Dark Lane, Broseley, Shropshire, UK

This site was developed by entrepreneurial mining concerns in the late 16th century as the East Shropshire Coalfield was developed in the wake of the dissolution of the monasteries. A Chancery case of 1605 mentioned an early railway which enabled the coal mined here to be transported to the Rover Severn for export. On behalf of Bloor Homes, Nexus Heritage have undertaken a series of archaeological investigations – including historical desk-based assessment, measured earthwork survey and trial trenching evaluation. We have discovered that an extensive mining landscape of the 17th and 18th centuries underlies later mining and landscaping activities. Features include buildings, mineshafts and associated trackways – as well as a quantity of

domestic waste dating to the 17th century. This Nexus Heritage project has enabled the client to more clearly understand the sub-surface formations, inputting into the design and planning process at an early stage; we have also provided a public heritage interface as part of the client’s public relations strategy.

Ottery St Mary, Devon, Heritage Impact Assessment

White Young Green, on behalf of Sainsbury’s Supermarkets Ltd, commissioned Nexus Heritage to conduct a desk-based heritage impact study for an area of land in Hind Street, Ottery St Mary, Devon.  The assessment was initiated to review the character and appearance of the Ottery St Mary Conservation Area and the Listed Buildings and to determine the potential survival of any buried archaeological remains. The assessment site was a former orchard linked to adjacent Listed Chanter’s House, now the property of Coleridge Family. 

Negotiations between Devon County Council, English Heritage, Nexus Heritage and White Young Green were undertaken to assess whether the walls surrounding the assessment site were part of the curtilage of Chanter’s House and if so what impact would the proposed development have upon the listed building.  The assessment highlighted the implications associated with any archaeological features and recommended appropriate measures for conservation and understanding of archaeological and heritage assets within the framework of the planning process. 

Wildwood Golf Club

Nexus Heritage has undertaken the cultural heritage components (archaeology and listed buildings) for the environmental impact assessment for development of the Wildwood Golf and Country Club in Alfold Surrey.

Kingswood Warren, Surrey; Archaeological Desk-Based Assessment & Earthwork  Survey and Evaluations

In July 2009, Nexus Heritage conducted an archaeological desk-based assessment for Kingswood Warren, a 19th century estate in the Liberty of Kingswood in Surrey.  At the time of the assessment, the site was occupied by the BBC Research Department and contained a number of buildings associated with broadcasting.   It also included a 19th century Mansion House, an impressive Victorian terrace, Croquet Lawn and an American Garden.  Although the centre of the assessment site was heavily developed in the latter half the 20th century, it was identified through aerial photographs and an archaeological walk-over survey that archaeological evidence in the form of garden features, outhouses and historic pathways were still present on the site. The assessment determined the impacts of the proposed development upon surviving archaeological remains, recommended appropriate mitigation measures and provided a comprehensive understanding of the archaeological and historical landscape. 

By September 2010, Octagon Developments Ltd. had acquired the site and planning consent had been secured from the Planning Inspectorate for the redevelopment of the site from office use to residential use.  In October 2010, Nexus Heritage was commissioned by Octagon Developments Ltd to determine, with Surrey County Council, a programme of archaeological work to address the planning condition and to prepare a Written Scheme of Investigation.  It was agreed that the archaeological works should consist of an archaeological earthwork survey and a programme of archaeological evaluation.  Consent for the demolition of the post-1950s buildings without any further requirements or conditions was granted by the Planning Inspectorate and the Local Planning Authority in August 2010 and undertaken in September 2010.

In December 2010, Nexus Heritage assisted by Cotswold Archaeology undertook a detailed level 3 survey of the earthwork remains at a scale of 1:500.  The main focus of the survey was in the area to the east of the Mansion, referred to as the Aerial Field.  This contained a number of earthworks relating to former garden features, tree pits, general disturbance in the 20th

century and other miscellaneous features.  The survey significantly improved the understanding of the development of the estate and provided a detailed record of the historic ground surface remains prior to any proposed development.  The survey illustrated that most of the earthworks were in a fragmented condition due to several stages of landscaping and it was suggested that they did not need to be retained as it was their association to the development of the estate and current understanding of that development that was important, rather than the actual physical remains.

