Rosehill (Aldi/Co-op site), Felixstowe Road Ipswich Desk-Based Assessment SCCAS Report No. 2013/059 Client: MLM Consulting Author: M. Sommers April 2013 Suffolk County Council Archaeological Service
Rosehill (Aldi/Co-op site), Felixstowe Road Ipswich Desk-Based Assessment SCCAS Report No. 2013/059 Author: M. Sommers Editor: Dr R. Gardner Report Date: April 2013
HER Information Site Name: Rosehill (Aldi/Co-op site), Felixstowe Road, Ipswich Report Number 2013/059 Planning Application No: pre-determination Grid Reference: TM 1838 4366 Oasis Reference: n/a Curatorial Officer: n/a Project Officer: M. Sommers Client/Funding Body: MLM Consulting Client Reference: n/a Digital report submitted to Archaeological Data Service: http://ads.ahds.ac.uk/catalogue/library/greylit Disclaimer Any opinions expressed in this report about the need for further archaeological work are those of the Field Projects Team alone. Ultimately the need for further work will be determined by the Local Planning Authority and its Archaeological Advisors when a planning application is registered. Suffolk County Council s archaeological contracting services cannot accept responsibility for inconvenience caused to the clients should the Planning Authority take a different view to that expressed in the report. Prepared By: M. Sommers Date: 3rd May 2013 Approved By: Dr R. Gardner Position: Contracts Manager Date: 3rd May 2013 Signed:
Contents Summary List of Abbreviations used in the text 1. Introduction 1 1.1 Project background 1 1.2 Site description 1 1.3 Topography and geology of the PDA 3 1.4 Scope of this report 4 1.5 Aims 4 1.6 Methods 5 1.7 Legislative frameworks 5 2. Results 7 2.1 Suffolk HER search 7 2.2 Listed Buildings 10 3. Site visit 11 3.1 Site description 12 3.2 Surviving structures 14 4. History of the PDA 14 5. Assessment of impacts and effects 20 5.1 The archaeological potential of the PDA 20 5.2 Potential of preserved archaeological remains within the PDA 21 5.3 Assessment of the impact of the development on the archaeological resource 21 6. Mitigation measures 21 7. Conclusions / Recommendations 22 8. List of contributors and Acknowledgements 23 9. Bibliography 23 Disclaimer 23
List of Figures Figure 1. Location of the PDA 2 Figure 2. Contour plan 3 Figure 3. HER entries within 500m of the PDA 7 Figure 4. Site visit 11 Figure 5. Hodskinson s map of Suffolk, 1783 14 Figure 6. Pitts Farm sales plan, 1811 15 Figure 7. Race Ground sales plan, 1812 16 Figure 8. John Barnsby s map of the Liberties of Ipswich, 1812 16 Figure 9. White s map of Ipswich, 1867 17 Figure 10. 1st Edition Ordnance Survey, 1:2500 scale sheet, published 1884 18 Figure 11. 2nd Edition Ordnance Survey, 1:2500 scale sheet, published 1904 18 Figure 12. 3rd Edition Ordnance Survey, 1:2500 scale sheet, published 1927 19 List of Plates Plate 1. General view of the Co-op and Aldi stores (camera facing north west) 12 Plate 2. General view of the buildings for which demolition is proposed 13 Plate 3. tarmac surfaced car park in the north east corner of the PDA showing the differences in levels and the access ramp 13 List of Abbreviations used in the text BP Before Present DBA Desk Based Assessment HER Historic Environment Record LDF Local Development Framework NHLE National Heritage List for England NPPF National Planning Policy Framework PAS Portable Antiquities Scheme PDA Proposed Development Area PPG 16 Planning Policy Guidance 16 PPS 5 Planning Policy Statement 5 SM Scheduled Monument SCCAS/FT Suffolk County Council Archaeological Service/Field Team SCCAS/CT Suffolk County Council Archaeological Service/Conservation Team
Summary This archaeological Desk Based Assessment (DBA) has been undertaken to inform the planning process in advance of a proposed scheme to expand the retail area on a site adjacent to Felixstowe Road in the Rosehill area of Ipswich. This DBA includes an examination of the Suffolk Historic Environment Record (HER) and a historic map and documentary search. The proposed development area (PDA) is located on the east side of Ipswich on land that has historically been in agricultural use until the general urbanisation of the area in the early 20th century. There have been isolated finds of prehistoric and Roman material within a 500m radius of the PDA but these do not suggest intensive activity. No Anglo-Saxon or medieval evidence has been identified within the 500m study area. Of some significance is the presence of a major Palaeolithic site, excavated in the area immediately to the north, which could potentially extend into the PDA. No formal excavations have been undertaken within the PDA or the study area in this area in modern times and therefore it is not possible to positively determine the presence of archaeological remains at this site. It is the County Council Planning Archaeologist who will make any decisions regarding the need for, and the extent of, any further archaeological works and consultation should be sought at the earliest possible opportunity, as archaeological investigations can have considerable time and cost implications.
