Series: AD Archaeology Ltd unpublished report series

Desk based study and site visit Desk top assessment located within 19th Century Walled Garden. Site lies in immediate vicinity of former medieval village of Lee.

4 trenches 2 - 15m x 1.8m 2 - 10m x 1.8m The most significant archaeological features encountered during the evaluation were two sections of ditch in Trenches 2 and 3. Projecting the line of the two sections suggest that this is probably one continuous feature running northeast-southwest across the development site. Both sections dug through this feature produced sherds of green-glazed pottery of medieval date from secure contexts within the middle fill of the feature; as such a probable medieval date can be surmised. This feature therefore clearly pre-dates the construction of the current Beauclerc House and the walled gardens, though its alignment roughly parallel to the main road through the village to the north of the walled garden suggests that this may also follow the route of a medieval feature. Whilst the ditch itself is not immediately suggestive of a settlement in itself, and probably represents a boundary demarcation, the presence of pottery within its fill suggests relatively close proximity to a settlement. The well preserved and unabraded nature of the pottery and its position securely within the fill of a cut-feature also suggests it was not moved onto the site through ploughing. A gully found in Trench 2 immediately to the north of the ditch does not have any direct relationship to the ditch and no dating evidence was produced from the section dug through the feature. However its alignment closely matches that of the ditch and the similarity of the material filling the gully to that of the ditch suggests that this is also likely to be a feature of medieval date.

Sample trial trenching subsequent to geophysical survey No significant archaeological features were found

Targetted trenching subsequent to geophysical survey No significant features were located.

A strip, map and record scheme was undertaken by AD Archaeology in May 2014 as an archaeological planning condition in advance of a proposed housing development. This archaeological scheme follows an earlier desk-based assessment (Welsh 2012) and geophysical survey (WYAS 2013), and represents the final mitigation of any potential impact of the development upon the archaeological resource. The archaeological strip and record of the site did not encounter any deposits or features of archaeological interest.

AD Archaeology was commissioned to undertake evaluation trenching in advance of a proposed housing development on land at Dalton Heights, Seaham. Subsequent to a desk-top assessment and a geophysical survey 21 evaluation trenches were excavated across the site. Features of archaeological interest were identified in trenches 2, 17 and 18 confined in the southwest corner of the proposed development. Although the purpose of the features and their date remains uncertain it is likely that this concentration of archaeological features is related to settlement activity in this locality. In the absence of dating evidence at least some degree of antiquity is indicated by their position sealed beneath a buried soil horizon. Further archaeological recording in the form of a targeted excavation known as a strip and record would be appropriate to investigate this small area of archaeological interest confined to the southwest corner of the proposed development. The exact size and scope of the proposed excavations will be agreed in consultation with Durham County Council Archaeology Section and Bellway Homes. A number of weak geophysical linear anomalies identified by the geophysical survey in the south-central area of the site (investigated by Trenches 12, 9 and 10 see Fig. 2) proved not to be archaeological in origin. Other linear geophysical anomalies investigated corresponded with a furrow or relatively late field boundaries depicted on Ordnance Survey maps until the 1950's.

Evaluation trenching ahead of proposed development

Trenching evaluation in advance of proposed housing development

Land at Palace Row, Hart Village, Hartlepool - Archaeological geophysical survey