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Town Square, Stratford-on-Avon
Archaeological Watching Brief
for UK and European Investments
CA Project: 660623CA Report: 160154Site Code: TSQ15
March 2016
Town Square, Stratford-on-Avon
Archaeological Watching Brief
CA Project: 660623 CA Report: 160154
This report is confidential to the client. Cotswold Archaeology accepts no responsibility or liability to any third
party to whom this report, or any part of it, is made known. Any such party relies upon this report entirely at their own risk. No part of this report may be reproduced by any means without permission.
© Cotswold Archaeology
Document Control Grid Revision Date Author Checked by Status Reasons for
revision Approved
by A 08/03/2016 JSJ
© Cotswold Archaeology
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Town Square, Stratford-on-Avon: Programme of Archaeological Works
CONTENTS
SUMMARY ........................................................................................................................ 2
1. INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................. 3
2. ARCHAEOLOGICAL BACKGROUND ................................................................. 4
3. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES .................................................................................... 5
4. METHODOLOGY ................................................................................................. 6
5. RESULTS ............................................................................................................ 6
6. THE FINDS .......................................................................................................... 8
7. DISCUSSION ....................................................................................................... 8
8. CA PROJECT TEAM ........................................................................................... 10
9. REFERENCES .................................................................................................... 10
APPENDIX A: CONTEXT DESCRIPTIONS ..................................................................... 11
APPENDIX B: OASIS REPORT FORM ............................................................................ 12
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
Fig. 1 Site location plan (1:25,000)
Fig. 2 Trench and watching brief location plan (1;300 and (1;3000)
Fig. 3 Site looking north-east
Fig. 4 Site looking south-east
Fig. 5 Test pit 1: post excavation looking west
Fig. 6 Trench 1: post excavation looking west
Fig. 7 Pipe trench west; south facing section
Fig. 8 Pipe trench east; north facing section
Fig. 9 Watching brief, removal of foundation blocks
Fig. 10 Test pit 2 looking south-east (photograph)
Fig. 11 1913 OS Map, 25 inch to 1 mile survey.
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Town Square, Stratford-on-Avon: Programme of Archaeological Works
SUMMARY
Project Name: Town Square, Stratford-on-Avon
Location: Stratford-on-Avon
NGR: SP 2002 5487
Type: Programme of archaeological observation, investigation and
recording.
Date: 02 February – 08 March 2016
Planning Reference: Stratford-on-Avon District Council (15/02621/FUL)
Site Code: TSQ15
In February and March 2016 a programme of archaeological works including trial trenching
and a watching brief on intrusive groundworks was undertaken at the Town Square site,
Stratford on Avon. Archaeological works coincided with the removal of below-ground
footings belonging to the former Somerfield supermarket and the Public toilets adjacent to
the Town Square, and the subsequent excavation of service trenches, prior to the
redevelopment of the site.
An area in the northern half of the site was selected as suitable for trial trenching, as it
avoided buried services. This revealed a single feature cut into made ground, the fill of
which contained a large concentration of ceramic roof tiles. This feature is thought to be
associated with the former range of buildings associated with the Plymouth Arms, a public
house fronting onto Wood Street, which is depicted on the 1913 Ordnance Survey 25 inch
sheet covering the proposed development area.
No other traces of the Victorian back-plots, such as property boundaries, foundations or
garden soils were revealed during monitoring. It was concluded that groundwork and
preparation of the foundations for the 1970’s supermarket had involved cleaning the site
down to natural substrate.
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Town Square, Stratford-on-Avon: Programme of Archaeological Works
1. INTRODUCTION
1.1 In July 2015, Cotswold Archaeology (CA) carried out a programme of archaeological
observation, investigation and recording at the site of the former Town Square
shopping centre, Stratford-on-Avon, Warwickshire (centred on NGR: SP 2002 5487;
Fig. 1). The work was commissioned by UK & European Investments and was
carried out during the demolition and groundworks phase of the shopping centre
redevelopment. The redevelopment involves the demolition of the former
Somerfield building, as well as the range of buildings to then north including the
block housing the public toilets; other units within the complex are to be retained.
The planning application has been granted by Stratford-on-Avon District Council
(SoADC) subject to an S106 Agreement (app ref: 15/02621/FUL).
1.2 As part of the consultation process, Anna Stocks, Warwickshire County Council’s
Planning Archaeologist (WCCPA) advised that a program of archaeological
mitigation should be carried out, as the site is located within the historic core of the
town. The program of mitigation was set out in a Written Scheme of Investigation
(CA, 2015), having been agreed by the WCCPA. It consisted of a watching brief on
all intrusive groundworks as well as trial trenches targeted on suitable areas of the
former building footprints.