In December 2011 an archaeological evaluation, consisting of 32 trenches, was undertaken on the site as part of the required condition of planning consent for the construction of 14 new dwellings and the conversion of the existing mansion into eight new dwelling units.  The objectives of the evaluation were to establish the character, quality, date and extent of any archaeological remains on the site and to assess the significance of the archaeological resource and the likely impact of the proposed development upon it.  The evaluation identified a number of unstratified prehistoric flints, evidence of post-medieval park landscaping and the footings of the 19th century garden buildings.

Chilworth Gunpowder Factories Desk-based Assessment, Watching Brief and Historic Building Study

A desk-based appraisal and historic building analysis has been completed for a site close to the important Chilworth Gunpowder Factories in Surrey. The adjacent site is scheduled as an ancient monument. A watching brief on geotechnical site investigations has shown 400-500mm of recent made ground on the study site below which potentially significant remains may be present of the earliest phase of gunpowder manufacture. The existing buildings, although dating to the latter years of the gunpowder factory, have been shown to be not particularly important architecturally or structurally.

Dark Lane, Broseley, Shropshire; Archaeological Desk-Based Assessment & Archaeological Earthwork Survey:

Bloor Homes commissioned Nexus Heritage to prepare an archaeological desk-based assessment for an area of land just outside of the historic centre of Broseley in Shropshire.  This assessment was initiated to investigate the archaeological and historical background of the site to determine the potential survival of any buried archaeological remains and to consider the Historic Environment at a landscape level, prior to the submission of a planning application for residential development.  The site was an overgrown pasture field located within an extensive mining district known as the Coalbrookdale Coalfields. The ground surface was covered in mining earthworks, consisting of pits, shafts, spoil heaps, linear banks, ponds and levelled platforms.  Mining activity first began on the site in the late 16th century following the technological development of large scale mining.   Documentary evidence recorded that in 1605 one of the country's first wagon railways was laid from a mine at Birchleasowes to the Calcutts and the Severn.  The site formed the southern half of former ‘Birchleasowes’ and contained the earliest mining activity.  Documentary evidence confirmed that coal was still being mined at Birchleasow in 1631 and 1673, but by the mid 19th century the site did not contain any working shafts and had been used for some time as a pasture field. 

Based on the results of the archaeological desk-based assessment, discussions with Shropshire Council determined that the

programme of archaeological work to support the planning application should consist of an archaeological earthwork survey and a programme of archaeological evaluation by means of trial trench excavation.  The main objective of the investigations were to establish the extent, nature, character, condition, quality, date and significance of the archaeological remains, especially relating to the railway and early phases of mining, and to provide an accurate record of earthwork remains. 
Nexus Heritage has been appointed by Bloor Homes to prepare a Written Scheme of Investigation (WSI) to comply with the spirit and intent of Planning Policy Statement 5: Planning for the Historic Environment (PPS5: Department for Communities and Local Government 2010) for the programme of archaeological work.   

In January 2010, Nexus Heritage undertook a detailed level 3 survey of the earthwork remains at a scale of 1:500.  The analytical survey of the earthwork remains and the research into the documentary and cartographic evidence has significantly improved the understanding of the development of the mining activity on the site and has provided a detailed record of the historic ground surface remains prior to any proposed development.  The survey has shown that the majority of the earthwork remains on the site are associated with several phases of mining activity which could have taken place from at least the early 17th century.  The main features of importance on the site include a number of shafts and associated platforms, which may include the foundations of former buildings, and a potential horse or track way, which may have been associated with the early 17th century wooden railway. In general, the earthwork remains on the Dark Lane site were considered to be of regional significance and it was recommended that an archaeological evaluation should be undertaken in targeted areas to further investigate the form, function and date of the archaeological remains.

Barton Bridge, Davyhulme, Trafford, Manchester; Archaeological Desk-Based Assessment:

Peel Energy Limited commissioned Nexus Heritage to complete an Archaeological Desk Based Assessment prior to the proposed development of a Biomass fuelled power generation plant. The assessment site was approximately 4.4 hectares in extent and was situated between the Manchester Ship Canal to the north, the Barton Motorway Bridge to the east and a sewage works to the south and west.  The aim of the assessment was to determine the character, survival and condition of any archaeological assets on the site, to provide a comprehensive understanding of the assets and to assess what impact any proposed development would have upon them. The report also assessed the effect of development on the significance of the settings of surrounding

archaeological assets, which is a material consideration in determining a planning application and PPS5. The assessment indentified Prehistoric and Roman activity in the vicinity and it was determined that the most significant episode in the history and development of the assessment site was the construction of the Manchester Ship canal during the 1880s.

