Series: The Archaeological Practice unpublished report series

A watching brief was undertaken during the excavation of foundation trenches for the construction of a two storey building. Three features were noted, all probably associated with the recently destroyed building on the site. The first was a wall foundation running east-west across the northern edge of the site; the second was a wall running east-west across the middle of the site; the third was a coal bunker. A basic photographic record was made of these features, but none of them merited additional recording measures. It was concluded that no features of cultural heritage significance were disturbed by the development works. However, the possibility that remains of archaeological significance survive on the site should not be discounted. [Au(adp)]

The present document provides a report on a baseline cultural heritage assessment undertaken by The Archaeological Practice Ltd as part of the overall environmental impact assessment for the proposed redevelopment at 26 Lime Street, Ouseburn. The report incorporates an audit of both discrete and more extensive historical landscape components and presents a synthesis of the overall chronology of the defined area.Conclusions are provided regarding the extent and significance of the archaeological remains in development area, and an outline provided of the consequent cultural heritage impact of the scheme. Finally, the report aims to identify areas where further investigative evaluation is considered necessary and makes recommendations regarding the work required to mitigate the impact of the proposed scheme. No buildings are known are known within the development area until the mid-19th century, with present structures apparently dating to the early 20th century. There is no record of any industrial or other activities being carried out there until relatively modern times. However, given the level of industrial activity carried out in the lower Ouseburn area, particularly in the 18th and 19th centuries it is a possibility that archaeological deposits relating to the medieval and post medieval periods may survive within or beneath present structures. Recommendations based on these findings call for archaeological recording and monitoring of any development work on the site. Among other specific recommendations, any impact upon the slipway structure leading from Lime Street to the Ouseburn should be avoided during any development works on the site.

An archaeological watching brief was undertaken at 44 Hexham Road, Throckley, Newcastle upon Tyne in order to monitor the excavation of an electricity service trench for the replacement of an electricity cable.

The evaluation took the form of six Trenches. Trenches 1 and 2 were positioned behind the existing buildings at the western end of the site in order to investigate the survival of earlier garden features and service. Although initially planned as separate trenches, restricted space resulted in these trenches being joined together in an L shape. Trench 1 measured 12m long, and Trench 2 measured 6m. Part of Trench 1 was additionally left unexcavated after the discovery of an overgrown modern concrete and brick pond. Trench 3 was located in the centre of the site in an area of concrete paving. Trench 4 was located partially between two standing prefabricated buildings and measured 9.4m long. Trenches 5 and 6 each measured 8m long and were positioned towards the eastern end of the site in an area of proposed foundations for a new build. The setting out of the trench was undertaken by the archaeological contractor, and the excavations were carried out mechanically and manually by archaeologically competent staff, topsoil and unstratified modern material being removed mechanically by a machine using a wide toothless ditching blade, under continuous archaeological supervision in successive level spits down to the first significant archaeological horizon or the natural subsoil. Spoil was kept close-by and rapidly backfilled into the trenches at the conclusion of the work. The trench was of sufficient depth to establish either the presence of natural sub-soil or the presence of any archaeological remains. A minimum of 1.25m in each trench was excavated, as this was the maximum given depth for any foundations or groundworks associated with the proposed new builds on the site. This document reports on a process of archaeological evaluation conducted in April 2022, as part of a proposed development at 5 Palace Street East, Berwick-upon-Tweed, Northumberland. The development is proposed for refurbishment and partial redevelopment as part of the Berwick Youth Project, which intends to convert the currently derelict site for combined professional and residential use. The site is located on the east side of Palace Street East in the south-east part of the walled town to the south-east of the town centre. Only Trench 1 contained any archaeological features. Within the western part of this trench were the partial survival (at a depth of 1.00m) of a tiled floor and sandstone wall representing the remains of a former property fronting onto the Princes Street Frontage to the west. Only a single course of the sandstone wall survived, and both it and the associated floor were constructed directly onto a mixed deposit characteristic of later medieval soil horizons across the site. This wall line can still be seen within the property to the immediate south, where it survives as a standing property line. In view of the findings of the evaluation, excavations carried out on the foundations of the new build require no further archaeological intervention if carried out to depths within 1.25 metres of the current ground surface. Groundworks below the excavated trench depths may require further mitigation.

