NISBETS F BRITANNIA ZINC WORKS AVONMOUTH BRISTOL
Transcript of NISBETS F BRITANNIA ZINC WORKS AVONMOUTH BRISTOL
NISBETS
FORMER BRITANNIA ZINC WORKS AVONMOUTH
BRISTOL
ARCHAEOLOGICAL WATCHING BRIEF
JUNE 2008
For
on behalf of
HALCROW GROUP LTD
ST. MODWEN DEVELOPMENTS LTD
CA PROJECT: 2506 CA REPORT: 08116
NISBETS FORMER BRITANNIA ZINC WORKS
AVONMOUTH BRISTOL
ARCHAEOLOGICAL WATCHING BRIEF
CA PROJECT: 2506 CA REPORT: 08116
prepared by Kelly Saunders, Project Supervisor
date 11 June 2008
checked by Mark Collard, Head of Contracts
date 13 June 2008
approved by Mark Collard, Head of Contracts
signed
date 13 June 2008
issue 01
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Niisbets, Former Britannia Zinc Works, Avonmouth, Bristol: Archaeological Watching Brief
CONTENTS
SUMMARY........................................................................................................................2
1. INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................. 3
2. RESULTS (FIGS 2-4) .......................................................................................... 5
3. DISCUSSION....................................................................................................... 5
4. CA PROJECT TEAM ........................................................................................... 6
5. REFERENCES .................................................................................................... 6
APPENDIX A: CONTEXT DESCRIPTIONS ..................................................................... 7 APPENDIX B: OASIS REPORT FORM............................................................................ 8
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Fig. 1 Site location plan (1:25000)
Fig. 2 The site, showing location of groundworks (1:1000).
Fig. 3 The dock levelling bay, stripped to the full depth of the groundworks
Fig. 4 The lift shaft, excavated to the full depth of the groundworks
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Niisbets, Former Britannia Zinc Works, Avonmouth, Bristol: Archaeological Watching Brief
SUMMARY
Project Name: Nisbets, Former Britannia Zinc Works
Location: Avonmouth, Bristol
NGR: ST 5270 7914
Type: Watching Brief
Date: 11 January – 18 February 2008
Planning Reference: 07/03022/M
Location of Archive: To be deposited with Bristol City Museum and Art Gallery Site Code: NAA 08
An archaeological watching brief was undertaken by Cotswold Archaeology during
groundworks associated with the redevelopment of the Nisbets site at the former Britannia
Zinc Works, Avonmouth, Bristol.
No features or deposits of archaeological interest were observed during groundworks, and
no artefactual material pre-dating the modern period was recovered.
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Niisbets, Former Britannia Zinc Works, Avonmouth, Bristol: Archaeological Watching Brief
1. INTRODUCTION
1.1 In January and February 2008 Cotswold Archaeology (CA) carried out an
archaeological watching brief for Halcrow Group Ltd on Behalf of St. Modwen
Developments Ltd at Nisbets, the former Britannia Zinc Works, Avonmouth, Bristol
(centred on NGR: ST 5270 7914; Fig. 1). This followed two earlier site visits by
James Goad of Halcrow on 18 December 2007 and 4 January 2008. The watching
brief was undertaken to fulfil condition no. 18 attached to the planning consent for
the construction of commercial units (Bristol City Council Planning ref: 07/03022/M).
The objective of the watching brief was to record all archaeological remains exposed
during the development.
1.2 The watching brief was carried out in accordance with a briefing prepared by
Halcrow Group Ltd, in agreement with by Mr Bob Jones (Bristol City Council
Archaeologist), the archaeological advisor to the Local Planning Authority (LPA).
The fieldwork also followed the Standard and Guidance for an Archaeological
Watching Brief issued by the Institute of Field Archaeologists (2001), and the
Management of Archaeological Projects (English Heritage 1991).
