archaeological evaluation - cotswold archaeology€¦ · 27 october 2011 . checked by . simon cox,...

Yeld FarmLyonshall

Herefordshire

Archaeological Evaluation

for

ADAS UK Ltd

CA Project: 3547 CA Report: 11258

November 2011

Yeld Farm Lyonshall

Herefordshire

Archaeological Evaluation

CA Project: 3547 CA Report: 11258

prepared by Steven Sheldon, Project Supervisor

date 27 October 2011

checked by Simon Cox, Head of Fieldwork

date 4 November 2011

approved by Mark Collard, Head of Contracts

signed

date 4 November 2011

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 t. 01285 771022 f. 01285 771033 e. [email protected]

© Cotswold Archaeology Yeld Farm, Lyonshall, Herefordshire: Archaeological Evaluation

CONTENTS

SUMMARY........................................................................................................................ 4

1. INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................. 5

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

3. DISCUSSION....................................................................................................... 9

4. CA PROJECT TEAM ........................................................................................... 10

5. REFERENCES .................................................................................................... 10

APPENDIX A: CONTEXT DESCRIPTIONS ..................................................................... 11

APPENDIX B: THE FINDS ............................................................................................... 12

APPENDIX C: OASIS REPORT FORM............................................................................ 13

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

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

Fig. 2 Trench location plan, showing archaeological features and previous archaeological

works (1:1000)

Fig. 3 Trenches 1 & 2: plans and sections (1:100 and 1:20)

Fig. 4 Photographs: Pit 106, looking north-west

Fig. 5 Photographs: Ditch 110, looking south-west (scale 1m)

Fig. 6 Photographs: Pit 209, looking north-east (scale 0.5m)

3


SUMMARY

Project Name: Yeld Farm

Location: Lyonshall, Herefordshire

NGR: SO 35100 56340

Type: Evaluation

Date: 5-6 October 2011

Location of Archive: To be deposited with Hereford Museum and Art Gallery

Accession Number: 2011-169

Site Code: YLF 11

An archaeological evaluation was undertaken by Cotswold Archaeology in October 2011 at

Yeld Farm, Lyonshall, Herefordshire. Two trenches, targeted on the site of a former

medieval moated site or ringwork, were excavated.

Archaeological features of medieval date were encountered in both trenches. These

comprised a shallow curvilinear ditch in Trench 1, possibly representing part of the former

moat, and a partially exposed pit in Trench 2. Five sherds of well-preserved medieval

pottery, dateable broadly to the late 13th-14th century, were recovered from these features.

A number of undated features were also identified, and may be contemporary with the

medieval activity relating to the use of the ringwork/moated site. Groups of pits/postholes

were identified in both trenches. An undated ditch was also identified in Trench 1. A further

undated ditch was identified in Trench 2 and may represent a continuation of the moat

identified in Trench 1.

4


1. INTRODUCTION

1.1 In October 2011 Cotswold Archaeology (CA) carried out an archaeological

evaluation for ADAS UK Ltd at Yeld Farm, Lyonshall, Herefordshire (centred on

NGR: SO 35100 56340; Fig. 1). The evaluation was undertaken prior to the

submission of a planning application to Herefordshire Council for the development of

new poultry units.

1.2 The evaluation was carried out in accordance with information detailed in an e-mail

dated 27 January 2011 from Mr Julian Cotton, archaeological advisor to

Herefordshire Council (HC) following consultation between Mr Cotton, ADAS UK Ltd

and Cotswold Archaeology (CA), and with a subsequent detailed Written Scheme of

Investigation (WSI) produced by CA (2011) and approved by Mr Cotton. The

fieldwork also followed the Standard and guidance for archaeological field evaluation

(IfA 2008), Standards for Archaeological Work in Herefordshire (Herefordshire

Archaeology 2004), 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). It was monitored by Mr Cotton,

including a site visit on 6 October 2011.

