land at 24 & 25, the brittox devizes wiltshire

LAND AT 24 & 25, THE BRITTOX

DEVIZES

WILTSHIRE

ARCHAEOLOGICAL EVALUATION

C.A.T. JOB: 1131 C.A.T. REPORT: 01001

JANUARY 2001

This report has been researched and compiled with all reasonable skill, care, and attention to detail within the terms of the project as specified by the Client and within the general terms and conditions of Cotswold Archaeological Trust Ltd. The Trust shall not be liable for any inaccuracy, error or omission in the report or other documents produced as part of the Consultancy and no liability is accepted for any claim, loss or damage howsoever arising from any opinion stated or conclusion or other material contained in this report or other documents supplied as part of the Consultancy. This report is confidential to the Client. Cotswold Archaeological Trust Ltd. accept no responsibility whatsoever to third parties to whom this report, or any part of it is made known. Any such party relies upon this report entirely at their own risk.

© Cotswold Archaeological Trust Headquarters Building, Kemble Business Park, Cirencester, Gloucestershire, GL7 6BQ Tel. 01285 771022 Fax. 01285 771033 E-mail. [email protected]

Land at 24 & 25, The Brittox, Devizes, Wiltshire; Archaeological Evaluation.

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CONTENTS

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS ........................................................................................... 2

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

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

1.1 Introduction ................................................................................................... 4 1.2 Geology and topography ............................................................................... 4 1.3 Archaeological and historical background ................................................... 4 1.4 Methodology .................................................................................................. 5

2. RESULTS ............................................................................................................... 6

3. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS .................................................................. 8

4. PROJECT TEAM ................................................................................................... 9

5. BIBLIOGRAPHY ................................................................................................... 9

APPENDIX 1 ................................................................................................................... 10

Finds register .......................................................................................................... 10


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LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

Figure 1. Location plan .................................................................................................... 11 Figure 2. Trench location plan ......................................................................................... 12 Figure 3. Trench plan and section .................................................................................... 13


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SUMMARY

In December 2000 Cotswold Archaeological Trust carried out an archaeological

evaluation as part of a planning application for the demolition of an existing rear

extension and the construction of a new extension at 24 & 25, The Brittox, Devizes,

Wiltshire.

The excavation of a small evaluation trench in the rear yard of the shop revealed a pit

of mid to late 17th-century date and the wall footings of a mid to late 17th-century

building overlain by a modern demolition/levelling deposit. No medieval or earlier

deposits or structures were revealed by the evaluation trench.


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1. INTRODUCTION

1.1 Introduction

1.1.1 This report presents the results of an archaeological evaluation carried out

from the 20th to the 22nd of December 2000 in the rear yard of commercial

premises situated at 24 & 25, The Brittox, Devizes, Wiltshire, (NGR SU 0055

6145) (Fig. 1). The evaluation was undertaken on behalf of The New Sarum

Partnership in advance of determination of the application made to Kennet

District Council for planning consent. The archaeological investigation was

carried out in accordance with a brief prepared by Wiltshire County Council

Archaeology Service.

1.1.2 The demolition of an existing rear extension and the construction of a new

extension to south-eastern side of the building is proposed. The development

area is currently used as a unloading bay for the commercial premises.

1.2 Geology and topography

1.2.1 The site lies on flat ground, at a height of approximately 129m OD. The

natural substrate in the area is formed of Upper Greensand of the Cretaceous

period (Geological Survey of England and Wales, Sheet 282, 1967). Natural

Greensand was encountered in a corner of the trench at a depth of

approximately 1.15m below the present ground level.

