CHELTENHAM FLOOD ALLEVIATION SCHEME

CHELTENHAM FLOOD ALLEVIATION SCHEME

ARCHAEOLOGICAL WATCHING BRIEF

NOVEMBER 2006

For

on behalf of

JACKSON CIVIL ENGINEERING

THE ENVIRONMENT AGENCY (MIDLAND REGION)

CA REPORT: 04193

CHELTENHAM FLOOD ALLEVIATION SCHEME

ARCHAEOLOGICAL WATCHING BRIEF

CA PROJECT: 1828 CA REPORT: 04193

Author: Kate Cullen

Approved:

Signed:

Richard Young

…………………………………………………………….

Issue: 01 Date: 20 NOVEMBER 2006

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 Tel. 01285 771022 Fax. 01285 771033 E-mail:[email protected]

Cheltenham Flood Alleviation Scheme: Archaeological Watching Brief

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CONTENTS

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

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

The site ................................................................................................................ 4 Archaeological background.................................................................................. 4 Methodology ........................................................................................................ 5

2. RESULTS ............................................................................................................ 5

3. DISCUSSION....................................................................................................... 6

4. CA PROJECT TEAM ........................................................................................... 6

5. REFERENCES .................................................................................................... 6

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

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

Fig. 2 The site, showing location of observed groundworks (1:500)


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SUMMARY

Site Name: Cheltenham Flood Alleviation Scheme

Location: Arle Mill, Cheltenham

NGR: SO 9390 2295

Type: Watching brief

Date: 22-27 September 2004

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

An archaeological watching brief was undertaken by Cotswold Archaeology (CA) during

groundworks associated with the Cheltenham Flood Alleviation Scheme.

A Victorian brick-built culvert, likely to relate to Lower Alstone Mill and depicted on historic

mapping, was uncovered during the course of the works. The culvert was in all likelihood

part of the corn mill’s overflow system forming a sluice into a mill pond at the junction of Arle

Avenue and Colletts Drive. No further features or deposits pre-dating the modern era were

identified during the course of the works.


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1. INTRODUCTION

1.1 In September 2004 Cotswold Archaeology (CA) carried out an archaeological

watching brief for Jackson Civil Engineering on the behalf of the Environment

Agency (Midlands Region) during flood alleviation works in the vicinity of Arle

Avenue, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire (centred on NGR: SO 9390 2295; Fig. 1).

1.2 The watching brief was undertaken in response to essential services work for a

range of measures to protect Cheltenham from flooding. This included the

construction of bypass culverts, replacement of existing culverts, and the lowering of

the invert of a brick arch culvert. The objective of the watching brief was to preserve

by record any archaeological remains exposed during the development.

1.3 The archaeological fieldwork was carried out with the agreement of Charles Parry,

Senior Archaeological Officer, Gloucestershire County Council (GCC), the

archaeological advisor to the Local Planning Authority (LPA), and with a subsequent

Written Scheme of Investigation (WSI) produced by CA (2004) and approved by the

LPA acting on the advice of Charles Parry. The fieldwork also followed the Standard

and Guidance for an Archaeological Watching Brief issued by the Institute of Field

Archaeologists (1999) and the Statement of Standards and Practices Appropriate for

Archaeological Fieldwork in Gloucestershire (GCC 1995).

The site

1.4 Intrusive works associated with the arched brick-built culvert were concentrated at

the junction of Arle Avenue and Colletts Drive in Cheltenham (Fig. 2). The site lies

at approximately 53m AOD.

1.5 The underlying geology of the area is mapped as Cheltenham Sand of the

Quaternary period (BGS 1988).

Archaeological background

1.6 Sites dating to the prehistoric, Roman, medieval and post-medieval periods are

present throughout Cheltenham. The flood alleviation works associated with the

culvert lie close to the site of the 19th century Lower Alstone (corn) Mill on the


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former Six Chimney Lane, close to the site of the Gas Works. Two mills in Allstone

are also mentioned in Doomsday, and it is likely a mill stood on the site through into

the post-medieval period. Historic mapping shows the existence of a mill on the site

from the late 19th century onwards.