1. Introduction 1.1 Project background This archaeological Desk-Based Assessment (DBA) has been prepared by Mark Sommers of Suffolk County Council Archaeological Service s Field Team for MLM Consulting. This DBA is intended to establish the potential of the Proposed Development Area (PDA) for heritage assets, as recommended by national and local planning policy, by characterising the nature, date and potential for survival of archaeological deposits upon the site and the extent to which such deposits could be impacted upon by the proposed residential development of the site. Advice as to the requirement and nature of further investigation to establish the archaeological potential of the PDA is also provided. The proposed development is for additional retail units and car parking in an existing shopping area. 1.2 Site description The subject of this DBA comprises an area of approximately 4ha centred at TM 1838 4366. It is situated within the urban area of the Suffolk town of Ipswich (Fig. 1. Location plan). The local area is made up primarily of residential housing that dates from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The PDA is an irregular shaped area of land bounded by Felixstowe Road to the south and Derby Road to the west. It can be accessed from both roads although the frontage towards the southern end of Derby Road is restricted by housing which is not part of the PDA. Rosehill Primary School lies immediately to the north with the remainder of the northern boundary being formed by the railway line from Ipswich to Felixstowe. The western edge of the PDA butts up against a small industrial estate accessed from Felixstowe Road. 1
Norfolk SUFFOLK Essex 0 25km 0 1km 243900 618200 618300 618400 618500 6 186 00 N Rosehill Primary School 243800 243700 D E R B Y R O A D PDA 243600 F E L I X S T O W E R O A D 243500 TM Crown Copyright. All Rights Reserved. Suffolk County Council Licence No. 100023395 2013 Figure 1. Location of the PDA 0 100m 2
A site visit was made on 24th April 2013, to determine the presence of any factors likely to impact on the overall assessment of the archaeological potential of the PDA (see Section 3). 1.3 Topography and geology of the PDA The PDA is located at c. 38m above sea level, on an area of level ground approximately 2km to the south east of the centre of Ipswich. The land to the west continues as a level terrace for c. 500m before dropping down towards the River Orwell which lies approximately 1.5km to the west (Fig. 2). The underlying superficial geology in this part of Ipswich consists of sand and gravel drift deposits (British Geological Survey). Glaciofluval in origin, these comprise a largely homogenous layer of sub-angular flints in a sand matrix (sand and gravel). This deposit has been consistently identified in excavation throughout the southern two-thirds of the town. A narrow band of glacial silt and clay runs approximately north south immediately adjacent the PDA and possibly impinges on the eastern edge. This material has been exploited for brick production and a quarry and brickworks was formerly located to the north of the PDA. 40 N PDA 5 10 20 15 30 25 35 30 35 30 Crown Copyright. All Rights Reserved. Suffolk County Council Licence No. 100023395 2013 35 Figure 2. Contour plan 0 500m 3
1.4 Scope of this report In order to set the PDA in its archaeological context a Study Area of a 500m radius from its centre was selected for examination. In accordance with the NPPF, the Government s guidance on archaeology and planning, this DBA examines the available archaeological and heritage sources to establish the potential of the PDA for heritage assets and the potential impact of the proposed development on such assets. These include the Suffolk HER, reports of any archaeological investigations, all readily available cartographic and documentary sources, and a site walkover. 1.5 Aims The aim of the DBA is to determine as far as reasonably practicable from the existing records, the previous landuse and history of the PDA, the nature of the known archaeological resource or other heritage assets within the Study Area, and the potential archaeological resource of the PDA. In particular the DBA will: Collate and assess the existing information regarding archaeological and historical remains within and adjacent to the site. Identify any known archaeological sites which are of sufficient potential importance to require an outright constraint on development (i.e. those that will need preservation in situ). Assess the potential for unrecorded archaeological sites within the application area. Assess the likely impact of past land uses (specifically, areas of quarrying) and the potential quality of preservation of below ground deposits, and where possible to model those deposits. Assess the potential for the use of particular investigative techniques in order to aid the formulation of any mitigation strategy. 4