The site
1.3 The site, which encloses an area of approximately 0.25ha, comprises the Town
Square Shopping Centre, Stratford-upon-Avon. This is located in the centre of the
town, behind the frontages of High Street, Wood Street, Ely Street and Rother
Street. The shopping centre, which was built in the late 1970s, consists of modern
retail units arranged around an open paved area, with paved access off the
surrounding streets. Ground level lies at approximately 39m above Ordnance Datum
(aOD).
1.4 The bedrock geology of the site comprises Triassic rocks of the Mercia Mudstone
Group, a subgroup of the New Red Sandstone Supergroup (BGS 2016). This is
overlain by superficial Pleistocene cold phase deposits of the Wasperton Sand and
Gravel Member, which underlie the Second Terrace gravels of the River Avon.
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Town Square, Stratford-on-Avon: Programme of Archaeological Works
1.5 Ground investigation works in the south western corner of the site revealed natural
substrate at a depth of 0.8 metres below present ground level, consisting of mid-red
brown sandy clay silt and mid reddish brown silts. At the eastern end of the site a
clean deposit of silty sand, with frequent rounded river cobbles was recorded at 1.0
metres below present ground level. These are likely to be gravel terrace deposits.
2. ARCHAEOLOGICAL BACKGROUND
2.3 This section is summarised from the archaeological DBA of the site prepared by CA
(2015). In brief, this demonstrated that there are no designated or undesignated
heritage assets within the site, although the street frontages surrounding the site
contain a number of medieval and post-medieval listed buildings. It also established
that the site has not been subject to previous archaeological investigation and that
no archaeological remains are recorded from the time of the development of the
current shopping centre in the late 1970s.
2.4 There are few archaeological sites in the surrounding area that pre-date the
medieval period and it is anticipated that any archaeology that may survive within
the site dates from the late 12th century or later, following the establishment of New
Town by the Bishop of Worcester in c. 1196. Largely located behind the street
frontages, the site is located in an area that would have been occupied by yards and
gardens in the medieval period; historic and modern mapping shows that the open,
‘backyard’ character of the site was maintained into 1970s, when the current
shopping centre was built.
2.5 Given the historical development of the site, the archaeology is likely to consist of
features associated with medieval and post-medieval ‘backyard’ activity, for example
wells, cess pits, property boundaries, outbuildings and refuse tips. Evidence for
industrial activity may also be encountered, as has been demonstrated at similar
sites in the town. Building remains (i.e. the walls of houses, tenements etc.) are
unlikely to be encountered in the main development area, although they may survive
in the access areas approaching the street frontage.
2.6 Reference to the ground investigation results (RPS 2015) shows that the geological
substrate occurs at a depth of between 0.3m and 1.0m below modern paved and
concrete surfaces. This is overlain by grey, brown or orange sandy, gravelly soil,
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Town Square, Stratford-on-Avon: Programme of Archaeological Works
occasionally containing ash and fragments of brick, tile and concrete; this deposit is
considered to be made-ground and is likely to derive from redeposited garden soil,
alluvial gravels and building rubble.
3. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES
3.1 The general aim of the archaeological investigation was to establish whether
archaeological remains survive within the site and, if present, determine and
understand the nature, function and character of the archaeology and place it within
its cultural and environmental setting.
3.2 The archaeology of the site is currently poorly understood, although the site was
considered to have the potential to contain the remains of medieval ‘backyard’
activity dating from the establishment of New Town at the end of the 12th century.
The initial aims of the project were to:
determine the extent to which archaeological horizons have been impacted
by the 1970s development, so that a predictive deposit model can be
developed for the site;
establish the extent of any archaeological remains that may survive within
the site;
recover artefactual evidence to date any evidence of past settlement or land-
use in the investigation areas;
use information gathered from the archaeological investigation to build up a
deposit model of the site;
identify, through a programme of environmental sampling and the collection
of ecofacts, any activities that may have been carried out within or in the
vicinity of the site in order to investigate domestic and industrial economies
of the medieval town and the general nature of the environment immediately
surrounding the site.
3.4 The requirement for the archaeological investigation is in accordance with planning
guidance stated in the National Planning Policy Framework (DCLG 2012).
