| Title: |
High Wycombe Sewage Treatment Works, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire. Archaeological Desk-Based Assessment |
| Number of Pages: |
25 |
| Biblio Note |
Please note that this is a bibliographic record only, as originally entered into the BIAB database.
The ADS have no files for download, and unfortunately cannot advise further on where to access hard copy or digital versions.
|
| Publication Type: |
Report
|
| Abstract: |
An archaeological desk-based assessment was undertaken as part of plans for the residential redevelopment of the site. The first issue to be addressed was that of the potential of the site for industrial archaeology. Following the guidelines presented in the English Heritage Monuments Protection Programme, it was determined that while some of the structures present on the site related to the early sewage works, little of the original pumping station had survived. It was recommended that a photographic survey of the older building components be carried out prior to demolition. The second issue was that of subsurface deposits. The site lay in a topographic zone (a valley floor) which could usually be considered to be of high archaeological potential. The SMR search indicated that the area had a long and varied history of land use, from prehistoric times through to post-medieval industry. It was also significant that the site was located at an easily fordable point on the river, clearly a potentially important node for prehistoric, and indeed all pre-modern, activity. Despite the deep subsurface disturbance of some areas of the site, it was considered that there was still the potential for relevant archaeological layers to have existed in other areas, as it was unclear how much truncation might have taken place during the site's use. In addition, it was entirely reasonable to expect a considerable build up of natural deposits due to the site's location, which was known to have been prone to flooding. In other words, prehistoric or even Roman remains might be deeply buried, so that even where shallow disturbance could be demonstrated, it could not be certainly established that all the archaeology had been destroyed. Furthermore, as water was liable to be encountered so close to the modern surface, even modern features such as the sludge 'lagoons' or the minor tanks seemed unlikely to have caused deep disturbance. It was possible that archaeological deposits may have survived to varying degrees on the site. [Au(adp)] |
| Author: |
L-M Hardy
|
| Publisher: |
Thames Valley Archaeological Services Ltd
|
| Year of Publication: |
2001
|
| Subjects / Periods: |
| Prehistoric (Auto Detected Temporal) |
| Roman (Auto Detected Temporal) |
|
20TH CENTURY
(Historic England Periods)
|
|
|
MEDIEVAL
(Historic England Periods)
|
|
|
| Note: |
Date Of Issue From:
2001
Date Of Coverage From:
01
Date Of Coverage To:
01
Editorial Expansion:
Site name: HIGH WYCOMBE SEWAGE TREATMENT WORKS, HIGH WYCOMBE
Study area: 14.3ha
Investigation type: Desk-based
District: Wycombe
Monument:
Ngr: SU88409210
Parish:
Postcode: HP111HS
|
| Source: |
BIAB
(Archaeological Investigations Project (AIP))
|
| Created Date: |
18 Jan 2009 |
