Series: South West Archaeology Ltd. unpublished report series

South West Archaeology Ltd. was commissioned by the landowner to undertake an archaeological evaluation across a Scheduled Monument at Bow in Mid Devon containing a Class II Henge and a pair of Prehistoric enclosures. The programme of works was designed to record the thickness of the topsoil/subsoil, to assess the current state of the monuments in order to draw up an appropriate management strategy for the site, and to facilitate long-term monitoring of their condition. The Class II henge was identified in 1984 and has been the subject of fieldwalking and geophysical survey; this is the first intrusive intervention to be undertaken. The evaluation fulfilled its principal objective and determined that the soils covering the site, while fairly shallow, do include the minimum sustainable buffer required to resume arable cultivation across most of the site with the exception of the north-east corner of the field. The COSMIC assessment of the field would indicate the site to be at low risk of damage, again excepting the north-east corner. The secondary objective of the work - to use this opportunity to explore the archaeology of the site - has also been richly rewarded. The trenches exposed a large number of archaeological features, from which a limited but useful volume of stratified archaeological material was recovered. In particular, the work appears to demonstrate that the henge did not exist in isolation and that there is an intriguing post-abandonment narrative to the monument.

South West Archaeology Ltd. was commissioned to assess the archaeological and architectural significance of a small complex of ruined barns at Tregerles Farm, near Mitchell, St Newlyn East, Cornwall, prior to their demolition. Tregerles Farm, first documented in c.1340, is likely to have been a tenement on the Manor of Degembris, held by the Arundells of Trerice and thereafter the Dyke-Aclands of Killerton. The place-name is obscure, but the *Tre suffix is a late affectation, and it appears as Grelles or Gerlys in medieval sources. In 1840 it was owned, together with East Nancemeer, by the Rev. Edward Trevenen of Drewsteignton (Devon). The farm lies within an area characterised by the Cornwall and Scilly HLC as medieval farmland, forming part of the category Anciently Enclosed Land (AEL). The archaeological potential of AEL is usually regarded as high. Cropmarks and geophysical surveys on the broad gentle summits of the interfluves in this area indicate the presence of an extensive relict fieldscape interspersed with settlements. The historic farmstead site at Tregerles is, however, located mid-slope, and has been subject to considerable redevelopment, and the degree of truncation apparent would suggest monitoring is unlikely to produce any meaningful result. The farm buildings are arranged along the northern side of the former yard, and comprise a series of fairly small, heavily-altered and now ruinous 19th century buildings. The group contains a number of identifiable structures, but all four are in a parlous state, lacking roofs and almost all internal features and fittings. These structures are relatively late and are in very poor (dangerous) condition. They were once of strictly local importance, and this is diminished by their current poor condition. This report contains a suitably-detailed account of these buildings, and further recording work is difficult to justify.

This report presents the results of a brief heritage assessment carried out by South West Archaeology Ltd. (SWARCH) for 11 Belgravia Street, Penzance, Cornwall, in advance of any proposed window replacement. Some 60-70% of the houses along Belgravia Street retain sash windows, at least on the street facade, although many of these sashes have been replaced. The remaining 30-40% have non-sash style UPVC and even metal framed windows. What is noticeable is that many properties have been changed from the original two-over-two pane sash windows to larger single pane sash or mock sashes. The windows of number 11 like many properties on the Street have likely been replaced in the early 20th century, but they remain broadly in keeping with the character of the Street, being sash style windows. The windows to the front of the No.11 facing into the street, need to be replaced in a style as was once intended for the wider planned development, and should retain the two-over-two sash style windows. Any changes to the rear windows of No.11 will have no affect upon the wider conservation area and are not of major concern in terms of their impact.

South West Archaeology Ltd. was commissioned to undertake historic building assessment at 121 Boutport Street, Barnstaple, ahead of the proposed conversion of the shop to form one dwelling and the conversion of the rear stores to form two dwellings. The building is located in Barnstaple, to the east of the High Street within the historic town. 121 Boutport Street is a Grade II Listed building. Very few historic features remain inside the building and those that remain are of mid-late 19th century in date. However, embedded in the wall between this building and 122 to the west is a 16th century roof truss situated on the second floor approximately 1.5 meters below the current roof pitch. Parts of 16th century truss blades have been reused as opening lintels in the rebuilt rear wall of the building suggesting that the extension to the rear, the raising of the roof pitch and the insertion of a chimney stack in the centre of the building were part of a rebuild of the whole structure, probably of mid-late 19th century date.