This document reports on archaeological monitoring conducted in May 2018, to appraise the impact of the removal by excavation of four mature trees from a site to the rear of 76 Ravensdowne, Berwick upon Tweed, Northumberland (centred on grid reference NU 00149 52971). Re-excavation of one of the tree boles under archaeological supervision, and subsequent cleaning and recording by hand, revealed no significant archaeological remains from one of the 0.60 m deep tree boles. It was concluded, therefore, that no significant archaeological remains were disturbed during its removal and, further, that the findings from the re-excavated tree bole site can be extended to the sites of the other three. Thus, it is concluded that it is highly unlikely that any significant archaeological remains were disturbed on the site as a result of the removal of four tree boles in May 2018. Therefore, re-excavation of the remaining three tree bole sites is not recommended and no further action needs to take place. However, no further excavations should be carried out upon the site without archaeological monitoring as agreed in the WSI document which stipulates the archaeological mitigation measures agreed in response to perceived development impacts upon the site.

archaeological monitoring conducted in November 2019 and November 2020, to mitigate the impact of development works (centred upon NGR NZ 26132 81827), on the north side of Bedlington High Street, in the heart of the medieval and later town. The groundworks reported here, which have removed surface deposits from the greater part of the site, have revealed features of moderate archaeological interest, but only local significance. In doing to, the works have reduced the remaining archaeological potential of the site to a very low level and established that there are no archaeological constraints on development. The watching brief suggests that several phases of activity have taken place on the site of 86-88 Front Street, represented by the walls, surfaces and sparse artefactual finds of medieval, post-medieval and later character.

The assessment comcludes that two fields of significantly upstanding ridge and furrow earthworks will be directly impacted by construction of the A1-A192 link. [Au(abr)]

A limited programme of building recording has been carried out in advance of the conversion of redundant farmbuildings to residential units at Allendale Farm. The report deals with the two-storeyed South Range of the quadrangle, and the southern part of the single-storeyed East Range, as well as a block attached to the east end of the south side of the South Range. The photographic recording was undertaken during May 2011, a new measured plan of the buildings has been produced and annotated to show phasing, and Architect's plans of the buildings, provided by the client, are also presented in the report. It is concluded that the buildings recorded in the present exercise are of mid-19th century origin, with an additional attached block of buildings to the south-west - probably the previous house - having been removed by c1938. The character of the buildings suggests that they cannot long pre-date 1860; the use of Welsh slates indicates that they are unlikely to be earlier than c1840. The single storey ranges on the north, east and west of the yard could well be a little earlier than the more sophisticated South Range which is a very typical early Victorian farm building for the area, sub-divided into byres and stables on the ground floor and with longer granaries above. It remains very much in its original condition, although its windows have been renewed. The South East building has been more extensively altered; its form suggests that it was originally a horse engine house or gin-gang, with a hip-ended roof; the odd buttress on the west wall would have provided additional support for a heavy east-west beam supporting the wheel mechanism. It was remodelled early in the 20th century with its present gable-ended roof, the east wall (which probably had a corresponding buttress) being removed to make the two broad openings we see today.

A programme of building recording has been carried out in advance of the proposed demolition of the redundant Alnmouth Boys' Club on the north side of Alnmouth, Northumberland. The building, designed by the architects Dyson and Hebeler, was constructed in 1937 and opened by the Duchess of Northumberland on 26th January 1938. The Boys' Club is not listed, but does fall within the boundary of the designated Alnmouth Conservation Area, whose recent character appraisal highlighted it as a 'key' building in Character Area 3, where it is one of several buildings 'which, by their distribution, larger scale and individuality, add interest and contribute to a loose-knit character'. The photographic recording was undertaken during August 2014 using colour digital photography. In addition, a measured plan of the buildings was annotated to show historic phasing and an attempt made to research the history of the building through historic maps and records available locally and remotely. It is concluded that this is an attractive building although rather retrospective for its date; but sadly has been allowed to deteriorate into poor condition. It is of interest as a purpose built boys' club of the 1930s by a known architect, the product of local philanthropy and thus surprisingly extensive and elaborate for its village setting. However, although within the boundary of the designated Alnmouth Conservation Area, and in the Northumberland Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), the design is not regarded as ground breaking and the building is not considered by the planning authorities to merit preservation.