1.6 Methods The methodology involved interrogating the following sources of data to meet the aims of this DBA. A search of the Suffolk HER and NHLE for any records within 500m the Study Area, and an examination of the literature with reference to archaeological excavations within the study area. The results are described in section 2.1. A search for Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas that lie within the Study Area and may have a line of sight to the PDA, was carried out on the NHLE and Suffolk HER. A summary is presented in Section 2.2. A site visit was made to assess surviving structures and the potential for the survival of archaeological deposits, Section 3 An assessment of all cartographic sources relevant to the PDA to identify historic landuse, the siting of old boundaries and earlier buildings, Section 4. Previously undertaken historical documentary searches relevant to the PDA were consulted. Searches were made to ascertain whether there are any other constraints on the site (SSSI, etc.) 1.7 Legislative frameworks National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) This framework replaced PPS5 in March 2012 (which had in turn replaced earlier guidances such as PPG 15 and PPG 16) provides guidance for planning authorities, developers and others on planning and the historic environment (Chapter 12, paragraphs 128 & 129 below). 128. In determining applications, local planning authorities should require an applicant to describe the significance of any heritage assets affected, including any contribution made by their setting. The level of detail should be proportionate to the assets importance and no more than is sufficient to understand the potential impact of the proposal on their significance. As a minimum the relevant historic environment 5
record should have been consulted and the heritage assets assessed using appropriate expertise where necessary. Where a site on which development is proposed includes or has the potential to include heritage assets with archaeological interest, local planning authorities should require developers to submit an appropriate desk-based assessment and, where necessary, a field evaluation. 129. Local planning authorities should identify and assess the particular significance of any heritage asset that may be affected by a proposal (including by development affecting the setting of a heritage asset) taking account of the available evidence and any necessary expertise. They should take this assessment into account when considering the impact of a proposal on a heritage asset, to avoid or minimise conflict between the heritage asset s conservation and any aspect of the proposal. The Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act of 1979 statutorily protects Scheduled Monuments (SMs) and their settings as nationally important sites. There are no SMs located within the PDA or the 500m study area although a number of are located within the central area of the town of Ipswich some 2km to the northwest. All are related to areas of known Anglo-Saxon activity. Listed buildings are protected under the Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas Act of 1990. This ensures that listed buildings are given statutory protection against unauthorised demolition, alteration and extension. Buildings are listed because they are of special architectural importance, due to their architectural design, decoration and craftsmanship; also because they are of historical interest. This includes buildings that illustrate important aspects of the nation's social, economic, cultural or military history or have a close association with nationally important persons or events. There is one Listed Building within the designated study area of the PDA. A Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) is an area that has been notified as being of special interest under the Wildlife and Countryside Act of 1981, due to its flora, fauna or geological or geomorphological features. There are no SSSI within the PDA or the study area. 6
2. Results 2.1 Suffolk HER search The HER only represents the archaeological material that has been reported (Fig. 3) and only represents the known resource. It is not therefore, a complete reflection of the whole archaeological resource of this area as other sites may remain undiscovered, this is considered as the potential resource. N IPS062 IPS062 IPS049 IPS049 IPS056 IPS056 IPS050 IPS050 LB1 LB1 IPS524 IPS524 IPS067 IPS067 IPS595 IPS595 PDA IPS281 IPS281 IPS064 IPS064 Crown Copyright. All Rights Reserved. Suffolk County Council Licence No. 100023395 2013 0 Figure 3. HER entries within 500m of the PDA 7 400m
