Trans Worcestershire Archaeol Soc 14

Excavation undertaken in advance of development unearthed Roman deposits, mostly datable to the third and fourth centuries AD. The site was used for agricultural and domestic purposes in this period and was adjacent to areas of ironworking. The site was abandoned at the end of the Roman period and was probably used for agricultural or horticultural purposes through the post-Roman and medieval periods. More intensive activity occurred from the seventeenth century onwards and in the eighteenth century the area was occupied by buildings. Although part of the site was damaged by driven piles, the majority of the deposits were preserved in situ beneath new office buildings and car parks. Specialist reports include `The structural sequence' by C H Dalwood (78-82), `Soil micromorphology' by R I Macphail (83-5), `Botanical remains' by C de Rouffignac (85-6), `Animal bones' by S Pinter-Bellows (86-9), `The pottery' by V A Buteux (89-98) including details of the `Samian ware' by Brenda Dickinson (94), `Medieval floor tiles' by H A White (98-9), `Artefacts of ceramic, metal, stone, bone and glass' by V A Buteux (99-103) including details of three `Coins' by Mark Curteis (102), `Metallurgical analysis of the slags' by J G McDonnell (103-4). Discussions concerning the Roman settlement, medieval suburb and post-medieval developments, are followed by a consideration of the effects of the driven piles on the archaeological deposits.

Details remaining evidence for what may have been a Cistercian house situated just beyond Worcester city walls. No primary historical records remain, however, other documentary records can be pieced together to give an outline of the history from thirteenth century foundation to the Dissolution. Post-Reformation records detail buildings all of which have now vanished, with the exception of the chapel excavated in the 1950s. Skeletal remains were found during the course of building work in 1959, possibly indicating the site of the cemetery. Toponymic and cartographic evidence are also brought into play.

Records salient points from work on the 50km long Astwood (H&W) to Bromford (W Mids) pipeline, undertaken in 1990-92 by Wessex Archaeology. Three stages of work began with an Environmental Assessment, prepared for June 1990, which appraised a 2km wide corridor to allow for possible route changes in H&W, Warwickshire and West Midlands. The relevant SMRs revealed 189 entries within the survey area. Eleven sites were of the calibre that might affect pipeline routes, though none of these was under statutory protection. The medieval settlement at Grafton Flyford (H&W) caused re-routing of one pipeline section. Secondly, a watching brief in 1991 kept an eye on areas of archaeological potential during phase 1 of construction. Then, in 1992, a further watching brief was carried out, along with geophysical survey, and the monitoring of reinstatement work at particular points. Scale plans of selected earthworks were constructed from aerial photography and actual measurements. The area concerned is known for its medieval remains including moated sites, field systems, shrunken settlements, the nearby Bordesley Abbey, and other historic buildings. Some BA burnt mounds were found near watercourses, a possible IA hillfort at Beoley, and a couple of Roman roads were observed. Astwood provided the main evidence from H&W, in the form of medieval remains. Pottery of twelfth-fourteenth century date, and ditches that may have formed field boundaries indicated that the pipeline may have crossed the edge of a medieval settlement and associated field system. Other multi-period finds ranged from flint, through RB pot, to post-medieval material. The `Finds' are described by Elaine Morris (176-9), and, in detailing other sites along the route, there is mention of a `Medieval tile from site 10' (where Ryknield Street and the pipeline cross in H&W) by L N Mepham (179).

Reports a survey undertaken in conjunction with a repair programme by the County Archaeological Service (Hereford & Worcester), during 1990. Renovation work included repointing seventy-five per cent of the parapet and minor stone replacement. Stone-by-stone analysis of the fabric indicated four major phases of rebuilding during the bridge's long history, the most obvious being the central area which was demolished by Royalist troops during the Civil War.

Fieldwork from the area during the year.

Notes the relevant entries, reprinting them in an `Appendix' (236-7).