Series: Archenfield Archaeology unpublished report series

In April 2003 Archenfield Archaeology conducted archaeological monitoring on a site to the rear of number 16 South Street. South Street, formerly ''In Vico versus Hereford'', is believed to have been burgaged by the Prior of Leominster as part of the creation of the town in the 12th century. The disturbance to the site was limited to the new foundations and few features were observed. The most significant of these was an unmortared stone wall of unknown date which appeared to be a property boundary running at 90° to the street. This tends to support the evidence from cartographic and documentary evidence that the site was occupied in the medieval period.

A desk-based assessment of 49-53 Commercial Road, Hereford, prior to a field evaluation, in response to plans to convert the building into a public house. The site is within the Hereford Area of Archaeological Importance, as designated under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act (1979). The development therefore affects a site on which archaeological remains of importance are likely to exist. The site lies very close to the presumed site of the Benedictine Priory of St Guthlac. The priory was established on this site in the 1140s.

Archenfield Archaeology Ltd was commissioned by Berkeley Homes to undertake a programme of archaeological building investigation and recording prior to the redevelopment of the Royal Worcester Porcelain Works, Severn Street, Worcester. The development site constitutes approximately three-quarters of the whole Severn Street site and the remaining quarter is to be retained by Royal Worcester Porcelain Works. The development scheme involves the demolition of 26 large buildings and 6 small sheds, and the modification of 10 existing buildings in order to build 356 dwellings (comprising 317 apartments and 39 houses), a hotel, B1 space and A3 restaurants. The site is located on the south side of Worcester city centre and is bounded by Sidbury, St Peter''s Street, King Street, Severn Street, Mill Street and the Birmingham and Worcester Canal. An initial assessment of the buildings recognised that they are of historic and architectural importance. The archaeological work was conducted in accordance with the written scheme of investigation (WSI) issued by Archenfield Archaeology Ltd (2006), which was in response to a brief issued by Worcester City Museum Archaeology Section (2006). The WSI was issued to fulfil a condition in the planning approval which stated that a programme of archaeological work must be carried out before the redevelopment works commence. This document gives details of how the archaeological project was conducted and includes any conclusions drawn from the investigation.

Herefordshire Council commissioned an archaeological evaluation of the area to the north west of the late Victorian bridge at Bridge Sollers. A single trench was excavated and revealed the extent of the embankment supporting the bridge abutments and the road as well as a layer containing a scatter of medieval pottery. This may relate to the shrunken medieval settlement of Lulham.

In February 2003 Archenfield Archaeology conducted an archaeological evaluation of the former Brooklyn Ford Car dealership, Bath Road, Worcester on behalf of Neil Grinnall Homes and Spa Housing Association. A geoarchaeological study of cores taken from a borehole situated close to the line of Birmingham to Worcester Canal showed that the deposits consisted of an accumulation of alluvium overlying bedrock and overlain by a greater depth of made-ground. The lower levels were shown to have formed in waterlogged conditions, and samples may contain valuable pollen and plant remains that relate to the former course of the Frog Brook. Archaeological trial trenching showed that the site has been very disturbed by 19th and 20th century construction and demolition. Deep accumulations of made ground and a build up of layers of industrial dumping and the presence of back filled cellars were recorded. No evidence of occupation observed on either side of Bath Road was earlier than the later post medieval period.

Archenfield Archaeology conducted a program of building surveying and archaeological monitoring at Castle Cottage, Castle Street, Wigmore; a grade II listed building. A photographic record of exposed structural detail was made and the excavation of a shallow trench was monitored. No archaeological finds were recovered during the monitoring.

Hand excavation of 11 foundation pits 600mm x 600mm and two foundation trenches 3.5m x 0.50m for proposed bay window, porch and balcony around the current building.

Dairy Farm house, Weobley, Herefordshire, is a Grade II* listed building which has been dated to the 14th or 15th century. It stands on Meadow Street, a medieval street which leads north-west out of the centre of Weobley. During December 2000 Archenfield Archaeology conducted an evaluation on land 30 metres to the north-east of the house. This was in advance of a proposed housing development.

In June 2001 a team from Archenfield Archaeology and the University of Birmingham excavated human remains at Dewsall, Herefordshire. These bones represented at least 11 individuals of both sexes from children to adults. Carbon 14 dating indicated a likely date from the 7th to 9th centuries AD for two of the burials. Charcoal from the base of another grave suggested a date between the 2nd and 4th centuries AD. The burials were towards the southern edge of a large oval enclosure measuring approximately 270 metres east to west and 150 metres from north to south. A stream bisected this enclosure. Also within this enclosure, against its northern boundary, is the parish church of St Michael. The northern boundary of the graveyard forms part of the larger enclosure. Dewsall was within the Welsh kingdom of Ergyng in the late 6th and earlier 7th century. This had passed into the control of the kings of Glywysing in the mid 7th century. Some time in the 9th century the area became part of the English kingdom of Mercia. The cemetery, or at least part of it, may have survived all these changes, to continue in use up to the present time.

Archenfield Archaeology conducted a program of archaeological monitoring during the construction of new gallops adjacent to Eccleswall Court, Bromsash, Herefordshire. The area stripped consisted of 560 metres by 3 metres, excavated by machine to an average depth of about 300mm. Despite the relative proximity of the Roman site of Ariconium, no features of any date earlier than the medieval period were found. Apparently regular undulations in the subsoil may represent medieval ridge and furrow. A small quantity of iron slag and two sherds of pottery were the only finds recovered from the excavation.