The site

1.3 The proposed development area encloses an area of approximately 4ha, and

comprises an arable field located approximately 1 mile to the north-east of the

village of Lyonshall. The site is bounded to the west by a farm track leading to Yeld

Farm, to the south-east by existing poultry houses and woodland and to the north

and north-east by further agricultural land. It stands at approximately 130m AOD.

1.4 The underlying solid geology of the area is mapped as Raglan Mudstone Formation

of the Devonian era (BGS 2011). The natural substrate, comprising mottled

orange/grey clay, was identified in both of the excavated trenches.

Archaeological background

1.5 Within the proposed development area the site of a former medieval moated site or

ring work is recorded (SMR ref: 1575, Herefordshire Historic Environment Record).

This monument is no longer visible as an above ground feature after being

bulldozed and infilled in 1970.

5


1.6 Immediately prior to levelling, the substantial earthwork was subject to an

archaeological survey undertaken by The Archaeological Research Group of the

Woolhope Club. The results of this survey are summarised below.

1.7 A roughly circular ditch approximately sixty metres in diameter was recorded. The

ditch was approximately ten metres wide and survived in places to a depth of six

feet (1.83m). The levelling operation removed approximately two feet (0.61m) of

material from around the perimeter of the enclosure and also involved filling the ditch

with material from the central mound. Three small areas within the enclosure were

partially investigated as part of the survey. These investigations identified a probable

small circular post built structure, a possible cess-pit and a rectangular stone-lined

pit of unknown function. A seven metre wide break in the ditch indicated a probable

entry to the enclosure from the north-west (Shoesmith 1973).

1.8 Several sherds of pottery were recovered from the occupation level associated with

the small post built structure, all of which were dated to between the 13th and 14th

centuries. Further unstratified pottery sherds dating to the 17th and 18th centuries

may indicate use of the site in the early post medieval period.

1.9 A further four entries within a 500m radius of the development area are detailed on

the Herefordshire SMR. These include an undated rectangular cropmark (SMR

31873), a Romano-British findspot with a coin dating to the rule of Numerian, and a

single sherd of Romano-British pottery (SMR 1087), buildings at Cotmore Farm

dating between the 16th to 18th centuries (SMR 12946) and a 17th-century house at

Pembridge (SMR 15051).

Archaeological objectives

1.10 The objectives of the evaluation were to establish the character, quality, date and

extent of any archaeological remains or deposits surviving within the site. This

information will assist Herefordshire Council in making an informed judgement on

the significance of the archaeological resource, and the likely impact upon it of the

proposed development.

Methodology

1.11 The fieldwork comprised the excavation of two trenches. Trench 1 measured 30m in

length and 1.8m in width. Trench 2 measured 20m in length and 1.8m in width.

Trenches were set out on OS National Grid (NGR) co-ordinates using a Leica 1200

6


series SmartRover GPS and surveyed in accordance with CA Technical Manual 4 Survey

Manual (2009).

1.12 All 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 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 (2007).

1.13 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).

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

offices in Kemble. Subject to the agreement of the legal landowner the artefacts will

be deposited with Hereford Museum and Art Gallery under accession number 2011-

169, along with the site archive. 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.

2. RESULTS (FIGS 3-6)

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

the recorded contexts and finds are to be found in Appendices A and B respectively.

2.2 The natural geological substrate, comprising mottled orange grey clay, was

identified at approximately 0.45m below the present ground level (between 131.45m

AOD and 132.22m AOD). This was overlain by sandy silt subsoil measuring

between 0.26m and 0.28m in thickness that was in turn overlain by a sandy silt

ploughsoil measuring c. 0.16m in thickness.

7


Trench 1 (Figs 2-5)

2.3 Two ditches and two pits/postholes were identified. Pits/postholes, 104 and 106,

were partially exposed in the north-western third of the trench. Both features

contained single sterile fills and were undated.