There are nine HER entries recorded within 500m of the PDA. These are summarised in Table 1 below. The HER entry locations are marked in Figure 3. Discussion of pertinent entries appears after the table. HER No. Address Description Nature of Evidence IPS 049 134 Alan Road Findspot Reported findspot of a Roman coin IPS 050 17 Sandhurst Avenue Findspot Reported findspot of Roman coin IPS 056 Old Valley Brickfield Excavation Major Palaeolithic site found in 'Old Valley Brickfield, part published c. 1906 (Layard) and fully published by M.J. White & S.J. Plunkett as 'Miss Layard excavates: the Palaeolithic site at Foxhall Road, Ipswich, 1903-1905' (Western Academic and Specialist Press, 2004). Has since been built over (originally industrial buildings later redeveloped for housing). Findspot Bronze Age barbed wire decorated beaker excavated from c. 4 feet down by Nina Layard (1904 or 1908?) during excavations of the Paleolithic site. Documentary Site of Valley Brickworks, as marked on the 1st and 2nd edition, 1:2500 scale, Ordnance Survey maps. IPS 062 Land North of Foxhall Road Findspot Partly polished grey flint axehead, Early Neolithic to Early Bronze Age in date. Found at a depth of 4 feet on building land. Retained by finder. IPS 064 King Edward Road Findspot Flint axehead or adze, Early Neolithic to Early Bronze Age date found in the garden of a house on King Edward Road IPS 067 Bishops Hill Findspot Hoard of four Bronze Age socketed axeheads. IPS 218 18 Hamilton Road Findspot Partly polished flint axehead, Neolithic in date. Greyish and complete. Slightly curved polished blade edge, 57mm wide, rest of axe unpolished. Roughly triangular in shape with straight sides leading to a semi-circular butt of 25mm diameter. Length 128mm, thickness 20mm. Found in Spring 1997. 8
IPS 524 Old Valley Brickfield Evaluation Evaluation and borehole sampling undertaken in advance of modern development. IPS 595 St Clement s Hospital Evaluation Trenched evaluation revealed Late Bronze Age pits containing pottery in association with charcoal filled features. Also a complex of undated ditches, on various alignments, and possibly 19th century extraction pits. Table 1: Summary of HER data within 500m of the PDA The majority of the entries on the HER are from individual findspots of prehistoric tools dating from the Neolithic through to the Bronze Age periods and just reflect a general background of sporadic early activity in what was an area of high ground the overlooked the Orwell valley to the west. Bronze Age settlement on this high ground is suggested by the presence of Bronze Age pits and pottery at St Clement s Hospital (IPS 595) and the discovery of a Bronze Age beaker from the nearby brickworks site (IPS 056). The two stray Roman coins are individual finds and again, do not suggest significant activity in that period. Roman activity is known in the Ipswich area but not in this locality. The early 19th century Palaeolithic excavation in the former brickworks (IPS 056) is one of the major sites of that period in Suffolk. It was excavated by Nina Layard between 1903 and 1905 and revealed evidence of flint tool manufacture around the edges of a former lake or river. Miss Layard records the presence of numerous Palaeolithic artefacts found between depths of 7 to 12½ feet (2m to 3.8m). 9
2.2 Listed Buildings A search was carried out on the Suffolk HER and on the Heritage Gateway web site http://www.heritagegateway.org.uk. A single, Grade II, Listed Building is located within 500m of the PDA (marked LB1 in Fig. 3); it is described as follows: Name: CHURCH OF ST BARTHOLOMEW List Entry Number: 1237360 Location: CHURCH OF ST BARTHOLOMEW, NEWTON ROAD Grade: II Date first listed: 06-Apr-1988 Listing NGR: TM 1809 4385 Parish church. 1896. Designed by Chas Spooner. Red brick with ashlar dressings and plain tile roof. Nave with aisles and a chancel under a single roof. Western entrance front with projecting porch between 2 very deep gabled buttresses, with a copper lean-to roof. Central doorway with triple chamfered and moulded arch, and double doors. Above an enormous 7 light window within a deeply chamfered, pointed arched surround, with hood mould and label stops. Above, in the gable is ashlar diaper work. The aisles have 3 pairs of pointed arched windows with buttresses between them. The eastern gable wall has a large elaborate circular window with double mandala shape tracery. Interior has 3 bay nave arcades with double chamfered and moulded arches which die into octagonal piers with moulded bases. Contemporary marble pulpit. The eastern circular window has Art Nouveau stained glass. 10
3. Site visit The PDA was visited on the 24th April 2013 to identify any extant structures or earthworks that maybe of possible historic interest and assess the potential for the survival of archaeological deposits. Figure 4 illustrates the state of the PDA as seen during the site visit with reference to the surfaces and buildings present. N builder's merchants loose stone surface roadway loose stone surface loose stone surface recently demolished buildings tarmac surface ramp loose stone surface tarmac surface concrete slab concrete slab existing retail stores (Co-op and Aldi) roadway roadway roadway roadway roadway roadway roadway roadway roadway roadway roadway roadway roadway roadway roadway roadway roadway roadway roadway roadway roadway roadway roadway roadway roadway tarmac surface tarmac surface ramp retail retail tarmac surface housing former shops to be demolished Crown Copyright. All Rights Reserved. Suffolk County Council Licence No. 100023395 2013 Figure 4. Site visit 0 100m 11
