Data from a Historic Landscape Recording at the Old Oak Common Satellite B, Acton, 2019-2020 (HS2 Phase One)
High Speed Two Ltd., Costain Skanska Joint Venture, Archaeology Wales, 2023. https://doi.org/10.5284/1106979. How to cite using this DOI
Data copyright © High Speed Two Ltd. unless otherwise stated
This work is licensed under a The Open Government Licence (OGL).
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High Speed Two Ltd.
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Queensway
Birmingham
B4 6GA
United Kingdom
Tel: 08081 434 434
Resource identifiers
- ADS Collection: 4456
- DOI:https://doi.org/10.5284/1106979
- How to cite using this DOI
Introduction
This collection comprises digital photographs from a Historic Lanscape Recording by Costain Skanska of three heritage assets located on land to the west of Old Oak Common Road, London Borough of Acton. The recording work was undertaken by Costain Skanska in November 2019, and later archived and deposited by Archaeology Wales.
Project Summary
The recording forms part of Phase One of the High Speed 2 (HS2) rail project, which was granted Royal Assent in 2017 as the High Speed Rail (London - West Midlands) Act. Phase One runs 230 km from Euston Station in London to Curzon Street in Birmingham.
This land lies adjacent to the development corridor of the HS2 scheme. None of the three structures had yet been addressed by previous cultural heritage studies in relation to HS2, and therefore a recording of setting was required to provide survey data concerning the setting of these assets prior to changes brought about by the scheme and to provide a fuller account of these heritage assets prior to permanent demolition.
The three structures comprised a former transformer building, a World War Two air raid shelter and a World War Two pill box. Until the results of this study, the origins and development of the former transformer building were not fully understood, the World War Two air raid shelter had only been identified through initial HS2-related works and was previously unknown, and the World War Two pill box had been visited in the Defence of Britain programme, but had not been specifically addressed by previous HS2 works, though all three will be demolished ahead of HS2. Thus, this setting survey work was justifiable as a record of setting, and the research undertaken to support the record, has documented the past and present setting of the assets and allowed an assessment to be made of the contribution of setting to their significance.
Re-Use Value Statement
Research undertaken as part of this setting survey has been able to confirm the origins of the former transformer building, the earliest of the three built heritage assets addressed by this study, as being constructed for the Great Western Railway after August 1905, and extended after February 1916 and before 1919, disputing suggestions that it related to ‘a private supply for a nearby industrial building such as the Ducon Condenser Works’ (Historic England 2016, 41).
This study has not contributed to an understanding of the origins, design or condition of the other two structures within the study area, the probable former air raid shelter or probable former pillbox, except to confirm that their fabric is consistent with such mid 20th century defensive structures.
The extent of the vegetation across much of the area in the immediate vicinity of the heritage Assets hindered an ability to read the landscape and understand potential associated features, and their relationship to the three structures, at ground level.