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Town Square, Stratford-on-Avon: Programme of Archaeological Works
4. METHODOLOGY
4.1 The fieldwork followed the methodology set out within the WSI (CA 2015). An
archaeological watching brief was maintained during all intrusive groundworks. This
included the excavation of a geotechnical test-pit prior to the demolition of the
above-ground structures. The watching brief was re-established following the
demolition of the above-ground structures (see Figs 3 & 4). Removal of slab,
ground beams and pile caps, and the excavation of new service trenches were
undertaken under constant archaeological monitoring. A single trial trench (2 x 25m)
was excavated, using a 25 tonne excavator equipped with a toothless ditching
bucket, within the footprint of the northern range of buildings.
4.2 Where archaeological deposits were encountered, written, graphic and photographic
records were compiled in accordance with CA Technical Manual 1: Fieldwork
Recording Manual.
4.3 The project archive is currently held by CA at their offices in Milton Keynes and will
be deposited with Warwickshire Museums Service (WMS). A summary of
information from this project, as set out within Appendix B, will be entered onto the
OASIS online database of archaeological projects in Britain.
5. RESULTS
5.1 In the western end of the site, including the footprint of Somerfield, Fountain Way
and the public toilets, natural substrate was encountered at a depth of 0.9 – 1.1m
below present ground level. The substrate was cut by excavations for foundation
pads, measuring two metres long a metre wide and a metre deep, and for water,
electricity and gas services. The pads and upper interface of the natural had been
sealed by a small deposit of dark orange-brown clayey sand containing possible
demolition rubble, observed in the western end of the Somerfield development and
in Trench 1 – 109. This was sealed by a deposit of made ground 1.1 – 0.9 metres
thick, consisting of redeposited natural, crushed stone and demolition rubble. This
deposit had been levelled with a layer of crushed stone, which served as bedding for
the reinforced concrete floor of the supermarket, and paving stones outside on
Fountain Way.
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Town Square, Stratford-on-Avon: Programme of Archaeological Works
Test Pit 1 (Figs. 2 & 5)
5.2 Test pit 1 was located at the site access point, outside the south western corner of
the development area. Clean geological substrate 104 was encountered at a depth
of 1.6 metres below present ground level; this was sealed by mid-red brown sandy
silt 105, which was tentatively interpreted as a silty lamination within the gravel
terrace, and also part of the natural substrate. This was sealed by a deposit of
mixed mid-to very dark grey brown clayey silt 103. A highly compact mid yellow
brown clayey silt 102 had been laid down over the garden soil, providing a solid
underpinning for a levelling layer of crushed stone 101 which in-turn served as
bedding for the road surface 100.
Test Pit 2 (Figs. 2 & 10)
5.3 Test pit 2 was located at the site access point, outside the south western corner of
the development area. Clean geological substrate 104 was encountered at a depth
of 1.5 metres below present ground level; this was sealed by mid-brown red sand
116. A similar deposit was identified in previous ground investigations (RPS 2015)
and thought to represent made ground with brick and ash inclusions; no inclusions
were noted in this test pit. This deposit was sealed by brick based made ground 115
which was 0.75m thick which was in turn sealed by a gravel bed 114 for tarmac road
surface 113. Modern truncations, from directly below the road surface were seen
impacting to a depth of over 2.1m.
Trench 1 (Figs. 2 & 6)
5.6 Geological substrate 110 was encountered at a depth of 1.15 – 1.25 metres below
the present ground level. A layer of dark orange-brown clayey sand sealed the
substrate at a depth of 0.15m. This was cut by a large post-medieval rubbish pit
108, situated at the western end of the trench. The pit fill 107 contained a glass
ginger beer bottle belonging to RM Bird and Co – Stratford-on-Avon. Made ground
106 sealed the pit fill, to a depth of 1.0 metres.
Pipe Trench (Figs. 2, 7 & 8)
5.7 A pipe trench was excavated for the diversion of a water main, crossing the northern
half of the site from west to east. This afforded the opportunity to record levels of
truncation in a profile crossing the length of the site.
5.8 At the western end of the trench cut, geological substrate 110 consisting of mid
yellow orange sandy gravels was encountered between 0.90 and 1.10 metres below
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Town Square, Stratford-on-Avon: Programme of Archaeological Works
the present ground level. This was sealed by a red orange layer of sandy gravels
111 with an average depth of 0.25 metres. At the centre of the site, levels of
truncation were such that concrete pile bases, brick inspection chambers and
service trenches associated with a large sewer had effectively removed the
geological substrate and 111 above. At the western end of the trench, 111 was
sealed by a deposit of made ground (equated to 106) which consisted of lenses of
modern building material, including crushed stone, sand and redeposited natural
substrate.
