T H A M E S V A L L E Y

S E R V I C E S

ARCHAEOLOGICAL

4 Bath Road, Hungerford, West Berkshire

Archaeological Evaluation

by Danielle Milbank and Andy Taylor

Site Code: BRH17/194

(SU 3449 6896)

4 Bath Road, Hungerford,West Berkshire

An Archaeological Evaluation

for Mr. Mark Wilson

by Danielle Milbank and Andy Taylor

Thames Valley Archaeological Services Ltd

Site Code BRH 17/194

October 2017

Summary

Site name: 4 Bath Road, Hungerford, West Berkshire

Grid reference: SU 3449 6896

Site activity: Evaluation

Date and duration of project: 13th October 2017

Project manager: Steve Ford

Site supervisor: Danielle Milbank

Site code: BRH 17/194

Area of site: c.670 sq m

Summary of results: A single gully of post-medieval date was observed. No deposits nor artefacts of archaeological interest were recorded and the site is considered to have low archaeological potential.

Location and reference of archive: The archive is presently held at Thames Valley Archaeological Services, Reading and will be deposited at West Berkshire Museum in due course.

This report may be copied for bona fide research or planning purposes without the explicit permission of the copyright holder. All TVAS unpublished fieldwork reports are available on our website: www.tvas.co.uk/reports/reports.asp.

Report edited/checked by: Steve Ford 23.10.17Steve Preston 23.10.17

i

Thames Valley Archaeological Services Ltd, 47–49 De Beauvoir Road, Reading RG1 5NR

Tel. (0118) 926 0552; Fax (0118) 926 0553; email tvas@tvas.co.uk; website: www.tvas.co.uk

4 Bath Road, Hungerford, West BerkshireAn Archaeological Evaluation

by Danielle Milbank and Andy Taylor

Report 17/194

Introduction

This report documents the results of an archaeological field evaluation carried out at 4 Bath Road, Hungerford,

West Berkshire (SU 3449 6896) (Fig. 1). The work was commissioned by Ms Liz Alexander, of Bell Cornwell

LLP, Oakview House, Station Road, Hook, Hampshire, RG27 9TP on behalf of Mr. Mark Wilson, 4 Bath Road,

Hungerford, West Berkshire , RG17 0HE

Planning permission is to be sought from West Berkshire Council for the development of a parcel of land

for housing. Previous applications have been made for the site and it was noted that the potential impact of the

development on heritage assets had not then been assessed. The current fieldwork was designed to assess the

archaeological potential of the site to allow an informed judgement on the proposal’s archaeological impact.

This is in accordance with the Department for Communities and Local Government’s National Planning

Policy Framework (NPPF 2012), and the Council’s policies on archaeology. The field investigation was carried

out to a specification approved by Ms Sarah Orr, acting Archaeological Officer with West Berkshire Council.

The fieldwork was undertaken by Danielle Milbank on the 13th October 2017 and the site code is BRH 17/194.

The archive is presently held at Thames Valley Archaeological Services, Reading and will be deposited at West

Berkshire Museum in due course.

Location, topography and geology

The site is located on the eastern margins of Hungerford on the northern side of Bath Road (Fig. 1). It lies to the

rear of number 4 on gardens associated with the property (Fig. 2). The site slopes down gently from north to

south and the underlying geology is mapped as Beenham Grange Gravel (BGS 2006), although a silty clay with

gravel was observed in the trenches. The site lies at a height of c.96m above Ordnance Datum.

Archaeological background

The archaeological potential of the area stems from its location within the archaeologically rich Kennet Valley

on the outskirts of the Eddington suburb of Hungerford. Eddington was mentioned in Domesday Book (Astill

1

1978; Williams and Martin 2002). The location in the Kennet Valley is also considered to be rich in Mesolithic

occupation sites and stray finds (Froom 1971) with areas to the west of the town subject to extensive excavation

(Ford 2002; 2012) which examined a wide range of deposits of prehistoric through to post-medieval times.

