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 two trenches in the locations shown on

the attached plan (Fig. 2). Due to on site constraints the locations of the trenches

were altered slightly: Trench 1 was T-shaped, measuring 20m by 1.8m on its north-

west/south-east axis and 5m by 1.8m on its north-east/south-west axis. Trench 2

measured 25m by 1.8m. The trench layouts were altered with the approval of Cat

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

GPS and surveyed in accordance with CA Technical Manual 4 Survey Manual.

4.2 Both trenches were excavated by mechanical excavator equipped with a toothless

grading bucket. All machine excavation was undertaken under constant

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

Where archaeological deposits were encountered they were excavated by hand in

accordance with CA Technical Manual 1: Fieldwork Recording Manual.

4.3 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; no deposits were identified that required

sampling.

4.4 The archive from the evaluation is currently held by CA at their offices in Kemble

and will be deposited with Somerset Heritage Service. A summary of information

from this project, set out within Appendix C, will be entered onto the OASIS online

database of archaeological projects in Britain.

5. RESULTS (FIGS 2–3)

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

the recorded contexts are to be found in Appendix A. The relative heights of the

principal deposits expressed in metres AOD and depth below present ground level

(bpgl) are detailed in Appendix B.


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5.2 The earliest layer identified was blue grey silt clay deposit 106/204, which was

present in both trenches. The layer was at least 0.53m thick, although the base was

not seen in either trench. This grey silt deposit was consistently overlain by a thin

layer of dark grey clay containing some organic content, 105/203, which varied

between 0.1m and 0.12m in thickness and was probably a former ground surface or

stabilisation deposit.

5.3 In both trenches the probable former ground surface was overlain by further alluvial

silting deposit 104/202, which was grey blue in colour, up to 0.49m thick and

contained small white mineral inclusions. In Trench 1 this was overlain by 103, a

mottled blue grey alluvial deposit, 0.24m thick, containing frequent manganese

inclusions; however this was not identified in Trench 2. Deposits 103 and 202 were

overlain by the uppermost alluvial layer, 102/201, which was mottled yellow grey in

colour and 0.17m to 0.26m thick.

5.4 In Trench 1 a hollow in alluvial layer 102 near the centre of the trench preserved a

0.16m thick deposit of modern topsoil 101, which was not present anywhere else.

Across the site all deposits were sealed by up to 0.53m of light pink crushed stone

forming the present ground surface.

5.5 No artefacts were recovered from any of the deposits encountered during the

evaluation.

6. DISCUSSION

6.1 The earliest blue grey tidal flat deposit (106/204) appears to correspond to the upper

Wentlooge Formation identified in a model of the alluvial sequence of the area

based on a number of previous archaeological investigations (Rippon 2006). This

deposit is considered to have been laid down by marine action during the later

prehistoric period in an intertidal salt marsh environment.

6.2 Layer 105/203 was a thin spread of dark grey clay at the upper interface of the

Wentlooge alluvium. Previous investigations in the vicinity of the site have identified

a dark clay deposit at heights of between 4m and 5m AOD (Cox and Holbrook 2009,

CA 2010), which has been dated to the Roman period. In some areas the deposit

has been noted to have a sandy character, leading to suggestions that it has derived


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from sand blown inland from coastal dunes during a storm event (Cox and Holbrook

2009). Layer 150/203 is of comparable thickness to this known Roman layer, and

occurs at analogous locations in both the stratigraphic sequence and in terms of

height above sea level; however there was no notably sandy component to the

layer. Where the layer was encountered in association with Late Iron Age and

Roman salt making features at Bristol Road, it was determined to be stratigraphically

earlier than the features (CA 2010). It is also possible that the layer corresponds to

one of several thin alluvial layers identified in the excavation at St Georges at

heights of between 4.9m–5.08m AOD and which were interpreted as late Iron Age

stabilised land surfaces (Cox and Holbrook 2009).

6.3 The layers of alluvial deposition overlying layer 105/203 also match the stratigraphic

sequence identified at St Georges and Bristol Road and likely constituted a series of

marine transgressions throughout the post-Roman period. The lack of any cut

features or artefacts within these deposits may indicate that the site was located well

within the salt marshes, away from any freshwater channels.

6.4 The presence of a small deposit of topsoil preserved in a hollow in the upper alluvial

layer demonstrates that the site was scalped to the top of the alluvial deposits prior

to deposition of the made ground forming the current ground surface.

7. CA PROJECT TEAM

Fieldwork was undertaken by Christopher Leonard, Gary Baddeley and Michelle

Marsiglia. The report was written by Christopher Leonard. The illustrations were

prepared by Esther Escudero. The archive has been compiled and prepared for

deposition by Hazel O’Neill. The project was managed for CA by Laurent Coleman.