5.9 The eastern portion of the trench was situated outside the footprint of the former
shopping centre, and cut instead across an open, paved area. The make-up of the
ground differed accordingly. The geological substrate was encountered at an
average depth of 1.00 metres, and consisted of light orange-brown sands and
gravels. The upper interface between the natural and the former land surface had
been removed, and the ground made up with a highly compact layer of red sand
112, measuring 0.45 – 0.55 metres in depth. This was sealed by a series of modern
deposits underpinning a layer of reinforced concrete, the bedding material for the
paving stones and finally the paved surface.
Watching Brief (Figs. 2 & 9)
5.10 Intrusive groundworks during February and March consisted of removal of slab
using a mechanical breaker and flat bladed ditching bucket, followed by the
excavation of foundation blocks. Blocks were substantial, measuring 1.2 x 1.2 x 2.4
metres in most cases, and had been poured into pits excavated into the natural
substrate. Truncation of the site in the areas taken up by building footprints is
estimated at a total depth of 3.5 metres below present ground level (see Figure 2).
6. THE FINDS
6.1 No artefactual material pre-dating the modern period was recovered.
7. DISCUSSION
7.1 The watching brief and trial trench have been successful in determining the extent to
which archaeological horizons have been impacted by the 1970s development. The
pre 1970 site horizon, garden soil 102/109 was recorded outside the south western
corner of the site in Test Pit 1, 0.4 – 0.5 metres below the present ground level. It
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Town Square, Stratford-on-Avon: Programme of Archaeological Works
was picked up again in Trench 1, and during the watching brief at the western end of
the Somerfield building, this time at a depth of 0.9 – 1.1 metres. In the west and
central portions of the site, this layer was not visible, and it is therefore assumed that
the pre 1970 site horizon was removed during the construction of the shopping
centre. At the eastern end of the site, which was formerly given over to a paved
pedestrian precinct, similar levels of truncation were recorded, with geological
substrate recorded at a depth of 1.00 metres, sealed by modern made ground and
concrete reinforcement.
7.2 The map of Stratford-on-Avon made up for the local board of Health in 1851 (CA
2015) shows the site bounded by Buildings fronting onto Wood Street, High Street,
Ely Street and Rother Street, and occupied by back-plots belonging to those
buildings. The Plymouth Arms, a public house fronting onto Wood Street is recorded
on the First Edition Ordnance Survey town plan (CA 2015). A range of buildings
and a garden belonging to the pub extends south into the present site and the
immediate vicinity of pit 107 – which may explain the presence of a late 19th – early
20th century beer bottle in fill 108. The historic map evidence would appear to
suggest that the area had been given over to back-plots since up to the mid-19th
century.
7.4 The Ordnance Survey’s 25 inch to the mile survey dated 1913 (Warwickshire
XLIV.6) shows a large range of buildings extending the southern range of the
Plymouth Arms into the garden plot previously depicted on the 1st edition town plan
(Fig. 11). The construction of a large range of buildings over the central portion of
the site in the latter half of the 19th century suggests that the attrition of the
archaeological record preceded the construction of the shopping centre. Only
circumstantial evidence for the late 19th century buildings was recorded during the
watching brief, which suggests that they were completely removed during the
construction of the 1970’s shopping centre and pedestrian precinct. The level of
reinforcement implemented in the 1970’s suggests engineering and architectural
concerns with the stability of the ground. This may explain why the black-plot
garden soils, which are susceptible to varying levels of compaction and subsidence,
have been removed from the development footprint.
7.5 Deep deposits of modern made ground with interspersed lenses of redeposited
geological substrate directly overlay the substrate. This indicates that the site has
undergone extensive ground disturbance. It is probable that this disturbance
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Town Square, Stratford-on-Avon: Programme of Archaeological Works
occurred during the construction and demolition of the late 19th-century structures
on site and the subsequent construction of late 20th century commercial properties
within the site. It is likely that this ground disturbance has removed any below-
ground archaeological remains which may once have been present at the site.
8. CA PROJECT TEAM
8.1 Fieldwork was undertaken by Peter Boyer, Julian Newman and Jake Streatfeild-
James. The report was written by Jake Streatfeild-James, The illustrations were
prepared by Leo Heatley. The archive has been compiled by Emily Evans, and
prepared for deposition by Hazel O’Neill. The project was managed for CA by Simon
Carlyle.
9. REFERENCES
BGS (British Geological Survey) Geology of Britain Viewer http://maps1.bgs.ac.uk/geology
viewer_google/googleviewer.html Accessed 08 March 2016
CA (Cotswold Archaeology) 2011 Town Square, Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire:
Archaeological Desk-Based Assessment, CA report 11037
CA (Cotswold Archaeology) 2015 Town Square, Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire:
Archaeological Desk-Based Assessment, CA project 5495
CA (Cotswold Archaeology) 2016 Town Square, Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire: Written
Scheme of Investigation.