Methodology

1.7 The fieldwork followed the methodology set out within the WSI (CA 2004). An

archaeologist was present during intrusive groundworks associated with

modifications to the brick-built culvert on Arle Avenue (Fig. 2). The excavations were

supported by a continuous sheet pile wall. As a result only a limited view of the brick

culvert and those deposits immediately adjacent to it could be gained during the

watching brief.

1.8 Written, graphic and photographic records were compiled in accordance with CA

Technical Manual 1: Excavation Recording Manual (1996).

1.9 Subject to the agreement of the legal landowner the site archive will be deposited

with Cheltenham Museum and Art Gallery.

2. RESULTS

2.1 Approximately 20m of brick-built culvert were uncovered at a depth of approximately

2m below the existing ground level (Fig. 2). The culvert 101 was aligned

northeast/southwest and constructed of red brick with a white lime mortar. The floor

of the culvert was constructed of bricks laid on end and was edged with dressed

limestone blocks. It was 2.2m wide. The culvert had 1.1m thick walls of randomly

coursed bricks. This was covered by a single thickness brick arch. A brown-grey

clay backfill 103 surrounded the culvert. The culvert rested on a brick rubble deposit

102. Both of these deposits contained modern china and metal debris. These

artefacts were not retained.

2.2 No earlier features or deposits of archaeological interest were observed during

groundworks and, despite visual scanning of spoil, no artefactual material pre-dating

the modern period was recovered.


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3. DISCUSSION

3.1 The Victorian brick-built culvert is likely to relate to the Lower Alstone Mill depicted

on historic mapping. The culvert was in all likelihood part of the corn mill’s overflow

system forming a sluice into a mill pond at the junction of Arle Avenue and Colletts

Drive. No further features or deposits pre-dating the modern era were identified

during the course of the works.

4. CA PROJECT TEAM

4.1 Fieldwork was undertaken by Franco Vartuca, Derek Evans and Eddie Stratford.

The report was compiled by Kate Cullen. The illustrations were prepared Lorna

Gray. The archive has been compiled by Eddie Stratford, and prepared for

deposition by Teresa Gilmore. The project was managed for CA by Cliff Bateman

and Richard Young.

5. REFERENCES

BGS (British Geological Survey) 1988 Solid and Drift Geology, Sheet 216: Tewkesbury

CA (Cotswold Archaeology) 2004 Cheltenham Flood Alleviation Works: Written Scheme of

Investigation for an Archaeological Watching Brief

Gloucestershire

SCALE PROJECT NO.

PROJECT TITLE

FIGURE TITLE

COTSWOLD ARCHAEOLOGY

N

FIGURE NO.

0 2.5km

site

Cheltenham Flood Alleviation Scheme,Cheltenham, Gloucestershire

Site location plan

1:25,000@A4 1828

Reproduced from the 1998 Ordnance Survey Explorer map with the permissionof Ordnance Survey on behalf of The Controller of Her Majesty's Stationery Office Crown copyright Cotswold Archaeological Trust 100002109 c

1

RIVER CHELT

GLOUCESTER ROADPRIMARY SCHOOL

ARLE AVENUE

so

230

939

0 50m

SCALE PROJECT NO.

PROJECT TITLE

FIGURE TITLE

COTSWOLD ARCHAEOLOGY

N

FIGURE NO.

Cheltenham Flood Alleviation Scheme,Cheltenham, Gloucestershire

The site, showing location ofobserved groundworks

1:500@A4 1828 2

Reproduced from the Ordnance Survey mapping with the permission ofOrdnance Survey on behalf of The Controller of Her Majesty's StationeryOffice. Crown copyright Cotswold Archaeological Trust 100002109 c

observed groundworks and culvert

CHELTENHAM FLOOD ALLEVIATION SCHEME

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