The site
1.3 The Site lies within the St. Modwen Development on the site of a former zinc works,
and is approximately 0.5 ha. Prior to the present groundworks any infrastructure
associated with the Zinc Works had been removed and a pile mat of crushed stone
over a geotextile laid across the area. To the north of the site are modern
warehouses, whilst to the south are the officers of the former zinc works. To the
west of the site lies a very large slag heap, whilst to the east the site is bounded by
fields and Kings Weston Lane (Fig. 1). The site lies at approximately 6m AOD.
1.4 The underlying solid geology of the area is mapped as Mercia Mudstone, overlain by
drift alluvium of the Pleistocene and recent era (BGS 1974). The drift geology was
encountered in the deepest areas of the groundworks.
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Archaeological background
1.5 An archaeological Desk-Based Assessment (DBA) has previously been carried out
on the site by Halcrow Group Ltd (2005), and it is not the intention to repeat their
findings here.
1.6 In summary, evidence for occupation has been found within the vicinity of the study
area from the Mesolithic to the Roman periods as a series of buried land surfaces,
on average between 1-1.5m below present ground level (bpgl). Within 350m of the
North of the site lies the Scheduled Monument known as the Mere Bank, a straight
linear earthwork with flanking ditches which represents the Anglo-Saxon
reclamation of the Henbury saltmarsh. The use of this reclaimed land is further
shown by ridge and furrow of the medieval and later periods observed in the
vicinity, finely ending in the industrialisation of the area, and associated construction
of heavy industry, with the opening of Avonmouth Docks in the nineteenth century
(Halcrow Group 2005)
1.7 More recently an evaluation was undertaken by Cotswold Archaeology (CA 2008)
within the eastern edge of the St. Modwen Development, to the east of this
watching brief. Modern industrial deposits were observed to 1.5m to 2m bpgl. These
covered a mottled alluvial clay which was observed down to the base of the
trenches between 2.4m to 3m bpgl
Methodology
1.8 An archaeologist was initially present during intrusive groundworks comprising the
excavation of all foundation and service trenches. This was then altered, with the
agreement of Mr Jones (Bristol City Council Archaeologist) to the observation of the
deeper groundworks, due to the consistent level of modern makeup deposit
encountered across the site, specifically the excavation of the dock levelling bay and
a lift shaft (Figs. 2, 3 and 4).
1.9 Throughout the project written, graphic and photographic records were compiled in
accordance with CA Technical Manual 1: Fieldwork Recording Manual (2007).
1.10 The archive is currently held by CA at their offices in Kemble. Subject and will be
deposited with Bristol City Museum and Art Gallery. A summary of information from
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this project, set out within Appendix B, will be entered onto the OASIS online
database of archaeological projects in Britain.
2. RESULTS (FIGS 2-4)
2.1 The Drift Geology was encountered within the deepest areas of the groundworks, up
to 2.4m bpgl, at an average depth of 1.4m bpgl, consisting of blue-grey alluvial clay
throughout. This was overlain by post-medieval makeup layers (102, 202) between
0.25m to 1m in thickness, which were in turn sealed by the modern piling mat. No
former topsoil horizon was observed between them. This concurs with the
observations made by Halcrow during the excavation for the pile caps and footing
trenches of buildings on the site.
2.2 No 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. Deposits were assessed for their
palaeoenvironmental potential in accordance with CA Technical Manual 2: The
Taking and Processing of Environmental and Other samples from Archaeological
Sites (2003), but no deposits suitable for sampling were identified.
3. DISCUSSION
3.1 Despite the archaeological potential of the application area, the watching brief
identified no archaeological remains within the area of observed groundworks. The
absence of archaeological deposits may indicate that they either do not extend as
far as the development, or that they were removed during the construction of the
Britannia Zinc Works, as the interface between the modern and geological deposits
is very sharp, with no surviving former ground surface surviving, or that they lie
within deeper layers of alluvium not exposed during the present groundworks. These
results also reflect those from the recent evaluation (CA 2008).
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4. CA PROJECT TEAM
Fieldwork was undertaken by Kelly Saunders, who also wrote this report. The
illustrations were prepared by Jemma Elliott. The archive has been compiled by
Kelly Saunders, and prepared for deposition by Kathryn Price. The project was
managed for CA by Mark Collard.
