| Title: |
The Site of Former Government Buildings, Marston Road, Oxford. Desktop Assessment |
| Number of Pages: |
33 |
| 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 appraisal was undertaken of the archaeological implications of the construction of five blocks of student residences. The assessment indicated that the area of proposed development had an uncertain potential to contain archaeology from the prehistoric to early medieval periods. The site was located on a clay slope c200m east of the River Cherwell and was likely to have been wooded during these periods. Topographically most of the site, except from the western edge located at the bottom of the slope, might not have been a first choice for early settlers. During the later medieval period the land was used as valuable common pasture and for these reasons it was unlikely to have seen any building. De Gomme's map of 1644 showed a line of parliamentarian siegeworks including a small fortlet in the vicinity of the area of proposed development. The siegeworks would have probably taken the form of a timber palisade but may have comprised a substantial bank and ditch. OA digitally plotted the line of the siegeworks shown on the 1644 map onto the modern OS ma. The plot indicated that the siegeworks may have been located immediately to the south-west of the site. However, the plot was only a rough guide, due to the nature of De Gomme's survey and it was not possible to say for certain whether the siegeworks and the fortlet were located outside of the site. The area of proposed development had seen some ground disturbance in the past in the form of a number of terraces cut in to the natural slope for the buildings which formerly occupied the site, which may have damaged archaeology. Some areas of the site retained the original ground profile and had apparently seen little or no intrusive activity, suggesting that any archaeology that may have been present within these areas survived intact. [Au(abr)] |
| Author: |
John Chandler
|
| Publisher: |
Oxford Archaeology
|
| Year of Publication: |
2001
|
| Locations: |
| Location - Auto Detected: |
River Cherwell |
|
| Subjects / Periods: |
| Early Medieval (Auto Detected Temporal) |
|
MEDIEVAL
(Historic England Periods)
|
|
| 1644 (Auto Detected Temporal) |
|
PREHISTORIC
(Historic England Periods)
|
|
|
| Note: |
Date Of Issue From:
2001
Date Of Coverage From:
01
Date Of Coverage To:
01
Editorial Expansion:
Site name: FORMER GOVERNMENT BUILDINGS, MARSTON ROAD, OXFORD
Study area:
Investigation type: Desk-based
District: Oxford
Monument:
Ngr: SP52950675
Parish:
Postcode: OX3 0EJ
|
| Source: |
BIAB
(Archaeological Investigations Project (AIP))
|
| Created Date: |
19 Jan 2009 |
