Series: The Environment Partnership (TEP) unpublished report series

A desk-based assessment of the historic environment baseline conditions at a site on land at 1-19 Higher Hillgate, Stockport, and a 250m buffer of the site boundary. Data was reviewed from the Greater Manchester HER and Historic England. Included a site walkover, and a review of historic mapping, aerial photographs and LiDAR. Also included an assessment of the likely effects of the proposed development on the known and potential heritage assets, with conclusions and recommendations to avoid, reduce or mitigate the effects. The historic map regression and historical background have shown that the settlement at Stockport developed into a market town during the medieval period, expanding during the post medieval period as a centre for domestic industries such as spinning, weaving and leather working. From the 18th and 19th centuries factories for silk manufacture, cotton spinning and weaving, and hat manufacture developed in the Hillgate area. The proposed development site is located within the Hillgate Conservation Area and historically was comprised of a row of terraced buildings fronting Higher Hillgate, with another row of buildings on the same alignment fronted a smaller road, Bay Street, which was perpendicular to Higher Barlow Row. Many of the buildings had been demolished by 1992, and the final historic building demolished in 2021. The assessment concludes that there will be limited physical impact to the Hillgate Conservation Area and no physical impacts to any built heritage including listed buildings. Previous geo-environmental site investigation has proven the survival of below-ground remains associated with buildings which were historically within the site, and the proposed development is likely to require the removal of all such remains. This will result in a significant impact on the below-ground remains. It is considered that the predicted impacts of the proposed development on the below-ground remains can be adequately mitigated by way of a programme of archaeological works. The design of the proposed development includes the use of appropriate materials, multiple entrances and street frontage, provides a positive contribution to the aesthetic value of the Conservation Area in which it is located.

Historic building recording ...

A programme of historic building recording to Level 2 was undertaken of the early 19th century houses, 77 and 79, and 67 and 69 Barrack Street, and a modern annex to St James' Mill. The houses were representative of a formerly widespread building type of which the majority were lost by development in the late 19th and during the 20th centuries. The houses comprised paired dwellings each with a single room at ground and first floor levels with access by narrow winder stairs set against the central chimney stack. 77 and 79 are Grade II Listed and retain some historic features such as fireplaces but were historically opened into each other to form a large space. 67 and 69 were not listed and retained their original plan form as detached dwellings but were modernised throughout. The annex to St James' Mill was built in the mid to late 20th century and served as a storage and works area at ground floor, and offices at first floor level. It was of limited heritage significance and this survey provides a record of the structure prior to demolition

The archaeological watching brief was commissioned by Ms Margaret Keeling in response to Condition 4 of planning consent (Ref: DA/2018/0418), for the groundworks associated with the construction of a detached dwelling at Stoneleigh, Saneco Lane, Brixworth, Northamptonshire, NN6 9DA (SP 7457 7109). The Event Number for this project in ENN109643. The watching brief was undertaken on the 9th, 10th, 14th and 15th of January 2020. Excavation of the new building footprint uncovered a 17th century boundary wall, extant on the first Edition OS map dating to 1842 and associated with the 17th century Foxes Farm that was located immediately north of the development site. Pottery sherds recovered from a foundation deposit below the western face of the wall range in date between the 13th and 17th centuries, however the medieval assemblage has been interpreted as secondary deposition, with the mid-17th century considered the true date for the deposit, suggesting the stone wall to be contemporary to the farmstead. An animal bone assemblage recovered during the excavation has been identified as comprising a wide range of taxa indicative that this was an area where both food and non-food refuse was disposed of. The wall was no longer depicted on the second edition Ordnance Survey map dating to 1899, which infers demolition to have been undertaken between 1842 and 1899. Pottery recovered from a deposit sealing the wall foundations has been dated from AD1800, corroborating historic map evidence of the area.

Archaeological monitoring was undertaken by South West Archaeology Ltd (SWARCH) on behalf of The Environment Partnership Ltd (TEP). This work took place in the context of ground works in advance of the construction of a footpath and cycle bridge crossing the River Teign in Kingsbridge, Teignbridge, Devon The results of the monitoring did not identify any deposits or structures that might be associated with an earlier crossing of the river. The account of Taylor (1821) would suggest the current bridge was preceded by three earlier masonry structures, with preserved timbers encountered below the second bridge in the sequence. That account speculates the accumulation of 10’ (3.04m) of alluvium since the construction of the red sandstone bridge, which, if correct, would indicate Roman levels are very deeply buried (SWARCH, 2021). The section on the northern approach to the new bridge demonstrated that the bank on which the footpath is located consists of ballclay spoil. A sequence of alluvial deposits was exposed in the lower side of the trench. On the southern approach to the new bridge, a similar sequence of alluvial deposits was encountered. Excavations for the new abutments were up to 1.8m deep, but still lay above the level of the riverbed. No artefacts, preserved timbers, or masonry were observed during the monitoring.