5. REFERENCES
BGS (British Geological Survey) 1974 Geological Survey of England and Wales, Sheet 264
Bristol, Scale 1:50,000
CA (Cotswold Archaeology) 2008 Access 18, St Modwen’s Office Block, King’s Weston
Lane, Avonmouth, Bristol: Archaeological Evaluation, Report No. 08038
Halcrow Group. 2005 BZL Avonmouth: Desk-based Assessment
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APPENDIX A: CONTEXT DESCRIPTIONS
Dock levelling bay No. Type Description Length
(m) Width (m)
Depth (m)
Spot-date
101 Layer Modern made ground 1.1 Modern 102 Layer Dark brown mixed clay silt with large stones and
mortar fragments 0.25
103 Layer Mid blue-grey alluvial clay 1 + Lift Shaft No. Type Description Length
(m) Width (m)
Depth (m)
Spot-date
201 Layer Modern hardcore pile mat 0.14 Modern 202 Layer Dark grey fine ashy silt, occasional CBM 1 203 Layer Mid blue-grey alluvial clay 0.5 +
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APPENDIX B: OASIS REPORT FORM
PROJECT DETAILS Project Name Nisbets, Former Britannia Zinc Works, Avonmouth,
Bristol Short description (250 words maximum)
An archaeological watching brief was undertaken by Cotswold Archaeology during groundworks associated with the redevelopment of the Nisbets site at the Former Britannia Zinc Works, Avonmouth, Bristol. No features or deposits of archaeological interest were observed during groundworks, and no artefactual material pre-dating the modern period was recovered.
Project dates 11 January – 18 February 2008
Project type (e.g. desk-based, field evaluation etc)
Watching Brief
Previous work (reference to organisation or SMR numbers etc)
None
Future work Unknown
PROJECT LOCATION Site Location Nisbets, Former Britannia Zinc Works, Avonmouth,
Bristol Study area (M2/ha) 0.5ha Site co-ordinates (8 Fig Grid Reference) ST 5270 7914
PROJECT CREATORS Name of organisation Cotswold Archaeology Project Brief originator Halcrow Group Ltd Project Design (WSI) originator Halcrow Group Ltd Project Manager Mark Collard Project Supervisor Kelly Saunders PROJECT ARCHIVES Intended final location of
archive (museum/Accession no.)
Content (e.g. pottery, animal bone etc)
Physical Paper Bristol Museum and Art
Gallery Pro forma recording sheets
Digital Bristol Museum and Art Gallery
Digital Photos
BIBLIOGRAPHY
CA (Cotswold Archaeology) 2008, Nisbets, Former Britannia Zinc Works, Avonmouth, Bristol: Archaeological Watching Brief, Report No. 08116
Bristol
N
SCALEDRAWN BY PROJECT NO. FIGURE NO.
PROJECT TITLE
FIGURE TITLE
COTSWOLD ARCHAEOLOGY
0 2.5km
Site
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
1:25,000@A4 2506JE 1
Nisbets, Former Britannia Zinc WorksAvonmouth, Bristol
Site location plan
800
520 530
790790
791791
790
791
ST
526526526
527527527
DOCK LEVELLING BAY
LIFTSHAFT
site
area of observed groundworks
N
SCALEDRAWN BY PROJECT NO. FIGURE NO.
PROJECT TITLE
FIGURE TITLE
COTSWOLD ARCHAEOLOGY
0 100m
1:1000@A4 2506JE 2
Nisbets, Former Britannia Zinc WorksAvonmouth, Bristol
The Site, showing location of observed groundworks
SCALEDRAWN BY PROJECT NO. FIGURE NO.
COTSWOLD ARCHAEOLOGYPROJECT TITLE
FIGURE TITLE
3 The Dock Levelling Bay, stripped to the full depth of the groundworks
4 The Lift Shaft, excavated to the full depth of the groundworks
Photographs
4
3
n/a 3 & 42506JE
Nisbets, Former Britannia Zinc WorksAvonmouth, Bristol