2.4 Curvilinear ditch 110 was identified towards the centre of the trench. It was aligned

north-west/south-east and contained three fills, 107, 108 and 109. Two sherds of

late 13th to 14th-century pottery were recovered from fill 108. Ditch 110 broadly

coincided with a circular ditch identified during earlier archaeological works on the

site, but is considerably narrower in nature. A further north-west/south-east aligned

ditch 112 was identified to the south-west, which also broadly coincided with the

circular ditch. This was not excavated during the course of the evaluation.

Trench 2 (Figs 2, 3 & 6)

2.5 A ditch, a pit/ditch terminal, five small pits/postholes and a pit were identified. Pit 209

was identified at the north-western end of the trench. It contained four fills, 205, 206,

207 and 208. The third fill of this feature, 206, contained three sherds of late 13th to

14th-century pottery. Small pit/posthole 204 was located to the west. It contained a

single undated fill.

2.6 Ditch 215 was located in the north-western third of the trench. It remained

unexcavated but may represent a continuation of either ditch 112 or ditch 110

located in Trench 1. To the south-east of this feature a group of four pits/postholes,

211, 213, 217 and 219, were identified. Both pit/posthole 211 and pit/posthole 213

contained single sterile fills and were undated. Pits/postholes 217 and 219 remained

unexcavated.

2.7 In the centre of the trench pit/ditch terminal 221 was identified. It remained

unexcavated.

The Finds

2.8 The finds assemblage recovered from the evaluation is summarised in Appendix B.

Only five sherds of medieval pottery weighing 18g were identified. A single small

fragment of animal bone was also recovered but is not discussed further. The level

of preservation was good with the pottery displaying limited levels of abrasion.

8


2.9 Two sherds of pottery were recovered from deposit 108 and included an unglazed

coarseware body sherd and a rim sherd in an oxidised fabric with traces of pale

green glaze and white slip. Neither sherd could be securely identified. However, the

glazed sherd fabric was similar to Herefordshire glazed fine micaceous ware and

therefore possibly of 13th to 15th-century date. The coarseware sherd was probably

of Malvernian unglazed ware, with a production range of late 12th to 14th century.

2.10 The pottery from deposit 206 was identified as single sherds of oxidised glazed

Malvernian ware and two sherds of unglazed Malvernian ware cooking pot. While

oxidised glazed Malvernian ware was produced from the late 13th to early 17th

century, the speckled green glaze on the sherd was more typical of pottery produced

during the medieval period. The two cooking pot sherds could be dated from the late

12th to 14th century.

3. DISCUSSION

3.1 The evaluation has identified a number of archaeological features within the

proposed development area.

3.2 Archaeological features survived at a depth of approximately 0.45m below the

present ground level (between 131.45m AOD and 132.22m AOD).

Medieval

3.3 Features of medieval date were encountered in both trenches. Shallow curvilinear

ditch 110 broadly coincided with part of a circular ditch identified during earlier

archaeological works on the site (Shoesmith 1973; see georectified plan of the

circular ditch on Fig. 2). However it is considerably narrower than the ditch identified

during these works. Partially exposed pit 209, identified in Trench 2, also contained

pottery of medieval date.

3.4 Dating evidence for investigated moated sites suggest that the majority were

constructed between 1150 and 1400 and that occupation of such sites extends to

approximately the end of the 16th century (Darvill 1988). The pottery recovered from

ditch 110 and pit 209 suggests that the site may fall within a late 13th to 14th-

century date range. This would support earlier dating evidence recovered from the

site (Shoesmith 1973).

9


Undated

3.5 Undated features were identified in both trenches and comprised mainly of

pits/postholes, most probably indicative of settlement activity. These would appear

likely to be broadly contemporary with medieval activity relating to the use or

occupation of the ring work/moated site.

3.6 Undated ditches 112 and 215 may relate to the circular ditch identified during the

earlier archaeological works, although they are again much narrower.

Conclusion

3.7 Archaeological features of similar date range and character to those found during

previous investigations were revealed, suggesting that the earthwork had not been

totally truncated in the 1970s. Poor correlation with the dimensions and location of

features shown in the plan from the previous works may be a result of the inherent

difficulties in georeferencing the 1970s plan.