DCLG (Department of Communities and Local Government) 2012 National Planning Policy
Framework
RPS 2015 Town Square Shopping Centre, Stratford-upon-Avon: Phase 2 Environmental and
Geotechnical Site Investigation Report, report HLE130660-002R
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Town Square, Stratford-on-Avon: Programme of Archaeological Works
APPENDIX A: CONTEXT DESCRIPTIONS
Trench No.
Context No.
Type Context interpretation
Description L (m) W (m)
Depth/ thickness(m)
Spot-date
TP1 100 Layer Concrete Concrete road surface - - 0.13
TP1 101 Layer Made Ground Coarse sand bedding - - 0.21
TP1 102 Layer Made Ground Mid yellow brown compact clayey silt
- - 0.15
TP1 103 Layer Buried Surface Mid grey brown compact clayey silt
- - 0.15 Pre 1970
TP1 104 Layer Substrate Mid red brown sandy clay - - 0.80
TP1 105 Layer Substrate Mid red brown sandy silt - - 0.08
TR1 106 Layer Made Ground Lensed material, crushed stone, sand and redeposited substrate
- - 0.80
TR1 107 Fill Fill of Pit Loose, dark grey black silty sand, frequent modern tiles
1.20 1.25 >0.60
TR1 108 Cut Cut of Pit Steep sides, base not recorded 1.20 1.25 >0.60 Post 1913
TR1 109 Layer Made Ground Dark orange brown gravelly sand - - 0.25
TR1 110 Layer Substrate Light brown yellow sandy gravels
111 Layer Made ground Mid red-orange silty sand and gravel
0.25
112 Layer Made ground Highly compacted red sand 0.50 Post 1970
TP2 113 Layer Concrete Concrete road surface 0.07
TP2 114 Layer Made Ground Type 1 gravel 0.28
TP2 115 Layer Made Ground Brick and stone sandy rubble in mid red brown silty sand
0.75
TP2 116 Layer Made Ground Mid brown red gravel in sand matrix
0.4 Post 1970
TP2 117 Layer Substrate Light grey orange silty gravels >0.6
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Town Square, Stratford-on-Avon: Programme of Archaeological Works
APPENDIX B: OASIS REPORT FORM
PROJECT DETAILS Project Name Town Square, Stratford on Avon Short description
In February and March 2016 a programme of archaeological works including trial trenching and a watching brief on intrusive groundworks was undertaken at the Town Square site, Stratford on Avon. Archaeological works coincided with the removal of below-ground footings belonging to the former Somerfield supermarket and the Public toilets adjacent to the Town Square, and the subsequent excavation of service trenches, prior to the redevelopment of the site. An area in the northern half of the site was selected as suitable for trial trenching, as it avoided buried services. This revealed a single feature cut into made ground, the fill of which contained a large concentration of ceramic roof tiles. This feature is thought to be associated with the former range of buildings associated with the Plymouth Arms, a public house fronting onto Wood Street, which is depicted on the 1913 Ordnance Survey 25 inch sheet covering the proposed development area. No other traces of the Victorian back-plots, such as property boundaries, foundations or garden soils were revealed during monitoring. It was concluded that groundwork and preparation of the foundations for the 1970’s supermarket had involved cleaning the site down to natural substrate.
Project dates 02 February – 11 March 2016 Project type Programme of archaeological trial trenching and monitoring Previous work Not known Future work Unknown PROJECT LOCATION Site Location Town Square, Stratford on Avon Study area (M2/ha) c. 0.25ha Site co-ordinates (8 Fig Grid Reference) SP 2002 5487 PROJECT CREATORS Name of organisation Cotswold Archaeology Project Brief originator Warwickshire County Council Project Design (WSI) originator Cotswold Archaeology Project Manager Simon Carlyle Project Supervisor Julian Newman MONUMENT TYPE None SIGNIFICANT FINDS None PROJECT ARCHIVES Intended final location of archive Content Physical
Warwickshire HER
None Paper WSI, pro-forma registers,
recording forms. Digital Report, digital photographs,
digital survey data BIBLIOGRAPHY
CA (Cotswold Archaeology) 2011 Town Square, Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire: Archaeological Desk-Based
Assessment, CA report 11037
CA (Cotswold Archaeology) 2015 Town Square, Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire: Archaeological Desk-Based
Assessment, CA project 5495
CA (Cotswold Archaeology) 2016 Town Square, Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire: Written Scheme of
Investigation.
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