Evaluation just to the north-east, revealed some Bronze Age deposits, though most of the trenches were devoid

of finds or deposits of interest (Taylor 2008).

Objectives and methodology

The purpose of the evaluation was to determine the presence/absence, extent, condition, character, quality and

date of any archaeological deposits within the area of development.

Specific aims of the project are:

to determine if archaeologically relevant levels have survived on the site;to determine if archaeological deposits of any period are present; andto provide information with which to draw up a mitigation strategy if necessary.

It was proposed to dig three trenches each 15m long and 1.60m wide using a JCB-type machine fitted with

a toothless ditching bucket under constant archaeological supervision. Spoilheaps were to be searched for finds.

Where archaeological features were certainly or probably present, the stripped areas were to be cleaned

using appropriate hand tools and sufficient of the archaeological features and deposits exposed were to be

excavated or sampled by hand to satisfy the aims outlined above, without compromising the integrity of any

features or deposits which warrant might preservation in-situ, or might better be excavated under conditions

pertaining to full excavation.

Results

All trenches were dug as intended and measured between 16m and 16.50m long and between 0.57m and 0.88m

deep (Fig. 3). A complete list of trenches giving lengths, breadths, depths and a description of sections and

geology is given in Appendix 1.

Trench 1 (Fig. 3; Pl. 1)

This trench was aligned E-W and measured 16m long, 0.88m deep. The stratigraphy consisted of 0.22m of

topsoil overlying 0.23m of made ground, comprising a dark brown sandy silt containing charcoal, ash and

brick/tile. This overlay 0.35m of an orange brown sandy silt made ground containing flint, brick/tile and modern

2

'china'. This overlay yellow brown silty clay and gravel natural geology. No archaeological features were

observed nor finds recorded.

Trench 2 (Fig. 3; Pl. 2)This trench was aligned approximately NE-SW and measured 16.50m long, 0.57m deep. The stratigraphy

consisted of 0.22m of topsoil overlying 0.26m of clayey sand subsoil overlying yellow/brown silty clay and

gravel natural geology. Trench 2 contained no archaeological finds or features.

Trench 3 (Figs 3 and 4; Pl. 3)This trench was aligned approximately NW-SE and measured 16m long, 0.75m deep. The stratigraphy consisted

of 0.20m of topsoil overlying 0.28m of made ground, probably a levelling layer, of a mix of subsoil and the

natural geology. This overlay 0.12m of buried subsoil overlying yellow/brown silty clay and gravel natural

geology. A gully was located at the SE end of the trench, aligned east–west, into which a slot (1) was dug

measuring 0.98m wide and 0.18m deep. Its mid grey brown silty clay fill (54) produced late Victorian or modern

'china', which was not retained.

Finds

No finds of archaeological interest were recovered during the evaluation.

Conclusion

Despite the site's potential for archaeology to be present no deposits or finds of any archaeological interest were

observed. A post-medieval gully and evidence of levelling was recorded. The site is considered to have lo

archaeological potential..

References

Astill, G.G, 1978, Historic towns in Berkshire; an archaeological appraisal, Berkshire Archaeol Comm Publ 2: Reading.

BGS, 2006, British Geological Survey, 1:50000, Sheet 267, Bedrock and Superficial Deposits, KeyworthFord, S, 2002, Charnham Lane, Hungerford, Berkshire, archaeological investigations 1988–97, TVAS Monogr

1, ReadingFord, S, 2012, ‘Late Neolithic and Saxon occupation at Charnham Lane, Hungerford, Berkshire, Draft

publication report’, Thames Valley Archaeological Services project, 10/51, Reading Froom, F R, 1971, ‘Some Mesolithic sites in south-west Berkshire’, Berkshire Archaeol J 66, 11–22NPPF, 2012, National Planning Policy Framework, Dept Communities and Local Govt, LondonTaylor, A, 2008, ‘Folly Dog Leg Field, Eddington, Berkshire. An archaeological evaluation’, Thames Valley

