Title: |
Dog Head Stakes Weir, Hambridge Lane, Newbury, Berkshire |
Series: |
Wessex Archaeology unpublished report series
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Downloads: |
wessexar1-201132_1.pdf (1 MB)
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Download
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Licence Type: |
ADS Terms of Use and Access
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DOI |
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Publication Type: |
Report (in Series)
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Abstract: |
Wessex Archaeology was commissioned by the Canal and River Trust to undertake a programme of geotechnical coring, trial pit evaluation and archaeological watching brief in advance of work to construct a fish pass at the Dog Head Stakes Weir, on the Kennet and Avon Canal. The area is one of national importance for the study of the Final Upper Palaeolithic and Mesolithic occupation of Britain. The project was designed to assess the archaeological and palaeoenvironmental potential of the location and to mitigate the impact of the development on any significant deposits. All phases of work revealed a series of fine grained alluvial deposits that overlay beds of gravel and peaty clay. These deposits apparently accumulated at the edge of an active river channel. The upper parts of the alluvium, which were over 1m thick, sealed a wooden stake, which had been sharpened using metal tools. Analysis of the earlier basal gravels and peaty clay deposits, through which a stake had been driven, were also alluvial sediment (deposited under slow moving fluvial or overbank conditions) and showed no hint of peat development. The upper sedimentary sequence comprised sizeable alluvial deposits with no discernible boundaries. Given their stratigraphic position, seemingly over the metal cut wood, these are highly unlikely to be of early prehistoric date. Nevertheless the results were more directly relevant to the history of the Kennet and Avon Canal. It is probable that the sedimentary and archaeological results attest to changes in the hydrology of the River Kennet and can be attributed to the construction of the Kennet Navigation in the 18th century. No further analysis is required to fulfil the project brief. |
Author: |
P A Harding
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Publisher: |
Wessex Archaeology
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Other Person/Org: |
Historic England (OASIS Reviewer)
West Berkshire HER (OASIS Reviewer)
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Year of Publication: |
2015
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Locations: |
Site: |
Dog Head Stakes Weir, Hambridge Lane |
County: |
Berkshire |
District: |
West Berkshire |
Parish: |
GREENHAM |
Country: |
England |
Grid Reference: 450539, 166238 (Easting, Northing)
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Subjects / Periods: |
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Identifiers: |
OASIS Id: |
wessexar1-201132 |
OBIB: |
105690.02 |
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Note: |
A4 illustrated client report
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Source: |
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Relations: |
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Created Date: |
31 Jan 2019 |