| Abstract: |
The following archaeological, cultural heritage and historic buildings assessment of Tritlington Hall, its associated buildings and wider site was undertaken by The Archaeological Practice Ltd, assisted by Peter Ryder, historic buildings specialist. Its purpose is to inform a heritage statement prepared to address the potential impact of putative remodelling and redevelopment works on the site. The assessment will: • Define the principal sources of information available for archaeological assessment (Section 3). • Present a catalogue (Section 4) and chronological synthesis (Section 5) of archaeological data derived from various sources. Accompanying base maps will locate established structures and features within, or in close proximity to, the assessment area. • Provide an assessment of archaeological potential and likely direct and indirect impacts upon the proposed development site and with respect to the setting of other heritage assets in its wider environs (Section 6). • Provide conclusions with respect to the known and potential archaeological significance of the assessment area (Section 7). • Recommend further work to define more clearly the nature of the archaeological record and facilitate management or mitigation of this resource (Section 8). Assessment of the site has identified three sites of known, designated cultural heritage importance within the assessment site, all of them associated with the Hall, and a further three, Grade II Listed designated assets immediately adjacent to the site within the grounds of Tritlington Old Hall to the north. A further 18 sites listed on the Northumberland County HER are within 1 km of the Hall, but these are significant only in the sense of providing contextual background to the site and only one, an expanse of rig & furrow earthworks south of the Hall, is potentially impacted by the proposed developments. IN addition, the remains of the Tritlington-Ulgham trackway, seen on the earliest historic maps of the site, is one of several non-designated and previously unrecognised features of the landscape which also include a roughly-circular area of scrub-land at the centre of the rig & furrow earthworks. Also notable as an unrecognised feature is the farm complex attached to the west side of the Hall grounds which contains stone-built farm buildings, some in precarious condition, some of which may date to the first half of the 19th century. Thus, while remains from all periods since prehistory may survive in the wider environs of the site, reflecting the long-term history of intensive land-use here, the earliest features within or bordering the site itself are the undesignated rig and furrow earthworks and associated Tritlington-Ulgham trackway south of the hall. It is not considered particularly likely that substantial archaeological remains pre-dating the later medieval period survive within the site boundary. In addition to potential direct impacts on known or other surviving archaeological remains, the visual impacts of potential development upon the wider landscape have also been assessed. In this regard it is concluded that, while many sites of national, regional and local importance lie within 2 km of the site, none are within clear visual range of it, thereby liable to be indirectly impacted by any changes to the visual appearance of the site caused by potential works such as remodelling and demolition. Thus, while the visual impact on specific heritage assets and the wider landscape may be slightly negative, the distance to other heritage assets, Cocklaw Tower, and lack of clear intervisibility between them reduces the potential for such negative impact. |