1.3 Archaeological and historical background

1.3.1 The site lies within the historic town of Devizes, which grew up around the

late 11th-century castle built by Bishop Roger of Salisbury. In its early phase

the town grew up outside the large outer bailey and was probably centred at

Monday Market Place and Maryport Street. The Brittox, on place name


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evidence, was very probably the main access into the castle from the east. In

the 13th and 14th-century the outer bailey of the castle was abandoned and the

area it occupied developed as a new, larger market place. The line of the

outer bailey defences runs through, or very close to, the site of the proposed

development. As The Brittox was the main access point into the castle, it is

possible that a large gate structure or barbican may have existed at the

entrance to the castle on The Brittox, close to or including the current

proposed development site. In the later medieval period the outer bailey was

given up and the land developed as a new market place for the town. There is

a suggestion that The Brittox, which runs from the extreme south-east corner

of this planned market place, may have been realigned at this time and the

earlier Norman thoroughfare may be preserved in the area beneath the later

infill development.

1.4 Methodology

1.4.1 A detailed project design was prepared by Cotswold Archaeological Trust

(CAT 2000) in accordance with a brief issued by Wiltshire County Council.

This was guided in its composition by the Standard and Guidance for

Archaeological Field Evaluations (IFA 1994); the Standards for

Archaeological Assessment and Field Evaluation in Wiltshire (Wiltshire

County Council 1995) and the Management of Archaeological Projects

(English Heritage 1991).

1.4.2 The objectives of the evaluation were to provide data on the date, character,

quality, survival and extent of the archaeological deposits within the

application area in order that an informed decision on their importance in a

local, regional or national context can be made. This information will clarify

whether any remains are of sufficient importance to warrant consideration for

preservation in situ, or alternatively form the basis of mitigation measures that

may seek to limit damage to significant remains.


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2. RESULTS

2.1 A single evaluation trench measuring 2m by 2m was hand-excavated down to

a depth of 1.30m with a smaller sondage excavated to a maximum depth of

1.80m in one corner, in the location shown on Figure 2.

2.2 The base of the evaluation trench mainly consisted of a steep sided, possibly

rectangular shaped pit [009], cut into the natural greensand (011), as shown

by Figure 3. The fill (010) consisted of fairly soft, mid greenish-grey

greensand mixed with a very small amount of clay, mottled throughout by

occasional black and off-white flecks. It also contained a mixture of mid to

late 17th-century material, including occasional pottery sherds and clay

tobacco pipes, small fragments of animal bone and oyster shell, all mixed

with abundant small fragments and flecks of coal, charcoal, brick and mortar.

The upper part of the pit had been truncated at a depth of approximately

1.45m below modern ground level, by the construction cut [004] for a wall

footing (005) exposed in the north north-west facing section of the trench

(Figure 3).

2.3 The wall footing (005), which survives to an approximate height of 1.20m,

was entirely constructed of hand-made 17th-century red bricks, poorly bonded

together by a mixture of weak lime mortar and sandy clay. The wall had also

been quite badly affected by subsidence, its north-east end gently slumping

into the soft fill of the underlying pit [009]. The construction cut [004] had an

almost vertical side and a more or less flat bottom, with a steep step down at

the base of the wall, to a maximum depth of 1.45m below modern ground

level. The upper part of the construction cut had been cut through a deposit,

approximately 0.75m thick, consisting of soft, redeposited mid greyish

greensand (008) mottled throughout by coal and charcoal flecks. It also

contained a variety of 17th-century material such as pottery sherds, fragments

of animal bone and oyster shell, and occasional iron nails. Once the wall


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footing was in place, the construction cut had been backfilled with two

different fills (006) and (007). The lower fill (007) consisted of a soft, light to

mid greyish greensand mottled throughout by black flecks, with a very small

amount of clay, approximately 0.50m in thickness. It contained a variety of

mid to late 17th-century material including small pottery sherds, clay tobacco

pipes, small fragments of bottle glass, animal bone and oyster shell, all mixed

with abundant small fragments and flecks of coal, charcoal and building

material. The upper fill (006) was virtually identical in composition and

artefactual content to fill (007) described above, the only difference being its

darker greyish-green colour. A decorative limestone column base or finial

approximately 0.23m high, 0.19m in diameter at its base, was recovered from

this upper fill (006).

