Leigh, A., Yip, K. and Carlton, R. J. (2023). Belmont School, Durham, County Durham; Archaeological Evaluation. Archaeological Practice Ltd. https://doi.org/10.5284/1117699. Cite this using datacite

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Title:		 Belmont School, Durham, County Durham; Archaeological Evaluation
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Series:		 The Archaeological Practice unpublished report series
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thearcha2-516515_212302.pdf (19 MB) : Download
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Biblio Note		 This report was uploaded to the OASIS system by the named Publisher. The report has not been reviewed by the relevant HER. The report has been transferred into the ADS Library for public access and to facilitate future research.
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DOI
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DOI
https://doi.org/10.5284/1117699
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Publication Type:		 Report (in Series)
Abstract
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Abstract:		 The project took the form of geophysical survey, carried out in March 2023, followed by excavation of 23 trenches of 30m initially excavated by mechanical excavator using a 2.00m wide toothless ditching bucket. Geophysical survey followed by the excavation of 23 evaluation trenches in the grounds of Belmont Primary and Belmont Community School, County Durham resulted in the detection of no significant archaeological remains. The only features encountered in the trenches were modern in nature. These features were limited to patches of modern disturbance associated with landscaping, construction or services, and drainage runs usually containing ceramic terracotta pipes and interpreted as agricultural field drains. These field drains were present throughout the site. Deposit models from the evaluation trenches generally showed a topsoil either directly overlying natural or overlying a buried ploughsoil. In the north end of the site, a layer of redeposited natural up to 1.25 m thick, with occasional pieces of 20th century material, was present overlying the natural subsoil, suggesting that substantial landscaping had occurred in the modern era. This landscaping was likely to have been related to construction of the school and the levelling of the school field. These landscaping activities are likely to have truncated a substantial amount of the natural horizons where archaeological features may have been expected to survive. In the southern area of the site, the majority of trenches were quite shallow by comparison. Whether truncation occurred in these areas is unclear, but it seems very likely that the ground surface was planed flat before or during the creation of the playing fields. The sheer amount of land drains coursing through all areas of the site, as well as the farm known from historic mapping, would suggest that the area of the school fields consisted of farmland for much of the 19th and 20th centuries.
Author
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Author:		 Adam Leigh
Kennis Yip
Richard J Carlton
Publisher
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Publisher:		 Archaeological Practice Ltd
Year of Publication
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Year of Publication:		 2023
Locations
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Locations:
Parish: Belmont
District: County Durham
Country: England
County: County Durham
County: Durham
Grid Reference: 430521, 543357 (Easting, Northing)
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Subjects / Periods:
EVALUATION (Event)
MAGNETOMETRY SURVEY (Event)
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OASIS Id: thearcha2-516515
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Created Date:		 12 Feb 2024