Series: John Moore Heritage Services unpublished report series

John Moore Heritage Services carried out an archaeological watching brief at 1 Crispin Place, Wallingford, Oxfordshire, during the excavation of foundation trenches for a building extension. The excavation revealed services, modern brick soakaways and the remains of a garden pond filled with bricks and concrete. No other features of archaeological interest were identified and no finds were identified during the excavations.

John Moore Heritage Services carried out a two-trench evaluation on land at 11 Wittenham Lane which subsequently led to an excavation within the footprint of the proposed new-build. The excavation indicated occupation from the Late Iron Age through to mid 2nd century AD, forming part of the Roman town's extra-mural settlement, and comprising rubbish pits and postholes as well as a number of ditches. It is suggested that this settlement was located on a road exiting the town leading to the Iron Age oppidum at Dyke Hills. By the late 2nd or early 3rd century, it appears that the postulated roadside activity had been abandoned and replaced by an organised cemetery, comprising at least 24 east/west oriented inhumations, and potentially 30 individuals, bounded on the south side by a boundary ditch, which may well be associated with an internal bank. Similar cemetery enclosures have been recorded elsewhere at Dorchester-on-Thames. The burials are undated, but the majority appear to have been interred in coffins, indicated by the presence of iron nails; some evidence of familial grouping may also be present.

Several phases of work were monitored, comprising:  Excavation of footings trenches  Excavation of service and drainage trenches  Excavation of soakaways To the rear of the house, a section of the existing patio was removed, and an area of land approximately 2.5m x 10.5m was reduced by a maximum depth of 0.24m, prior to an archaeologist’s presence on site. The area was inspected and photographed. To the front of the house, the excavation of a soakaway, measuring 2.0m x 2.0m, with a maximum depth of 1.10m was excavated prior to an archaeologist’s presence on site. The area was inspected and photographed. The excavation of drainage linkage to the soakaway was later monitored. All excavation was undertaken under archaeological supervision and where archaeological horizons were encountered they were cleaned by hand and excavated appropriately. The archaeological watching brief was successful in meeting the aim laid out in the WSI. A series of archaeological remains were recorded, the majority of which were undated. However, where pottery was recovered it appeared comparable to that recorded during the previous evaluation (JMHS 2017). The small size of the area excavated limits the extent to which the remains can be interpreted, though it appears that 12 Crick Road is situated within an area of middle Iron Age occupation that comprises pits and probable ditches. The Iron Age and undated features were truncated by a series of later features, typically regular in form, that are likely to be associated with the construction and occupation of 12 Crick Road from the 19th century onwards.

The site situated to the rear of 16 Bisham Village, a 17th Century timber framed building, comprised a series of pit features. These pits include the results of quarrying and disposal of domestic refuse. In addition to this a chalk-lined soakaway was visible, cut through the large quarry pit and filled with 19th century material. The soakaway remains in use as can be seen by the number of modern services culminating in a modern brick built addition situated on top of feature [04]. Two sherds of 15th century pottery were recovered from a made ground deposit. The pottery, although residual suggests medieval activity in the locality.

The east wall on the site was recorded by photogrammetry, with work being carried out on both the east and west faces of the wall. The recording was that of a Level 3 (HE 2016). At a later date the south wall on the site was recorded by photogrammetry to a similar standard. The walls were recorded with photogrammetry. It is apparent that there are certain aspects to the walls that can help to create a narrative for the site and a narrative for early Barton. The walls were located on the east and south-west edge of the site. The south-west wall is considered to be the older of the two; it contained s series of large quoins on its southeast end. The return wall to this south-west wall had been removed and replaced by a breeze block wall. The end wall that had been removed was shown on photographs at the turn of the century, the structure contained a Gothic arch with a 13th to 14th century Early English or Decorated profile. It is presumed that this structure is a decayed building of that date. In the central part of the wall there is a series of quoins, either part of a door or a return wall. At the west end of the wall there are two blocked windows. This structure is thought likely to be part of a medieval hall house. The evaluation uncovered the remains of a significant and large ditch at the west end of the site. It was probably the Pale that was recorded with a Lyttel House that was associated with William Orchard a master mason at Magdalene College in the late 15th century. The Headington Inclosure Map of 1805 appears to show a curving boundary on the east side of Barton Village Road, which may be a relic boundary marking the Pale. If so it is apparent that the hamlet may have formed within this boundary. The east wall on the site was also recorded, and appears to show a further series of phases of activity. It had a dwarf wall on its east side, and probably south and north sides; with a foundation identified for the west wall. There was a doorway located at the south end of the building, which had quoins on the south side that formed part of the south-west wall. The north quoins are not as large and the form of the build is different. The stone surround appears to have extended up around the doorway on the southeast side of the building. This building is considered to butt up to the southern building. The upper part of this structure was probably timber framed. This building was probably an annexe to the south building, which was probably 14th to 15th century in date.