This report presents the results of an archaeological evaluation that was carried out by South West Archaeology Ltd. (SWARCH) for a residential development at 16 South Street, Great Torrington, Torridge, Devon. The site comprises the sub-rectangular back plot to 16 South Street on the southern edge of the town of Great Torrington. The site lies within an area of known Prehistoric activity, however it is largely Medieval and Post Medieval in date, and it lies within close proximity to the site of a 12th century castle. The archaeological evaluation identified a total of two archaeological features. These include: a ditch (former property boundary) that dates to the Medieval period and that is associated with the early development of the town; and a probable Modern garden path. The footprints of former structures were not encountered within the archaeological evaluation area despite the changing layout/footprints of structures on the site during the 19th century and the 20th century, however the recovery of (a small amount of) building material reflects these developments. The archaeological potential for the site as a whole is moderate to high given its position within the town and given the depth of soils within the site. That being said, the archaeological evaluation covered much of the area of the proposed groundworks that are associated with the new build part of the proposals and it is thought that further archaeological mitigation within this area is unlikely to provide additional information or additional insight into the nature and the date of the identified features.

South West Archaeology Ltd. was commissioned to conduct a desk-based appraisal and historic building assessment of 20 Fore Street, Northam, Devon. This work was undertaken in advance of the excavation of a series of evaluation trenches, which would be located on the basis of the results of this report. The desk-based assessment suggests that Fore Street and the buildings along it are of likely medieval origin, but those building(s) formerly located at the present number 20 had been demolished by the late 19th century, and were subsequently replaced by various 20th century structures. The historic building appraisal confirmed the largely 20th century date for the buildings on the site, and many of the internal boundaries. The southern boundary to the site, and the southern boundary to Areas 4 and 5 are of earlier origins, and may respect or incorporate the fabric of 17th century or earlier boundaries. There is potential for some archaeological test-pitting within almost all of the six areas which comprise the site, but it is considered that Area 1 and to a lesser extent Area 2 have the highest archaeological potential. There is the possibility of the remains of the earlier buildings which occupied the site along the front of the plot (Areas 5 and 6), but the concrete floors and modern buildings may have truncated any such remains.

South West Archaeology Ltd. (SWARCH) was commissioned by the Robertson partnership (the Agent) on behalf of a private client to undertake a produce a heritage statement for a former commercial premises at 22 Broad Street, Penryn, Cornwall; this structure is Listed Grade II. Planning application PA19/10468 concerns

A programme of building recording and archaeological monitoring took place on land behind number 26 Bear Street, Barnstaple, Devon, in advance of the construction of 11 affordable dwellings, together with the conversion of the commercial premises of a 19th century seed merchant. The evaluation trenches at the rear of the property, beneath the concrete floors of a steel portal-framed storage building, uncovered a great thickness of recent late 19th or 20th rubble sealing a Victorian garden/orchard soil. An evaluation trench following the line of existing services through the building cut through two late or early post-medieval soil layers, which had themselves been cut by a series of probable pits. A surprisingly large amount of medieval and early post-medieval pottery was recovered. The building survey demonstrated that the extant structures were all built since 1843 and that nine phases of expansion and construction could be identified between 1843 and 1905. The owners of the property (W and J Hutchings in the later 19th century) continually expanded the premises both to the west and north, and vertically, adding a 2nd storey to the buildings in the later 19th century. Some care was taken to marry the appearance of this building with the rebuilt street frontage. Internally, many of the machines related to grain cleaning and preparation survived in situ, including a Eureka Separator No.3.

The site encompassed a ruinous building to the rear of a Grade II Listed building in the medieval town of Ashburton; a town that had a historic tradition of woollen industries and in an area known to have had tanneries. Cartographic evidence showed the site to have been developed and altered through the 19th century. The monitoring and recording identified a medieval deposit and multiple phases of 19th century building developments associated with the historic uses of the property. This included a probable well, an earlier phase of wall footing, a drain, rubble in-fill to a chimney, a cobbled floor and wall relationships of the extant structure that had been obscured prior to the groundworks preparation. It appears that the earliest element of the surviving building is the large 'industrial' chimney, which was clearly formerly taller and would have presumably once burnt very hot and fast. The chimney in the 19th century becomes incorporated into a building, which itself then undergoes multiple phases of alteration and adaption. Further investigation of comparable chimneys to the one on site, perhaps including that at 28 Lawrence Lane, may provide more information regarding the original use or state of the chimney. Much of the original fabric and features of the building have been retained, and archaeological deposits and features are likely to still survive on the site and the rest of the gardens.

South West Archaeology Ltd. was instructed to undertake an historic building assessment of 31 Bridgeland Street, Bideford, Devon. The building was constructed towards the end of the 17th century as a two storey merchant house in the newly developed part of the town as a result of the increase in trade with America. No 31 is the central part of the building that formerly included 30 and 32. Much of the interior is of a 17th century date however the front was remodelled when the building was subdivided in the 19th century. The first floor consists of 5 17th century rooms and a stair landing. Late 20th century work removed some of the original fabric and subdivided the rooms in an inappropriate manner. The proposals are to re-establish the 17th century layout removing most of the 20th century alterations; this work is not seen to have any detrimental effect on the historic fabric of the building.