| Title: |
Rudchester Farm Water Pipe, Heddon on the Wall, Northumberland; Archaeological Watching Brief |
| Series: |
The Archaeological Practice unpublished report series
|
| Downloads: |
|
thearcha2-510243_192308.pdf (13 MB)
:
|
Download
|
|
| Biblio Note |
This report was uploaded to the OASIS system by the named Publisher. The report has been transferred into the ADS Library for public access and to facilitate future research.
|
| Licence Type: |
ADS Terms of Use and Access
|
| DOI |
|
| Publication Type: |
Report (in Series)
|
| Abstract: |
The watching brief took place during all groundworks carried out on site. These groundworks consisted of the excavation of a long pipe trench along the line of the pre-existing service. The works’ aims were to reveal the old pipework in order that it could later be replaced or deactivated, and to simultaneously excavate a deep enough pipe trench for new pipework to be installed within. During the monitoring of the pipe trench, a possible in-situ structual feature was visible in section, being narrowly avoided by the pipe trench recut, while two obstacles formed by one or multiple large stones were found to overlie plough soil deposits. The two plastic pipes were laid at a rough height of 0.60-0.65m below ground level throughout the site, reflecting the need to allow a certain amount of ground cover to prevent freezing. In two places along the trench run, the pipes were laid over large stones, bringing them to within 0.40m of the ground. According to drainage personnel on site, relaying the new pipe over these stones would bring the pipes too close to the surface for the water board inspector to approve. The first of these obstacles (referred to here as [102]) consisted of two fairly large, flattish stones, one of these stones resting on a further stone (Photo 07-08). These stones may have represented deposited rubble of crude flagstones or similar. A superficial clean showed that more of the same mid to dark grey-brown silty sand was underlying the stones. The second obstacle consisted of a rectangular stone (referred to here as [103]) that may have been broken before deposition (Photo 09). As far as it could be discerned, this stone was also lying on top of the same deposit as that encountered everywhere else in the field. It was concluded that neither obstacle represented part of an in situ structure. They were recorded by photograph before advice was sought from Historic England as to how to deal with these obstacles to facilitate the future installation of the pipe at sufficient depth. After consulting Don O’Meara and with the advice of Mike Collins, it was decided that these stones could be removed within the confines of the trench. Towards the northern end of the trench, a face of an apparent in situ linear structure aligned north-south was present low in the eastern section of the trench for a length of 1.65m. It appears it was fortuitously, or possibly carefully, avoided by previous excavations of the service run. This feature was recorded by section photograph and was not investigated further. A handful of finds, mostly sherds of roman pottery, were found within the plough soil, and were retained. |
| Author: |
Adam Leigh
|
| Publisher: |
Archaeological Practice Ltd
|
| Other Person/Org: |
Historic England review (OASIS Reviewer)
|
| Year of Publication: |
2022
|
| Locations: |
| District: |
Northumberland |
| Parish: |
Heddon-on-the-Wall |
| Country: |
England |
| County: |
Northumberland |
|
Grid Reference: 411227, 567513 (Easting, Northing)
|
|
| Subjects / Periods: |
|
| Identifiers: |
| OASIS Id: |
thearcha2-510243 |
|
| Source: |
|
| Relations: |
|
| Created Date: |
12 Feb 2024 |