Based on the extensive disturbance on the site by the construction of the Manchester Ship Canal and the conclusion that further evaluative investigation by means of geophysical survey and/or trial trench excavation will not substantially extend knowledge of the area, it was recommended a programme of geoarchaeological evaluation should be undertaken following planning permission to characterise site formation processes, chronology and the environmental conditions present on site. It was suggested that this should be achieved by coring to examine the stratigraphy and collect samples in order to address meaningful and valid research questions. This mitigation would secure appropriate treatment of archaeological remains required by PPS5 by recording the remains and thus providing a meaningful historical record prior to any irreversible changes.

Oak Lodge & St Edward’s College, Totteridge, Hertfordshire; Archaeological Desk-Based Assessment:

Octagon Developments Ltd. commissioned Nexus Heritage to complete an Archaeological Desk Based Assessment for Oak Lodge and St Edwards College, Totteridge Lane, prior to the possible residential development of site. The site was located in a conservation area and a local Area of Archaeological Importance in the London Borough of Barnet, formerly in the county of Hertfordshire. The site contained seven buildings of various sizes relating to Oak Lodge and St Edward’s College and historic garden remains. During the medieval and early post-medieval periods the site was agricultural land associated with Totteridge Park. The first buildings were constructed on the site in c.1766.  The assessment showed that there were several areas on the

site that were likely to contain archaeological deposits associated with the 18th century buildings or medieval agricultural activity. It was determined that further evaluative investigation, such as geophysical investigation or earthwork survey, would not provide useful further information for the presence/absence of sub-surface archaeological remains on the site.  It was also argued that further evaluative investigation would not extend the knowledge of the area, so an archaeological watching brief was recommended during enabling and construction works to mitigate the risk of any impact on surviving archaeological deposits that may be present.

Fletching Mill, West Sussex, Desk-Based Assessment and Palaeoenvironmental Assessment

Nexus Heritage conducted an archaeological desk-based assessment of a possible moated site on the bank of the River Adur at Fletching, East Sussex. The assessment ascertained the importance of the large rectangular platform and its associated ditches determine whether it was the remains of a medieval moated homestead. The assessment included documentary and cartographic research, a walk-over survey and analysis of Aerial Photography and LiDAR survey data. Palaeoenvironmental assessment was sub-contracted to Oxford Archaeology.

The assessment revealed a number of historic factors that will have affected the site including a 15th century forge, the Upper Ouse Navigation Act, a series of ponds, quarrying, and possible military presence on the site. Most importantly, it was concluded that the platform and associated ditch were most likely to be a medieval moated site. These conclusions will be used to assist EA in designing works for river management. Depending upon the works chosen, a detailed programme of evaluation to further identify and assess the importance of the surviving archaeological remains and to inform design decisions to mitigate the impact during the river management has been devised

Knepp Castle, West Sussex, Archaeological Survey

Nexus Heritage undertook an archaeological survey on behalf of the Environment Agency for the Knepp Castle Estate along the River Adur, near Horsham in West Sussex. The survey formed part of the Environmental Impact Assessment for the River Adur Restoration Project. The archaeological survey provided a comprehensive understanding of the archaeological and historical landscape, identified potential impacts and cultural heritage restraints and included a sensitivity map to guide the design and explore further opportunities.

The landscape consisted mostly of agricultural land, and contained a Scheduled Ancient Monument a registered park and garden and a number of structures of archaeological interest, such as a fishery, a mill, several footpaths and footbridges, historic field boundaries, drainage channels and a rifle range. It was concluded that the effects of the proposed river/landscape restoration works on the historic environment would be beneficial, insofar as the historic character and land-uses which pertained prior to the canalisation of the River Adur in c.1809 would be restored and no significant known archaeological or historic resources would be impacted.

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