John Moore Heritage services commissioned Imogen Grundon Consultancy to conduct an historic building assessment of 30 Belsize Grove in order to determine historic fabric of interest and how these materials would be affected by proposed alterations to the property.

The building recording was undertaken at Level II as defined by the Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England (Recording Historic Buildings: a Descriptive Specification). It consisted of three main elements: a drawn survey, a photographic survey and a written, descriptive record. The drawn record was based on an existing survey of the buildings and consisted of archaeological annotations added to explain the construction, phasing and history of the building. The photographic record was undertaken using 35 mm black and white prints and colour slide film. It consisted of general internal and external views together with specific details of features of interest. The written record was a descriptive, analytical survey to complement the other elements of the recording. The house at 316 Woodstock Road was remarkable in that it had remained virtually unchanged since the time of design and construction in 1897. The windows, tile hanging and roof details remained intact, and the only changes visible from the exterior where the additions of the spiral staircase when the house appears to have been converted into separate flats, and the glasshouse on the south elevation. Both of these changes added doorways in locations that had originally housed windows. This meant the conversion of features already in existence rather than the more destructive creation of new openings. The interior period features also survived to a high degree, particularly in the attic where there were fewer attempts at decoration over the years. The survival in the cistern room of the early cistern was particularly interesting, as features such as this are generally removed in attempts at modernisation. The majority of the windows where original with only the loss of some detail, general deterioration, and the addition of separate double glazing panels affixed to the interior of the windows. The fireplaces, mantle pieces and moulded detail survived in all of the rooms. The discovery of the date stone behind the mantle piece in the hall emphasises the degree to which the internal detail had remained largely unmodified for 105 years. The single significant internal modification was the removal of the second staircase. This would have hampered circulation through the building if it had remained as a single house, but the evidence of the spiral staircase leading to the door with a separate letterbox, and the conversion of the first floor to include its own kitchen, all suggest that the internal space had been divided into two distinct units. The survey carried out in order to fulfil the planning requirements provided a rare opportunity to record in detail those features that were designed specifically for the house and that had remained in situ there for 105 years.

A detailed watching brief would be undertaken during all groundworks that have the potential to disturb archaeological deposits, including demolition of foundations, all breaking of slabs, any ground reduction/levelling, new foundation trenches, service runs, access and any other significant invasive work. An archaeologist was to maintain a continuous presence on site during the course of all work that would potentially disturb or destroy archaeological remains. Any archaeological features or other remains i.e. concentrations of artefacts, were to be recorded by written, drawn and photographic record. The excavated area lay within the area of the 1970s/80s flat roof extension. The extension had been demolished prior to the watching brief taking place and the concrete slab removed. Below the concrete and made ground was a deep layer of organic soil containing finds that were Victorian or 20th Century. The only feature identified was a fragmentary patch of brick floor that may have been a yard surface contemporary with the Victorian building or perhaps associated with one of the buildings noted in the area on the 1:500 OS map of 1877. No other archaeological features or finds were identified

A building assessment was carried out on Grange Farm, Shipton Lee, Buckinghamshire (NGR SP 735 208) by JMHS in 2006 for Corpus Christi College, Oxford (Rodwell 2006). This was part of a larger assessment that also contained a Desk-Based Assessment (Raymond 2006) and an evaluation (Parsons 2006). The present study is produced as a supplement to clarify certain aspects concerning the date and nature of certain parts of the building assessment after the removal of an internal partition in Building 2 (the farmhouse) and the adjacent Building 6.

This is a conservation appraisal carried out on Parade House, Woolacombe, North Devon, which is located in a conservation area. The study outlines the merits of the present building and its proposed replacement.