3.1 Site description The entire site is developed with no large areas of potentially undisturbed open ground. A number of buildings are present within the PDA the largest of which is a Co-op store and an Aldi supermarket, sited in a single large building (plate 1). A large car park with a tarmac surface is situated to the south. The car park is accessed from Felixstowe Road via a roadway which continues to a large concrete surfaced service area to the rear of the store. Plate 1. General view of the Co-op and Aldi stores (camera facing north west) In the northwest corner of the PDA stands a former petrol station and associated repair shop; these buildings now house a builder s merchant. To the south of this a group of large commercial/industrial buildings have been recently demolished and the site cleared although the tarmac surfaced car park to the east of these is present. Two pairs of semi-detached houses exist in the south east corner accessed by a brickpaved roadway. Two commercial/retail structures with associated car parks (tarmac) are situated to the north. Three redundant shops, due to be demolished as part of the present development proposal, stand in the south west corner of the PDA (plate 2). The eastern of the three is marked on the 2nd Edition Ordnance Survey map of 1904 and probably dates from the late 19th century; the other two structures were built after the 3rd Edition map of 1927, probably in the 1930s. 12
Plate 2. General view of the buildings for which demolition is proposed (camera facing north east) The north east corner of the site comprises as series of areas enclosed by fencing, each of which is surfaced with loose stone. These lie adjacent the railway line and are c,.1m lower than the land to the south and are accessed by noticeably sloping roadways (plate 3) suggesting a degree of landscaping has occurred. Plate 3. tarmac surfaced car park in the north east corner of the PDA showing the differences in levels and the access ramp 13
3.2 Surviving structures No surviving structures of any obvious historical significance were noted during the site visit although the central building of the three due to be demolished (plate 2) is visually interesting and may be worthy of recording. 4. History of the PDA A history of this site has been traced through surviving cartographic evidence with reference to previously undertaken Documentary Research by the freelance historian, A. Breen (in Heard, 2008), which touches on the history of the PDA. Historic maps and plans consulted for this DBA are as follows: Name Date published Figure Hodskinson 1783 Fig. 5 Pitts Farm (sales plan) 1811 Fig. 6 Race Ground (sales plan) 1812 Fig. 7 John Barnsby 1812 Fig. 8 White 1867 Fig. 9 Ordnance Survey (1st Edition) 1:2500 Scale 1884 Fig. 10 Ordnance Survey (2nd Edition) 1:2500 Scale 1904 Fig. 11 Ordnance Survey (3rd Edition) 1:2500 Scale 1927 Fig. 12 N.B. The approximate location of the PDA is outlined in red in all the historic map figures. All historic map figures depict only rescaled extracts of the original maps. PDA Figure 5. Hodskinson s map of Suffolk, 1783 14
The earliest map consulted, Hodskinson s map of Suffolk (Fig. 5), dates to 1783. It is primarily a road map although it also shows towns, major buildings, areas of settlement along the roads and other landmarks to aid a traveller find their way. It also gives some indication of topography but it is by no means a complete record of the county. The area of the PDA is completely void of any structures although it is to the north of Ipswich Racecourse which was located to the south of Felixstowe Road. Figure 6. Pitts Farm sales plan, 1811 The PDA was within the land that comprised Pitts Farm when it was sold by auction at Garraway s Coffee House in Ipswich on 15th August 1811, as part of Lot VII. A map produced for the sale (Fig. 6) shows the PDA as open land with no obvious structures. It appears to comprise a single field, named in the sales details as Twelve Acres, although it may also include part of a field to the east named Maiden s Grave. The large field to the east of this is named Great Heath suggesting that this area largely comprised of heathland before the introduction of more modern agricultural practices. The land was then sold again at an auction held at the Three Cups in Colchester on 28th March 1812. The property was then described as Ipswich Race Course and Land a Freehold Estate. The PDA comprised part of Lot 3 which was sold in its entirety to Owen Roe. The route of the former race course is clearly marked on both these plans. 15
Figure 7. Race Ground sales plan, 1812 Figure 8. John Barnsby s map of the Liberties of Ipswich, 1812 16