4. CA PROJECT TEAM

Fieldwork was undertaken by Steven Sheldon, assisted by Hazel O’Neill. The report

was written by Steven Sheldon. The illustrations were prepared by Peter Moore and

Lorna Gray. The archive has been compiled by Steven Sheldon, and prepared for

deposition by James Johnson. The project was managed for CA by Simon Cox.

5. REFERENCES

BGS (British Geological Survey) 2011 Geology of Britain Viewer

http://maps.bgs.ac.uk/geologyviewer_google/googleviewer.html Accessed 22

August 2011

Darvill, TC. 1988 Monuments Protection Programme: Monument Evaluation Manual

Appendix C: Specimen Single Monument Description-Moats

Shoesmith, R. 1973 ‘The Yeld’ Transactions of the Woolhope Naturalists Field Club XLI,

I, 34-38

10


APPENDIX A: CONTEXT DESCRIPTIONS

Trench 1 No. Type Description Length

(m) Width (m)

Depth (m)

Spot-date

100 Layer Topsoil 0.16

101 Layer Subsoil 0.28

102 Layer Natural substrate >0.02

103 Fill Single fill of 104 0.6 0.17

104 Cut Pit/posthole 0.6 0.17



107 Fill 3rd fill of 110 >1.8 2.05 0.1

108 Fill 2nd fill of 110 >1.8 1.8 0.08 LC13-C14

109 Fill 1st fill of 110 >1.8 1.95 0.18

110 Cut NW/SE ditch >1.8 2.05 0.36

111 Fill Fill of 112 >1.8 0.7 N/A

112 Cut NW/SE ditch >1.8 0.7 N/A

113 Fill Single fill of 114 0.18 N/A

114 Cut Pit/posthole 0.18 N/A

Trench 2 No. Type Description Length

(m) Width (m)

Depth (m)

Spot-date

200 Layer Topsoil 0.16

201 Layer Subsoil 0.28

202 Layer Natural substrate >0.02



205 Fill 4th fill of 209 2.5 >0.58 0.17

206 Fill 3rd fill of 209 2.5 >0.52 0.06 LC13-C14

207 Fill 2nd fill of 209 2.5 >0.58 0.09

208 Fill 1st fill of 209 2.5 >0.58 0.11

209 Cut Pit 2.5 >0.58 0.43


211 Cut Irregular pit/posthole 0.8 0.18



214 Fill Fill of 215 >1.8 0.9 N/A

215 Cut NE/SW ditch >1.8 0.9 N/A

216 Fill Fill of 217 0.28 N/A


218 Fill Fill of 219 0.31 N/A


220 Fill Fill of 221 >0.9 1.2 N/A

221 Cut Pit/ditch terminal >0.9 1.2 N/A

11


APPENDIX B: THE FINDS

Context Description Ct. Wt. Date

108 Medieval pottery: oxidised glazed ware, Malvernian unglazed

ware?

2 8 LC13-C14

206 Medieval pottery: oxidised glazed Malvernian ware, Malvernian n

unglazed ware

Animal bone

3

1

10

4

LC13-C14

12

© Cotswold Archaeology

13

Yeld Farm, Lyonshall, Herefordshire: Archaeological Evaluation

APPENDIX C: OASIS REPORT FORM

PROJECT DETAILS Project Name Yeld Farm, Lyonshall, Herefordshire

Short description (250 words maximum)

An archaeological evaluation was undertaken by Cotswold Archaeology in October 2011 at Yeld Farm, Lyonshall, Herefordshire. Two trenches, targeted on the site of a former medieval moated site or ringwork, were excavated. Archaeological features of medieval date were encountered in both trenches. These comprised a shallow curvilinear ditch in Trench 1, possibly representing part of the former moat, and a partially exposed pit in Trench 2. Five sherds of well-preserved medieval pottery, dateable broadly to the late 13th-14th century, were recovered from these features. A number of undated features were also identified, and may be contemporary with the medieval activity relating to the use of the ringwork/moated site. Groups of pits/postholes were identified in both trenches. An undated ditch was also identified in Trench 1. A further undated ditch was identified in Trench 2 and may represent a continuation of the moat identified in Trench 1.

