Images from an Archaeological Watching Brief at Steen Cottage, Hertfordshire October to December 2021
DRP Archaeology, 2022. https://doi.org/10.5284/1100063. How to cite using this DOI
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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
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Resource identifiers
- ADS Collection: 4823
- DOI:https://doi.org/10.5284/1100063
- How to cite using this DOI
Introduction
This collection comprises images from an Archaeological Watching Brief at Steen Cottage, Hertfordshire. The work was undertaken by DRP Archaeology between October to December 2021 and was commissioned by Your Plans UK Ltd to fulfil the requirements of a Planning condition set by the Local Planning Authority at East Hertfordshire District Council.
The site is located towards the northeast of the county of Hertfordshire within the hamlet of Nasty. The site is set into a rural agricultural landscape, fronting the principal road that runs through the settlement from north to south. The site consists of a Grade II listed, mid-sized, detached dwelling set on a large, rectangular plot of land, surrounded by mature trees.
The development consisted of the erection of a single storey annexe at the rear of Steen cottage with associated services. The proposed development had the potential to encounter heritage assets of archaeological interest related to medieval rural settlement types in Hertfordshire.
The development groundworks took place in October and December 2021 and consisted of three elements to the rear of the existing house. Plot 1 involved ground reduction across the footprint of the annexe to level the slight east-west slope of the site and four footing trenches in the rectangular plan for the new dwelling. Plot 2 consisted of a soakaway with an interconnecting trench linking Plot 2 with Plot 1. Finally, Plot 3 comprised a single trench to provide services from the road/front of the existing dwelling to the annexe. This represented an investigation area of approximately 55m2. The results of the monitoring identified a solid, undisturbed geological sequence and no archaeological features, deposits or finds were revealed.
The investigation found no evidence that would contribute more information on rural medieval settlements in Hertfordshire. Whilst the site is located in a landscape dominated by rural Medieval and Post-medieval settlement, including Medieval field systems and enclosures which appear to surround the site, groundworks revealed no evidence for this. Thus, no evidence was revealed that could contribute to the research objectives.