The area of the PDA is marked on John Barnsby s map of the Liberties of Ipswich (Fig. 8) which again shows no structures or features within the area of the PDA although it does indicate a structure to the west marked Roe. This is the house of Owen Roe and it is thought that a corruption of Roe s name has led to the area being known as Rosehill (his former house was later known as Rosehill House). Figure 9. White s map of Ipswich, 1867 White s map of Ipswich, dated 1867, indicates that the area is still open farmland, the only development of any note in this area being the construction of the Lunatic Asylum to the east (the red building). Of additional interest is the absence of the railway line, the brickworks and Derby Road. It is between 1867 and 1884 that this area of Ipswich started to see some significant changes. The 1st edition, 1:2500 scale, Ordnance Survey map of 1884 (Fig. 10) shows that there is still no development in the area of the PDA although in the immediate vicinity the railway line has been built (opened 1877) and the Valley Brick Works is fully established with kilns and a sizable quarry. A small group of buildings, of which at least one is a house (Stanley House), has been built on the corner of Derby Road, which has 17
replaced the foot path marked on White s map. The racecourse is still visible with a post on the north east corner. 200m Figure 10. 1st Edition Ordnance Survey, 1:2500 scale sheet, published 1884 200m Figure 11. 2nd Edition Ordnance Survey, 1:2500 scale sheet, published 1904 18
By the time of the 2nd Edition Ordnance Survey map The PDA is on the edge of the expansion of housing with the entire area to the west and south west being covered in terraces of housing either side of newly formed streets. The school has also been built although the present building is a later replacement on the same footprint. Development has occurred within the PDA with housing fronting onto Felixstowe Road and Derby Road and the group of buildings on the corner have been restructured. The Felixstowe Road housing comprises pairs of semidetached houses on large plots set well back from the road, combined with detached houses and a small terrace in smaller plots close to the road. The single house at the western end of this group is one of the three shops due for demolition (see plate 2). A large building with rail access has been built in the north east corner of the PDA which is presumably for industrial use. Its access from Felixstowe Road still forms a separate route which is included in the PDA. 200m Figure 12. 3rd Edition Ordnance Survey, 1:2500 scale sheet, published 1927 The 3rd Edition map shows little change within the PDA, the main differences being the removal of the industrial building in the north east corner and the addition of a similar sized structure fronting Derby Road. The brickworks appear to have ceased operation and a foundry has been built. 19
5. Assessment of impacts and effects 5.1 The archaeological potential of the PDA The Palaeolithic site at the Valley Brickfield on Foxhall Road (IPS 056) is one of the major sites of that period in Suffolk, with evidence for stone tool manufacture on the edge of a former lake or river. The artefacts are recorded as having come from depths of between 2m to 3.8m. This site is situated immediately adjacent to the PDA and if any goundwork disturbs deposits at the depths greater than 2m there is a high potential for further discoveries during redevelopment of the site, The stray Neolithic finds from the vicinity of the PDA suggest activity here at a time when much of the area would have been wooded but do not indicate the presence of a significant site. Consequently the PDA has a very low potential with respect to deposits of Neolithic date. The discovery of a Bronze Age beaker at the Old Valley Brickfield and the recording of Bronze Age features at the St Clements Hospital site confirms activity in this area which could potentially include settlement sites. Beakers are often found associated with Bronze Age burials suggesting a possibly burial ground in the vicinity. Together these would suggest a moderate potential for Bronze Age features to be present within the PDA. There is no recorded evidence for Roman activity in the area suggesting the pair of coins are probably just stray or even redeposited finds. The PDA has a very low potential for the recovery of Roman remains. No Anglo-Saxon or medieval activity has been identified in this area and consequently evidence of these periods to be preserved within the PDA is low. No significant activity is known to have occurred in this area from the historical sources studied for this DBA. The area was open farmland until the early 20th century when it became part of the urban area of the town of Ipswich. Although evidence of the 20th century housing may survive on the site this cannot be considered to be of any great significance. 20
