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Northumberland County Council
County Hall
Morpeth
Northumberland
NE61 2EF
England
Tel: 01670 620305
The Berwick-upon-Tweed urban waterlogged deposits project was commissioned by English Heritage and carried out by Northumberland County Council between June 2012 and April 2013. The work was funded through the National Heritage Protection Commissions Programme with a contribution from the County Council.
Berwick-upon-Tweed is the most northerly town in England. It is spectacularly sited on a coastal peninsula, surrounded by water on three sides and protected by medieval and Elizabethan walled defences and a castle at the neck of the peninsula. Although the only standing medieval remains are the Edwardian Walls, archaeological evidence shows that Berwick has been occupied since at least the 12th century. Archaeological excavations have revealed deep, complex and relatively undisturbed medieval stratigraphy in the historic town, which includes waterlogged deposits that yield organic material.
The project has studied the distribution and significance of urban waterlogged deposits in Berwick using evidence from archaeological and geotechnical (borehole) investigations. This data was used to create a GIS deposit model of the town's buried stratigraphy. Both sources of data have been used to identify the presence, nature and survival of waterlogged layers and organic remains in relation to medieval and post-medieval deposits, underlying natural deposits and later development and disturbance.
Although it was not possible to create a predictive deposit model, owing to the limited amount of available data, the project has provided a more detailed understanding of the development of the urban structure of Berwick and the factors that influence the waterlogged deposits in the town. An archaeology planning guidance note has been prepared for use on sites in Berwick and amendments have been made to development management briefs to include more detailed requirements where waterlogging is encountered.