Series: Compass Archaeology unpublished report series

An archaeological watching brief undertaken during groundworks associated with 'Bartholomew Lane Entry Improvements' forming part of the wider 'Bank Junction Interim Pedestrian Improvements', City Of London, EC2. The watching brief was conditioned due to the works site taking place over the former footprint of the western end of the Church of St Bartholomew. The watching brief entailed the replacement of the existing kerbing on the western and eastern sides of the junction with Threadneedle Street, at the southern end of Bartholomew Lane. New bollards will also be inserted either side of the crossing points on the junction. This will entail excavations of no more than 350mm below present ground levels. No archaeological deposits or remains were observed during the course of groundworks within the top 400mm of stratigraphy. That does not mean that remains do not survive at a greater depth below ground level, as shown during previous excavations in the immediate vicinity. Any future works that plan to go deeper should be subject to archaeological mitigation.

Archaeological evaluation took place within the grounds of the 18th century Aldersbrook Manor, just to the south of the main house and in an area that once contained water features and a terraced garden. On its southern edge the site also an area of later 19th century 'public graves' associated with the present cemetery. Although the evaluation did not reveal any very significant archaeological remains some features and remains relating to the designed landscape of the Manor were found in the northeast corner of the site. Most notable was the lower section of a substantial brick-built terrace wall. Parallel with and about 4.6m to the south of this was a broad gravel path, whilst other associated deposits included made ground and soil horizons to the north and south of the retaining wall. There was little independent dating evidence for these remains, but it seems clear that they are related and that they all form parts of the 18th century terraced garden. They were few remains elsewhere in the evaluated area, although a brick drain in the adjacent evaluation trench is also very likely to date to this period. Ten test pits were also excavated on the southern edge of the site, in the area of recorded 19th century burials. Most of these exposed probable grave cuts and fills, but there was no evidence for human remains at this level.

The site lies close to the projected line of the Roman London to Silchester Road. A single test pit was dug in the centre of the site, no significant remains were found. Deposits and features related to the development of the site since the late 18th early 19th century were present, but these were mainly in the form of made ground. These deposits appear to have truncated the natural ground surface.

An archaeological investigation on the site of 103 Cheyne Walk was undertaken by Compass Archaeology in 2012. This followed an archaeological evaluation (Compass Archaeology, April 2011), which uncovered remains relating to the 18th - 20th century cottages on the site and part of an early 17th century semi-basement. This archaeological work was carried out as a condition of planning consent, before the construction of a double-basement (Planning Ref: PP/07/00912) Remains relating to the 18th - 20th century cottages which fronted onto Milman's Street, and remains of their backyards and the long north-south building fronting onto Cheyne Walk, were uncovered. The remains of an early 17th century kitchen semi-basement was uncovered in the south-eastern part of the site. This was very well-preserved, with a tiled floor and plastered walls. Within this semi-basement was an oven, a number of niches and cupboards, a well, a possible recessed window / lightwell, and a possible entrance-way. The shape of this semi-basement within the investigation area has been established, however it clearly continues to the south, to an unknown size. Unfortunately a precise date for the construction of the semi-basement has not been established, however the dating of the bricks suggests a c.1600 date. A 16th century north-south aligned red brick wall was also observed running the whole way across the site, both in below-ground excavations and within standing walls. This clearly pre-dates the semi-basement (based on the dating of the bricks and the fact that the semi-basement has been constructed against this standing wall). It is unclear precisely what this wall may have been part of, however it does lie within the area of Sir Thomas More's estate, such that it may have been a boundary wall of his garden, or something similar.

Between the 15th and 17th of June 2016 Compass Archaeology conducted an archaeological evaluation at 107-109 Ivydale Road. The works were undertaken as a pre-determination exercise as part of the planning process for the redevelopment of the site. Two trial trenches were dug, trench 1 measuring 8m NE-SW by 1.8m NW-SE. Trench 2 had to be dug in two parts due to the uncovering of a manhole; 2a was 2.86m NE-SW by 1.46m NW-SE whilst trench 2b was 6.86m NE-SW by 1.7m NW-SE. Only evidence for the post-medieval development of the site was found. This took the form of two yellow stock brick walls, [109] in trench 1 and [214] in trench 2b. These relate to the domestic residential usage of the land, specifically the terrace houses built on the site in the period between 1872-1894. In trench 1 the top of wall [109] was encountered at a very shallow depth of only 32.68mOD. In trench 2b the top of wall [214] was first encountered at a level of 32.57mOD. The natural geology was characterised as a mid-orangey yellow clay that was first encountered at a level of 32.11mOD at the NE end of trench 1, 31.71mOD in trench 2a and 31.61mOD in trench 2b. This reflects the slight rise in topography on the site from SW-NE. With regards to the next phase of works it is suggested that no archaeological condition be attached to the new development at 107-109 Ivydale Road.