5.2 Potential of preserved archaeological remains within the PDA The potential for survival of intrusive features (such as pits, post holes and ditches) is possible but given that a substantial part of the PDA has been built on it is likely that any archaeological features that exist will have been truncated and the associated land surfaces are unlikely to survive although there are fairly large areas of hardstanding (car parks etc.) under which archaeological remains may be relatively undisturbed. 5.3 Assessment of the impact of the development on the archaeological resource The potential for encountering earlier remains depends on the extent of actual groundwork that is proposed and the methods that may be employed in any development of the PDA. Any building work within the PDA will cause significant ground disturbance that will have a detrimental effect on underlying archaeological deposits or features, should they exist. This is particularly the case because archaeological remains are likely to exist here at shallow depths, so even the construction of new roads (for example) would be likely to affect such remains. In view of this it can be concluded that any new construction within the PDA will potentially have a serious impact on the archaeological resource. 6. Mitigation measures Any mitigation strategies that may be required will be dependant on the nature of the proposed works. Any mitigation strategies that may be required for the redevelopment of this site in regard to its archaeological potential will be the sole decision of the County Council Conservation Team. The first stage is liable to involve a programme of trial trenching in order to fully understand the precise nature of the buried deposits and their significance at this site, and to determine the levels of survival and depths of occurrence to enable a greater understanding of the possible threat to the archaeological resource. This work would 21
entail the mechanical excavation of a series of trial trenches to sample all areas of the site at risk from the development proposals. The results of the trenched evaluation would then inform any future mitigation strategies that may be deemed necessary, such as monitoring of groundwork, open area excavation or in certain cases, preservation insitu. Until such work is undertaken, it is usually impossible to define the full extent of any archaeological work that may be required on a site. With this in mind the sites developers are strongly advised to liaise with the County Conservation Team at the earliest opportunity to clarify the likely need for any archaeological work. The three buildings to be demolished are not of any great historical interest although the eastern of the two may be of architectural interest. The eastern building is the only building built within the PDA in the late 19th century to survive; the other building is visually interesting and it may be prudent to make a brief photographic record of these buildings. 7. Conclusions / Recommendations Through an examination of the Suffolk HER and a historic map search, this DBA has set the PDA within its immediate archaeological landscape. In conclusion, no specific archaeological potential has been positively identified from historical records and as the PDA has seen little or no previous archeologically investigation, either by amateurs or professionals there is no data as to the possible presence of undocumented activity. As previously stated, in order to fully access the actual levels of survival it may be thought necessary to undertake field evaluation. As the majority of the PDA is under concrete or tarmac surfaces it is unlikely that a geophysical survey would be successful and it is recommended that a trial trenching exercise be undertaken to test actual levels of survival. The need and precise form of any further that may be deemed necessary will be at the discretion of the Suffolk County Council Conservation Team. Until such work is undertaken it will not be possible to define the full extent of any further archaeological works that may be required. 22
8. List of contributors and Acknowledgements This project was funded and commissioned by MLM Consulting. The desk based assessment was carried out by Mark Sommers, of SCCAS. The project was managed by Rhodri Gardner, Contracts Manager, of SCCAS. 9. Bibliography Heard, K., 2008, St Clement s Hospital, Foxhall Road, Ipswich: Desk Based Assessment. SCCAS Report 2008/132 Disclaimer Any opinions expressed in this report about the need for further archaeological work are those of the Field Projects Team alone. Ultimately the need for further work will be determined by the Local Planning Authority and its Archaeological Advisors when a planning application is registered. Suffolk County Council s archaeological contracting services cannot accept responsibility for inconvenience caused to the clients should the Planning Authority take a different view to that expressed in the report. 23
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Archaeological services Field Projects Team Delivering a full range of archaeological services Desk-based assessments and advice Site investigation Outreach and educational resources Historic Building Recording Environmental processing Finds analysis and photography Graphics design and illustration Contact: Rhodri Gardner Tel: 01473 265879 rhodri.gardner@suffolk.gov.uk www.suffolk.gov.uk/environment/archaeology/