Project dates 5-6 October 2011 Project type

Evaluation

Previous work

SMR ref: 1575, Herefordshire Environment Record Archaeological survey, The Archaeological Research Group of the Woolhope Club

Future work Unknown

PROJECT LOCATION Site Location Yeld Farm, Lyonshall, Herefordshire Study area (M2/ha) 4ha Site co-ordinates (8 Fig Grid Reference) SO 35100 56340

PROJECT CREATORS Name of organisation Cotswold Archaeology Project Brief originator Herefordshire Council Project Design (WSI) originator Cotswold Archaeology

Project Manager Simon Cox Project Supervisor Steven Sheldon MONUMENT TYPE Medieval moated site or ring work PROJECT ARCHIVES Intended final location of archive

(museum/Accession no.)

Content

Physical Hereford Museum and Art Gallery, accession number: 2011-169

Pottery, animal bone

Paper Hereford Museum and Art Gallery, accession number: 2011-169

Context sheets, trench recording forms, plan and section drawings, black and white photographs

Digital Hereford Museum and Art Gallery, accession number: 2011-169

Digital photographs

BIBLIOGRAPHY

CA (Cotswold Archaeology) 2011 Yeld Farm, Lyonshall, Herefordshire: Archaeological Evaluation. CA typescript report 11258

Hertfordshire

CotswoldArchaeology

t 01285 771022

f 01285 771033

w www.cotswoldarchaeology.co.uk

e [email protected]

PROJECT TITLE

FIGURE TITLE

FIGURE NO.DATE

REVISION

SCALE@A4

PROJECT NO.

DRAWN BY

APPROVED BY

N

0 1km

Site location plan

Yeld Farm, Lyonshall, Hertfordshire

21-10-2011001:25,000

3547PJMPJM 1

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

c

SE NW131.6m

AOD 210

pit/posthole211

NW SE

132mAOD

200

pit 209

208

206207

205

201

pit 209 pit 204ditch215

pit/posthole217

pit/posthole211

pit/posthole213

pit/posthole219

pit/ditchterminal 221D

D

CC

NW NE NW SE

132mAOD

pit/posthole106

100100

105

101SW NE

132mAOD

100

101

107

108

109

ditch 110

sondage

land drain ditch112

ditch110

pit106

pit104 pit

209

sondage

A A B

B

CotswoldArchaeology

t 01285 771022

f 01285 771033


e [email protected]

N

N

PROJECT TITLE

FIGURE TITLE

FIGURE NO.DATE

REVISION

SCALE@A3

PROJECT NO.

DRAWN BY

APPROVED BY

Trenches 1 & 2: plans and sections


21-10-2011001:100 & 1:20

3529PJMPJM 3

Trench 1

Section AA Section BB

Trench 2

Section CC Section DD

0 1m

0 1m

0 5m

0 5m

CotswoldArchaeology

t 01285 771022

f 01285 771033


e [email protected]

PROJECT TITLE

FIGURE TITLE

FIGURE NO.DATE

REVISION

SCALE@A4

PROJECT NO.

DRAWN BY

APPROVED BY

5

4

4 Pit 106, looking north west

5 Ditch 110, looking south west (scale 1m)

Photographs


24-10-201100N/A

3547PJMPJM 4 & 5

CotswoldArchaeology

t 01285 771022

f 01285 771033


e [email protected]

PROJECT TITLE

FIGURE TITLE

FIGURE NO.DATE

REVISION

SCALE@A4

PROJECT NO.

DRAWN BY

APPROVED BY

6

6 Pit 209, looking north-east (scale 0.5m)

Photograph


24-10-201100N/A

3547PJMPJM 6

archaeological evaluation - cotswold archaeology€¦ · 27 october 2011 . checked by . simon cox,...

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