Le Quesne, C. (2001). An Archaeological Assessment of 195-199 Knightsbridge, City of Westminster, London SW7. AOC Archaeology Ltd.

Title
Title
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Title:		 An Archaeological Assessment of 195-199 Knightsbridge, City of Westminster, London SW7
Number of Pages
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Number of Pages:		 40
Biblio Note
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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
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Publication Type:		 Report
Abstract
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Abstract:		 A desk-based assessment was undertaken in advance of the proposed residential redevelopment of the site. The site was currently occupied by Mercurt House, a large post-war office building. The site did not contain any Listed Buildings and did not lie in an area of Special Archaeological Priority. Borehole records from Knightsbridge Green and adjacent sites had revealed that the underlying drift geology, with up to 10m of alluvial material overlying London Clay and the terrace gravels in places. These deposits were all likely to be Palaeolithic in date, possibly dating between any time from 250,000 to 20,000 years ago. They may contain traces of past human activity. It had long been thought that a Roman road formerly ran down the line of Piccadilly and along Knightsbridge. The historic boundary of Knightsbridge and Kensington, running to the north of Brompton Road and through the southern half of the Knightsbridge site, could have also represented the former line of such an early road. There was evidence to suggest that Knightsbridge had some form of independent status in the Saxon period, when it was granted to Westminster Abbey by Edward the Confessor. Medieval records suggested that it formerly extended further to the north, across the modern area of Kensington Park, on the west side of the Westbourne stream, joining up with the manor of Westbourne, with which it formed a single manor in the medieval period. It seemed likely that any settlement at these periods, as in the early post-medieval period, was focussed on the road junction at Knightsbridge Green. The effect of the development proposals would mean that Palaeolithic period deposits would be largely removed in those areas with three levels of basements. There were areas of the site which would have already been affected by the current basements although it was thought that archaeological deposits still existed beneath these. Further impact in localised areas would be created by the foundations of lift shafts, staircases and a car ramp. The Greater London Archaeological Advisory Service were consulted about former schemes and a borehole survey was commissioned in to provide data about the Palaeolithic period deposits on the site. The proposals would also require the removal of any later archaeological deposits (later prehistoric, Roman, Saxon, medieval), that may have survived on the surface of the alluvium in those areas not currently occupied by basements. It was recommended that trial excavation of these areas be carried out as soon as possible to allow a judgement to be made regarding any further archaeological mitigation of the current proposals. [Au(abr)]
Author
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Author:		 C Le Quesne
Publisher
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Publisher:		 AOC Archaeology Ltd
Year of Publication
Year of Publication
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Year of Publication:		 2001
Locations
Locations
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Locations:
Location - Auto Detected: Kensington
Location - Auto Detected: Westminster Abbey
Location - Auto Detected: Kensington Park
Location - Auto Detected: Knightsbridge
Location - Auto Detected: Westbourne
Location - Auto Detected: London Clay
Location - Auto Detected: Brompton Road
Subjects / Periods
Subjects / Periods
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Subjects / Periods:
PALAEOLITHIC (Historic England Periods)
Later Prehistoric Roman Saxon Medieval (Auto Detected Temporal)
Early Postmedieval (Auto Detected Temporal)
Medieval (Auto Detected Temporal)
EARLY MEDIEVAL (Historic England Periods)
MEDIEVAL (Historic England Periods)
Roman (Auto Detected Temporal)
Note
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Note:		 Date Of Issue From: 2001 Date Of Coverage From: 01 Date Of Coverage To: 01 Editorial Expansion: Site name: 195-199 KNIGHTSBRIDGE
Study area:
Investigation type: Desk-based
District: Westminster
Monument:
Ngr: TQ27607960
Parish:
Postcode: SW1X7QD
Source
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Source:
Source icon
BIAB (Archaeological Investigations Project (AIP))
Created Date
Created Date
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Created Date:		 19 Jan 2009