Archaeological Services report 08/111, Reading

3

Williams, A and Martin, G H, 2002, Domesday Book, a complete translation, London

4

APPENDIX 1: Trench details

0m at S or W end

Trench Length (m) Breadth (m) Depth (m) Comment1 16.00 1.60 0.88 0-0.22m topsoil; 0.22m-0.45m made ground; 0.45-0.80m made ground; 0.80m+

yellow brown silty clay and gravel natural geology. [Pl. 1]2 16.50 1.60 0.57 0-0.22m topsoil; 0.22m-0.48m subsoil; 0.48m-0.57m+ yellow brown silty clay

and gravel natural geology. [Pl. 2]3 16.00 1.60 0.75 0-0.20m topsoil; 0.20m-0.48m made ground; 0.48m-0.60m+ yellow brown silty

clay and gravel natural geology. Gully 1. [Pl. 3]

5

APPENDIX 2: Feature details

Trench Cut Fill (s) Type Date Dating evidence3 1 54 Gully Late Post Medieval/modern China

6

SP34000 35000

34 35

34 35

6869

70

6869

70

www.memory-map.comOS 1:25k HD Great Britain 2016. Copyright © 2016 Crown Copyright; OS, Licence Number 100034184

Land to the rear of 4 Bath Road, Hungerford,West Berkshire, 2017

Archaeological EvaluationFigure 1. Location of site within Hungerford and Berkshire.

BRH 17/194

68000

69000

70000

Reproduced under licence from Ordnance Survey Explorer Digital mapping at 1:12500Crown Copyright reserved

SITE

SITE

Newbury

READING

ThatchamHungerford

Wokingham

Bracknell

Windsor

Maidenhead

Slough

SU34400 34500

68900

69000

SITE

Reproduced from Ordnance Survey Digital Mapping under licence.Crown copyright reserved. Scale 1:1250

Figure 2. Detailed location of site off Bath Road (A4).

N Land at the rear of 4 Bath Road, Hungerford,West Berkshire, 2017

Archaeological Evaluation

BRH 17/194

BRH 17/194

Figure 3. Location of trenches.

Land to rear of 4 Bath Road, Hungerford,West Berkshire, 2017

Archaeological Evaluation

0 25m

N

1

2

3

1

No.4

68950

68900

New

acce

ss re

quire

d

SU34500

BRH17-194

Figure 4. Representative section of trench 3 and post-medieval gully 1.

4 Bath Road, Hungerford, West Berkshire, 2017

Archaeological Evaluation

0 1m

Dark brown silt (levelling deposit)

Topsoil

Brown sandy silt(levelling deposit)

Yellow/brown sily clay and gravel (Natural geology)

95.87maOD

97.02maOD

54

1

SW

W

NE

E

Trench 3

Plate 2. Trench 2, looking north north east, Scales: 2m and 1m.

Plate 3. Trench 3, looking north west, Scales: 2m and 1m.

Land at rear of 4 Bath Road, Hungerford,West Berkshire, 2017

Archaeological EvaluationPlates 1 - 3.

BRH 17/194

Plate 1. Trench 1, looking west, Scales: 2m and 1m.

TIME CHART

Calendar Years

Modern AD 1901

Victorian AD 1837

Post Medieval AD 1500

Medieval AD 1066

Saxon AD 410

Roman AD 43 AD 0 BCIron Age 750 BC

Bronze Age: Late 1300 BC

Bronze Age: Middle 1700 BC

Bronze Age: Early 2100 BC

Neolithic: Late 3300 BC

Neolithic: Early 4300 BC

Mesolithic: Late 6000 BC

Mesolithic: Early 10000 BC

Palaeolithic: Upper 30000 BC

Palaeolithic: Middle 70000 BC

Palaeolithic: Lower 2,000,000 BC

Thames Valley Archaeological Services Ltd,47-49 De Beauvoir Road,

Reading RG1 5NR

Tel: 0118 9260552Email: tvas@tvas.co.ukWeb: www.tvas.co.uk

Offices in:Brighton, Taunton, Stoke-on-Trent and Ennis (Ireland)