2.4 The whole sequence of deposits described above were in turn overlain by a

layer, approximately 0.28m thick, of modern material dumped to level the site

(003). It consisted of a fairly compact, mid greenish-grey clay silt, heavily

mottled throughout by black and off-white flecks. It contained abundant

modern building rubble mixed with domestic refuse including plastic. This in

turn was overlain by a bright yellow-orange, heavily compacted sandy gravel

make-up layer (002), approximately 0.20m thick, for the existing tarmac

surface (001), approximately 0.13m thick (Figure 3).


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3. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS

3.1 No medieval or earlier archaeological deposits or features were encountered,

with no evidence for the Norman castle outer bailey defences or possible

gatehouse/barbican, or for the later medieval infill development. The earliest

feature was the mid to late 17th-century pit, which cannot have predated the

construction of the wall footing. The wall footing for the back wall of a mid

to late 17th-century building was revealed in the southern end of the

evaluation trench, indicating that buildings previously occupied the area

immediately behind The Brittox, presently a supermarket car park. All other

deposits encountered were post-medieval and modern in date and relate to the

redevelopment of the area in the 19th and 20th-centuries.


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4. PROJECT TEAM

The fieldwork was carried out by Franco Vartuca who also compiled the report. The

illustrations were prepared by Peter Moore. The project was managed for CAT by

Mark Collard.

Cotswold Archaeological Trust would like to thank Mr Oliver Freeman of The New

Sarum Partnership, Mr M. Donovan, and Mr Duncan Coe, Assistant Archaeological

Officer, Wiltshire County Council, for their assistance in the course of this project.

5. BIBLIOGRAPHY

CAT, 1996 Excavation Recording Manual, CAT Technical Manual 1

CAT, 2000 Land at 24 & 25, The Brittox, Devizes, Wiltshire, Project Design for an

Archaeological Evaluation. Cotswold Archaeological Trust.

Geological Survey of Great Britain (England & Wales), 1967, 1”:1 mile sheet 282,

Devizes.

IFA, 1994 Standard and Guidance for Archaeological Field Evaluations,

Institute of Field Archaeologists.


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APPENDIX 1

Finds register

006 46 post-medieval pottery sherds (2365g): 2 transfer printed, 16 china, 1

stoneware, 2 flowerpot, 25 glazed red earthenware, 17th –19th-century

7 glass wine bottle fragments (mid to late 17th-century), 3 bottle bases, 1 jar

rim and 1 vial

2 Fe nails

1 half of a copper alloy candle snuffer

10 clay pipe bowls and 4 stems, mid to late 17th-century

1 ceramic roof tile (282g)

1 stone roof tile (591g)

6 animal bone fragments (579g)

1 oyster shell (29g)

1 stone object, possible finial or column base?

007 5 post-medieval pottery sherds (139g): 4 glazed red earthenware, 1 unglazed

2 clay pipe bowls, mid to late 17th-century

6 joining pieces of 1 wine bottle, mid 17th-century

008 1 post-medieval pottery sherd (25g): English stoneware

1 animal bone (40g)

2 oyster shells (6g)

1 Fe fitting

010 2 post-medieval pottery sherds (24g): 1 glazed red earthenware, 1 unglazed

1 clay pipe bowl and 1 stem, mid to late 17th-century


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Figure 1. Location plan


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Figure 2. Trench location plan


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Figure 3. Trench plan and section

N

Evaluationtrench

0 10m

Adjoining property

Adjoining property

TH

E B

RIT

TOX

Fig 2 Trench location plan

(001) Tarmac

(002) Gravel

(003)

(006)

(007)

(010)

(008)

(011)

Wallfootings

(005)

[004]

[004][009]

NNW SSE

(008)

(007)

(011)

(010)

[009]

[004]

(010)

(010)

(011)

[009]

(005)

Plan

Section

Section

0 1500mm

Fig 3 Trench plan and section

N

land at 24 & 25, the brittox devizes wiltshire

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