The Environment Partnership (TEP) carried out archaeological observation during the demolition of Gasholders 1 and 2 at the former Ribbleton Lane Gasworks, Preston, Lancashire. Gasholder 1 was a spiral-guided gasholder built in 1955, replacing a column-guided gasholder of 1869 and utilising the below-ground tank of the earlier holder. The gasholder was typical of this type and period with trussed crown frame, riveted crown sheets and top curb and welded lift sheets, and square cup and grips. The replacement of a column-guided gasholder with a spirally-guided one was a very common development on gasworks and allowed the site's storage capacity to be considerably increased within the existing site boundaries. Gasholder 2 was a giant single-order, single-tier column-guided gasholder built in 1855 by Thomas Piggot and Co. of Birmingham and indicates the form of gasholder replaced in 1955. The gasholder remained essentially unaltered at the time of survey and the two lifts had a riveted construction with round cup and grips. The crown was trussed rather than utilising a static frame and when at rest was supported on a central concrete column. The first lift utilised a less common form of vertical stiffener. Neither of the two gasholders' tanks included a dumpling.

The Environment Partnership (TEP) Limited was commission in May 2016 by Bellway Homes Limited to review the requirements for a program of archeological work at a proposed site at Bee Fold Lane, Atherton. This site is arable land used for farming.

Level 2 historic building recording The Environment Partnership (TEP) Ltd was commissioned by Atkins Ltd on behalf of National Grid to undertake archaeological recording of gasholders at the Manor Street Gasholder Station, Braintree, Essex (TL 7648 2287), ahead of planned demolition works. The two gasholders had previously been assessed as having low heritage value and the recording was undertaken as a basic Level 2 survey in-line with Historic England guidelines. Gasholder 107 was constructed in 1925 by S Cutler & Sons Ltd and was a spirally-guided gasholder with two lifts and above-ground tank, with a nominal capacity of 205,000 cubic feet (cu. ft.). Gasholder 108 was constructed in 1951 by C & W Walker Ltd and was spirally-guided with three lifts and an above-ground tank, and had a capacity of 500,000 cu. ft. The gasholders were each found to be of fairly typical design for their respective time periods. Due to the sloping topography of the site both of the gasholders were built into relatively steep moats, thus requiring non-standard approaches to elements such as tank stairs.

Leve 2 historic building recording The Environment Partnership (TEP) was commissioned to undertake Historic Building Recording, to Historic England Level 2 guidelines, of four agricultural buildings comprising two barns, a cart shed, and a stables, located at Lenborough Farm, Gawcott, Buckinghamshire. The buildings originated in the early to mid 19th century, though not as a single phase of construction. The buildings were found to be in generally good condition and displayed a trend towards to the use of heavy roof framing and the use of recycled materials including timbers and bricks. A late 19th century phase of alteration was noted in which the frontage of the Stables and perhaps the north elevation of the Cart Shed were re-built. Modern alterations included the blocking of formerly open-fronted elevations and re-roofing and renewing of roof tiles.

A desk-based assessment of the historic environment baseline conditions at a site at DC North, Ministry of Defence Longtown and a 2km buffer of the site boundary. Data was reviewed from the Cumbria HER and Historic England. Included a review of historic mapping, aerial photographs and LiDAR. Also included an assessment of the likely effects of the proposed development on the known and potential heritage assets, with conclusions and recommendations to avoid, reduce or mitigate the effects. Within 2km of the proposed development site, the study area for designated assets, there are 18 designated heritage assets recorded by Historic England, including two grade II* listed buildings and 14 grade II listed buildings, a registered battlefield and a conservation area. Within the 1km study area defined for non-designated assets, 18 heritage assets of the prehistoric to modern periods have been identified. The proposed development site lies within the mapped extent of the First World War explosives factory HM Gretna. The historic map regression has shown that until the development of the Ministry of Defence (MoD) site, the proposed development site was located in a largely agricultural landscape, of large regular fields, with Solway Moss and, later, wood plantations to the north. There are dispersed settlements, usually of no more than a handful of buildings, with the largest settlement nearby being the town of Longtown. The assessment has concluded that there will be no direct or indirect effects on any designated heritage asset due to the distance and intervening vegetation between the asset and the proposed development site.