Archaeology and Cultural Heritage New Roundabout on the Dualled A46 Farndon Bypass to Provide a Link with the Southern Link Road

November 2010

Waterman Energy, Environment & Design Limited Merchants House, Wapping Road, Bristol BS1 4RW , United Kingdom www.watermangroup.com

Archaeology and Cultural Heritage

Client Name: Casteby Estates (Residential) Limited Document Reference: E2953C_R_1.2.1_BS Project Number: E2953C

Our Markets

Property & Buildings Transport & Infrastructure Energy & Utilities Environment

Quality Assurance – Approval Status This document has been prepared and checked in accordance with Waterman Group’s IMS (BS EN ISO 9001: 2008 and BS EN ISO 14001: 2004)

Issue Date Prepared by Checked by Approved by First 20/10/2010 Ben Stephenson Fiona McKenzie Fiona McKenzie

Technical Director Technical Director Technical Director

Second 25/11/2010 Ben Stephenson Fiona McKenzie Fiona McKenzie

Technical Director Technical Director Technical Director

Comments

Comments

Disclaimer

This report has been prepared by Waterman Energy, Environment & Design Limited, with all reasonable skill, care and diligence within the terms of the Contract with the client, incorporation of our General Terms and Condition of Business and taking account of the resources devoted to us by agreement with the client.

We disclaim any responsibility to the client and others in respect of any matters outside the scope of the above.

This report is confidential to the client and we accept no responsibility of whatsoever nature to third parties to whom this report, or any part thereof, is made known. Any such party relies on the report at its own risk.

Archaeology and Cultural Heritage Contents

D:\E2953C_R_1_2_1_RH_Archaeological_appraisal.docx

Contents Archaeology and Cultural Heritage ........................................................................................................ 1

Figure Red line planning application boundary ref. 0970/LE/012

Archaeology and Cultural Heritage Page 1 of 2

D:\E2953C_R_1_2_1_RH_Archaeological_appraisal.docx

Archaeology and Cultural Heritage

1.1 This short report examines the archaeological issues related to the proposed roundabout junction between the dualled A46 (which is currently being constructed) and Southern Link Road (SLR) southwest of Newark and as shown in the attached WSP figure (ref. 0970/LE/012). This report is based on the results of archaeological assessment and investigation completed or managed by Waterman Energy, Environment and Design Ltd and also in consultation with Nottinghamshire County Council’s (NCC) archaeological advisors to Newark and Sherwood District Council (NSDC) and information supplied by archaeologists from Wessex Archaeology working on the pre-planning and construction phases of the A46 dualling.

1.2 This Archaeological and Cultural Heritage report has been prepared for the full planning application for the new roundabout junction. A separate outline planning application with means of access (in part), has been submitted to Newark and Sherwood District Council for the ‘Newark Future’ development, a mixed use sustainable urban extension at land south of Newark-on-Trent.

1.3 Past archaeological assessment did not suggest any above ground archaeological remains within the red line area for the proposed roundabout junction. The site area now consists of the newly erected embankment for the dualled A46 and an arable field to its east. The field is edged by north south and east west ditches. The nearest designated area or building lies at Farndon, to the west, with listed buildings lying within a conservation area. However, the recently completed and embanked dualled A46 lies between the proposed new roundabout and the SLR such that no further significant impact on the setting of designated heritage will result from the proposals.

1.4 However, work in the 1990s and more recently, related to the development of a dualled A46, had suggested Stone Age interest in the area between the rivers Trent and Devon. Fieldwalking had identified clusters of Palaeolithic (early stone age) and later worked flint. The southern cluster lies closest to the proposed junction, but is approximately 50 metres to the north. Test pitting had confirmed that rare and nationally important Palaeolithic artefacts and potentially in situ working areas might survive between Farndon and the River Devon.

1.5 More recently, the construction of the A46 has involved further archaeological monitoring and investigation where deposits could be disturbed. As the road was built on embankment in this area, most deposits were to be preserved in situ. Although the results of this work are not yet in the public domain, they have been discussed with the author (A. Crockett, Wessex Archaeology, pers. comm.).

1.6 A concentration of worked flint was recovered in a number of trenches investigated, 200 metres north of the proposed roundabout junction. A number of trenches were also investigated on the line of the dualled A46 where the junction is to join it. These trenches were almost all completely devoid of finds, with the exception of one test pit in which a single worked flint was recovered.

1.7 Given these earlier results, it is assessed that the junction does not lie in the area of highest potential. Nonetheless, it is hoped that the full report on the work will be available shortly to inform discussions with the Nottinghamshire County Council archaeological advisor to NSDC. The discussions will also involve Simon Colcutt, a specialist in Palaeolithic archaeology who has been supporting NCC in this matter.

1.8 It is expected that some further evaluation investigation will be completed in advance of development. This work will confirm the nature of any archaeological interest in the area affected by the proposals and which has not already been subject to investigation. It is likely to take the form of test pitting and will also confirm at what depths the area of interest lies to inform the mitigation strategy.

Archaeology and Cultural Heritage Page 2 of 2

D:\E2953C_R_1_2_1_RH_Archaeological_appraisal.docx

1.9 A mitigation strategy which accords with Planning Policy Statement 5 - Planning for the Historic Environment (2010) and local policy will be agreed with NSDC’s advisor. It may involve a detailed specification for construction methods to ensure preservation in situ of significant deposits together with further archaeological investigation to ‘preserve by record’. As we have an understanding of the nature and location of deposits already, and the road will be built on embankment, it is unlikely that the construction will affect significant deposits or that any such deposits could not be preserved in situ.