Compass Archaeology were commissioned to undertake an archaeological strip: map and sample exercise on the site of 11-15 High Street South between 24th January and 7th April 2017 ahead of redevelopment works, (planning application approval CB/14/04720/FULL). The strip; map and sample programme revealed a combination of 17th-19th century cellars, industrial features, water tanks and outbuildings, along with earlier 16th century wells and pits, were exposed across the site, with the basements confined to the immediate area of the historic street frontage. Medieval activity from the 12th to the 15th century was also observed across the site, but largely within the central part of the site, in the areas of historic rear yards and gardens where the extent of truncation was significantly lower. Medieval activity included a large number of pits of varying sizes equating to small domestic rubbish dumps, larger communal latrines / midden pits, possible quarry pits, postholes and wells, almost all of which were unlined. A single tile-laid oven built from 12th-14th century material was exposed below an area of 19th century flooring in the northern part of the site and indicates domestic habitation. A stone-lined tank with an attached well was also dated to the 12th century. Roman activity, as in the evaluation, was confined to two identifiable contexts, both pits, alongside a small assemblage of residual pottery within later contexts, suggesting the site was perhaps less densely occupied during this period.

An archaeological watching brief was undertaken during the excavation of a geotechnical trial pit at 142 Bermondsey Street, prior to the redevelopment of the site. This uncovered no archaeological finds, features, or deposits. The modern concrete foundations of two walls were observed, stretching down to at least c0.8m beneath the present floor-surface, and continuing beyond the limit of excavation. Another substantial dump of concrete and brick rubble was observed, plus concrete towards the base of the pit. The general fill in the pit was a loose mid-brown silty deposit, with numerous brick rubble and concrete chunks. This was, therefore, all modern disturbance relating to the construction of the buildings on the site. It is possible that earlier archaeological deposits may survive at deeper levels, as this trial pit was only excavated to a maximum of 1.02m beneath present floor-surface (1.63mOD), and the majority of archaeological deposits found in this area have been uncovered at deeper levels.

A single trench was excavated within the standing building, c 3m x 4m in plan at ground level and stepping down in a deeper central slot to a maximum depth of 2.2m. From this level a further small pit was dug to expose the surface of the natural sand. The sequence within the trench was quite straightforward. Natural sand was recorded at 0.76m OD, overlain by up to 1.1m of clean silty alluvium. The upper part of the alluvium had been reworked/disturbed and produced some 17th century pottery - the earliest evidence for human activity on the site. This was in turn overlaid by about 1.4m of dumped/made ground: the lower part of this may also be of 17th-18th century date, though there is evidence that finds were largely residual within a later deposit. Certainly the bulk of the made ground - plus some associated areas of brickwork - can be assigned to the mid-later 19th century ( and even early 20th century at the uppermost levels). At the highest level of the trench were three yellow stock brick wall bases, all cut into the made ground and similarly of late 19th-earlier 20th century date. The modern ground surface was recorded at c 3.75m OD.

An evaluation was carried out on 9th - 10th April 2018 at 147-151 Leytonstone Road in the London Borough of Newham. Two trial trenches were excavated. The stratigraphies were straightforward examples of C19th domestic sequences. The most recent contexts were modern spreads of re-worked material (101), (201), (202) containing concrete and bricks, forming a level ground surface. These sealed earlier pits [103], [109], [204], [208], containing frequent charcoal inclusions and large concentrations of domestic rubbish, including clay pipes, pottery, broken building material and glass. The finds are dated to the mid/late C19th and provide a terminus post quem date for their dumping. The rubbish pits cut made ground depositions in both trenches (104), (209); possibly to level the area for the construction of the original terraced housing during the 1850's. The earliest layer in Trench 1 was a band of sandy clay (106) overlying natural gravel, and considered to be an accumulation of cultivation soil. The earliest phase of activity in Trench 2 is represented by pit [206], backfilled with occasional C19th pottery and CBM. Both contexts appear to predate mid C19th occupation, and may instead be contemporary with the rural phases of the site. The geology consisted of loose gravel, mixed with natural sandy clay (107), (210). This was encountered at 0.78m below ground level in Trench 1, and 1.20m in Trench 2. In view of the considerable depth of C19th deposits, it is not considered that any further archaeological mitigation needs to be undertaken on this site.

Three evaluation trenches and four test pits were dug on the western side of Tooting High Street, close to the projected line of Stane Street. No significant remains were found, although there was evidence for 19th century development that can be closely related to the cartographic record. Moreover, the exposed foundations included part of an early 19th century chapel or Mission Hall - a small building originally about 6 by 7m in plan, though later extended. The structure is of some local historical interest and must have played a distinct role as the area changed from countryside to a London suburb. The remains included an original external brick base some 450mm thick and some 6 courses high, a shallow internal footing of the same date, and two adjoining walls that formed part of the later 19th century frontage. Other development evidence was limited to later 19th century housing and construction of a filling station - including substantial underground fuel tanks - in the 1960s. Elsewhere 20th century development had caused extensive disturbance and truncation, although the centre and rear of the site retained buried soil profiles sealed by recent construction deposits. However, there was no evidence for any activity - either in situ or residual - prior to the 19th century. The natural sandy or clayey silt was exposed throughout the area of investigation, except where cut away by deep modern intrusions.