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8. REFERENCES

BGS (British Geological Survey) 2017 Geology of Britain Viewer

http://mapapps.bgs.ac.uk/geologyofbritain/home.html Accessed 13 November 2017

CA (Cotswold Archaeology) 2017 Land at Warleys Lane, West Wick, Weston-Super-Mare,

North Somerset: Written Scheme of Investigation for an Archaeological Evaluation

CA (Cotswold Archaeology) 2010 Land at Bristol Road, Weston-Super-Mare, North

Somerset: Archaeological Evaluation. CA report 10214

Cox, S and Holbrook, N 2009 ‘First Century AD Salt Making at St Georges, Worle, North

Somerset Levels: Summary Report on Archaeological Investigations 2001–2004’, in

Archaeology in the Severn Estuary 20, 99–121

Rippon, S 2006 Landscape, Community and Colonisation: the North Somerset Levels during

the 1st to 2nd Millennium AD. York: Council for British Archaeological Research

Report 152

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


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APPENDIX A: CONTEXT DESCRIPTIONS

Trench Context Type Interpretation Description L

(m) W

(m) D

(m)

1 100 Layer Made ground Light pink crushed stone (Type 1). >20 >1.6 0.43

1 101 Deposit Buried topsoil Mid orange brown clay silt. Organic content throughout

c.4 c.3 0.16

1 102 Layer Alluvium Mid yellow grey silt clay with frequent orange mottling

>20 >1.6 0.17

1 103 Layer Alluvium Mid blue grey silt clay with frequent orange mottling and manganese

>20 >1.6 0.24

1 104 Layer Alluvium Light grey blue silt clay with frequent calcified mineral inclusions.

>20 >1.6 0.23

1 105 Layer Stabilisation deposit

Dark grey clay >20 >1.6 0.1

1 106 Layer Alluvium Light blue grey silt clay with common manganese >20 >1.6 0.53

2 200 Layer Made Ground Same as 100. >20 >1.6 0.5

2 201 Layer Alluvium Same as 102. >20 >1.6 0.26

2 202 Layer Alluvium Same as 104. >20 >1.6 0.49

2 203 Layer Stabilisation deposit

Same as 105. >20 >1.6 0.12

2 204 Layer Alluvium Same as 106. >20 >1.6 >0.4

APPENDIX B: LEVELS OF PRINCIPAL DEPOSITS

Levels are expressed as metres below present ground level (bpgl) and as metres Above Ordnance Datum (AOD).

Trench 1 NW end

Trench 1 SE end

Trench 1 SW end

Trench 2 NW end

Trench 3 SE end

Current ground level Bpgl 0.00m 0.00m 0.00m 0.00m 0.00m

AOD 5.58m 5.45m 5.43m 5.65m 5.68m

Stabilisation deposit (105/203) Bpgl 0.86m 0.81m 0.8m 1.16m 1.11m

AOD 4.72m 4.64m 4.63m 4.49m 4.57m

Limit of excavation Bpgl 1.25m 1.45m 1.2m 1.55m 1.63m

AOD 4.33m 4.00m 4.23m 4.1m 4.05m


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APPENDIX C: OASIS REPORT FORM

PROJECT DETAILS

Project Name Land at Warleys Lane, West Wick, Weston-Super-Mare, North Somerset

Short description

An archaeological evaluation was undertaken by Cotswold Archaeology in November 2017 on land at Warleys Lane, West Wick, Weston-Super-Mare, North Somerset. Two trenches were excavated. The evaluation revealed a sequence of alluvial layers, probably starting from the prehistoric period. A thin layer of dark grey clay containing some organic content was probably a stabilised land surface dating to the later prehistoric or Roman periods. No cut features or artefacts were identified during the evaluation.

Project dates 8 November 2017

Project type Field Evaluation

Previous work None

Future work Unknown

PROJECT LOCATION

Site Location Warleys Lane, West Wick, Weston-Super-Mare, North Somerset

Study area (M2/ha) 0.32ha

Site co-ordinates 337442 162236 ST 37442 62236

PROJECT CREATORS

Name of organisation Cotswold Archaeology

Project Brief originator N/A

Project Design (WSI) originator Cotswold Archaeology

Project Manager Laurent Coleman

Project Supervisor Christopher Leonard

MONUMENT TYPE None

SIGNIFICANT FINDS None

PROJECT ARCHIVES Intended final location of archive Content

Physical - -

Paper Somerset Heritage Service Trench sheets, registers etc

Digital Somerset Heritage Service Database, digital photos etc

BIBLIOGRAPHY

CA (Cotswold Archaeology) 2017 Land at Warleys Lane, West Wick, Weston-Super-Mare, North Somerset: Archaeological Evaluation. CA typescript report 17669

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Documents

Land at Warleys Lane West Wick Weston-Super-Mare · 2018. 5. 1. · Land at Warleys Lane West Wick Weston-Super-Mare North Somerset Archaeological Evaluation CA Project: 6452 CA Report: