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ARCHAEOLOGICAL WATCHING BRIEF OF TEST PITS AND BOREHOLES ALONG THE ROUTE OF THE PROPOSED NORTHERN BYPASS ADDLETHORPE, LINCOLNSHIRE (ANB98)

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ARCHAEOLOGICAL WATCHING BRIEF OF TEST PITS AND BOREHOLES ALONG THE ROUTE OF THE PROPOSED NORTHERN BYPASS ADDLETHORPE, LINCOLNSHIRE (ANB98)

Work Undertaken For Highways and Planning Directorate Lincolnshire County Council

May 1999

Report compiled by Paul Cope-Faulkner BA (Hons) A1FA

City and County Museum Accession No: 268.98 National Grid References: TF 533 686 to TF 555 694

A.P.S. Report No:53/99

CONTENTS List of Figures List of Plates 1. 2. Summary Introduction 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. Aims Methods Results Discussion Conclusions Acknowledgements Personnel Bibliography Abbreviations Definition of a Watching Brief Planning Background Topography and Geology Archaeological Setting 1 1 1 1 1 2
2

2 3 3 4 4 4 4 5

Appendices 1 2 3 4 Context Descriptions The Finds by Hilary Healey and Gary Taylor The Archive Glossary

List of Figures

Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 3 Figure 4

General Location Plan Site Location Plan Sections L 2, 3 and 4 Sections 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9

Figure 5

General sequence of deposits along the bypass route

List of Plates

Plate 1

Test-pit 1, showing the subsoil and topsoil overlying the natural alluvium

1.

SUMMARY

Addlethorpe, Lincolnshire. The original proposal was to excavate twelve test pits and four boreholes. However, due to problems of access and ground conditions at the time, only six test pits were excavated and three boreholes were examined. 2.3 Topography and Geology

An archaeological watching brief was undertaken during test-pitting and borehole excavation along the route of the proposed northern bypass, Addlethorpe, near Ingoldmells, L inco/nshire. Prehistoric remains have been identified, predominantly in the western part of the investigation area, comprising Iron Age (H00 BC-AD 50) salt production sites. These sites are located along watercourses that also provided the same suitable conditions for sa/tmciking during the Romano-British period (AD 50-410). Concentrations of Romano-British pottery have also been found south of the village and may indicate settlements. The investigations revealed a sequence of alluvial deposits, overlying boulder clay and a possible former land surface. Briquetage from one of the alluvial layers indicate the presence of a saltern in the vicinity.

Addlethorpe is located 8km northwest of Skegness and 29km east of Horncastle in the administrative district of East Lindsey, Lincolnshire (Fig. 1). The area of investigation is located adjacent to the village of Addlethorpe. The length of the proposed bypass and associated road improvements is from the junction of Look in Gowt and Marsh Lane west of the village, to the Grange and Mill Hill House junction on the east. The site is 25m wide and extends for approximately 2.75km between National Grid References TF 533 686 and TF 555 694 (Fig. 2). The route is on relatively level ground at approximately 2.5m OD. The proposed bypass traverses soils of the Wallasea 2 Association, typically peloalluvial gley soils developed on marine alluvium (Hodge et al. 1984, 338). The underlying drift geology is likely to be more variable and comprise boulder clay that forms 'hummocks' of higher ground between which are alluvial deposits (Robinson 1981, 9; Van de Noort and Davies 1993, 20). These alluvial deposits represent the land surface during the Iron Age and Romano-British periods. Subsequently the area was subjected to a number of marine incursions that deposited alluvium up to 3m thick. Beneath the drift deposits is a solid geology of the Cretaceous Welton Chalk (BGS 1996).

2. 2.1

INTRODUCTION Definition of a Watching Brief

An archaeological watching brief is defined as 'a formal programme of observation and investigation conducted during any operation carried out for nonarchaeological reasons within a specified area, where there is a possibility thatarchaeological deposits may be disturbed or destroyed(IFA 1997). 2.2 Planning Background

Archaeological Project Services was commissioned by the Highways and Planning Directorate, Lincolnshire County Council to undertake a watching brief during trial pitting of land to the west and north of 1

2.4

Archaeological Setting

The route of the proposed Addlethorpe bypass traverses an area of known archaeological remains dating from the Iron Age to the present day. Iron Age (800 BC - AD 50) archaeology is indicated by three salterns (salt-producing sites) within close proximity to the route of the bypass. These are typified by deposits of ash with associated briquetage. Due to the cover of marine alluvium, these, and the subsequent Romano-British sites, are generally exposed only in the sides of deep dykes and ditches. East of Addlethorpe are a number of undated salterns, which may be either Iron Age or Romano-British in date (HTL parish files). The Romano-British (AD 50-410) period is represented by a total of eight saltern sites, all located west of Addlethorpe in the slightly lower land adjacent to the Orby Drain. As mentioned above, all these salterns were exposed at depth in the sides of modern watercourses. Romano-British pottery has been found south of the village in two locations. One site produced sizeable sherd fragments possibly indicating settlement (pers. comm. B. Kirkham). Addlethorpe is first mentioned in the Domesday Survey of 1086. Referred to as Arduluetorp, the name is derived from the Old English personal name 'Eardwulf and the Old Norse ' P o r p ' meaning a small hamlet or farm settled from an existing settlement (Ekwall 1974, 3, 468). At the time of the Domesday Survey, Addlethorpe is recorded as belonging to the Archbishop of York, the Bishop ofDurham, Count Alan, Gilbert de Gand, Eudo and Robert the Steward and contained 2 churches, 1060 acres of meadow and approximately 80 acres of wasteland (Foster and Longley 1976). 2

Much of Addlethorpe is recorded as being Sokeland or Inland of neighbouring villages and a total of 55 sokemen are listed. In the subsequent Lindsey Survey ofc\ 1115, Hugh de Vallo is recorded as controlling the Archbishop of York's lands {ibid.). Extant remains of the medieval period are best represented by the church of St. Nicholas (Pevsner and Harris 1989, 91). The church dates from the 15th century and must have replaced an earlier building as two churches are referred to in the Domesday Book. One was given to Spalding Priory in the 12th century. However, it is possible that the second church relates to that of Ingoldmells, especially as the two villages were referred to as the 'Manor of Ingoldmells and Addlethorpe' (CopeFaulkner 1999, 2). Prior to this work a desk-top assessment and fieldwalking exercise were undertaken (Cope-Faulkner 1998). This identified the earthwork remnants of medieval field systems to the north of the village. Additionally, two medieval sites were found and a previously known Romano-British saltern was located within the bypass corridor.

3.

AIMS

The requirements of the watching brief were to record and interpret archaeological deposits, if present, and to determine their date, sequence, function and origin.

4.

METHODS

The test pits were excavated by machine to depths of between 2.4m and 3.2m below present ground level. Due to the depth of the test pits it was not possible to clean sides and render them vertical. The boreholes

were sunk using a hand screw type auger. The depths and thickness of each deposit were measured from the ground surface. Each archaeological deposit or feature revealed was allocated a unique reference number (context number) with an individual written description. A list of all contexts and interpretations appears as Appendix 2. A photographic record was compiled and sections were compiled at a scale of 1:20. Recording of deposits encountered during the watching brief was undertaken according to standard Archaeological Project Services practice. Records of the deposits and features recognised during the watching brief were examined. Phasing was assigned based on the nature of the deposits and recognisable relationships between them.

natural watercourse. Overlying the natural organic deposits were layers of sands, silts and clays of varying colours and thicknesses (003, 004, 005, 006, 010, 015, 016, 020, 024, 025, 029, 030, 031, 035, 039, 040, 043, 044 and 045). Interpreted as alluvial deposits these represent various flooding episodes. Phase 2 Modern deposits

Overlying the natural deposits was a layer of subsoil ranging from brown clayey silts (002, 009, 0 1 ^ and 023), brown silty clay (019, 028 and 038) and yellow and grey silty clay (034 and 042). One of these deposits (038) contained a few fragments of briquetage, indicating the close proximity to a saltern during its deposition. The subsoil measured between 0.3m and 0.73m thick. The subsoil was overlain by modern ploughsoil of brown silts and clays (001, 008, 013, 018, 022, 027, 033, 037 and 041).

5.

RESULTS

Two phases of activity were identified: Phase 1 Phase 2 Natural deposits Modern deposits

6.

DISCUSSION

Archaeological contexts are listed below and described. The numbers in brackets are the context numbers assigned in the field. Phase 1 Natural deposits

The earliest deposit encountered was a mid grey clay (036) of which a minimum thickness of 0.9m was recorded (Fig. 4, Section 7). Interpreted as an outlier of boulder clay, this was found northeast of Addlethorpe in borehole 4. At the base of the remaining test pits were deposits of silt and clay with a high organic content (007, 011, 012, 017, 021 and 026). The presence of organic deposits may indicate a former land surface or an infilled

Natural deposits (Phase 1) encountered during the watching brief comprise boulder clay and marine alluvium. The boulder clay was located at the base of a borehole northeast of Addlethorpe. Few of the alluvial deposits can be traced between the test pits and boreholes. Therefore, it is unlikely that many of these layers relate to a single flooding episode. However, it is possible that some deposits were formed within natural water channels or creeks. It is impossible to determine which of these layers represents the former prehistoric and Romano-British land surfaces, although the presence of organic rich deposits hints at a sustained period of plant growth, unaffected by marine intrusion.

Modern deposits (Phase 2) comprise subsoils and topsoil and are visible throughout the entire length of the proposed bypass route. Several artefacts were recovered during the investigation. Most of the finds possibly represent nothing more than a manuring scatter, when discarded rubbish was incorporated into midden heaps and later spread on the land to improve fertility of the soil. However, four fragments of briquetage were recovered and indicate the close proximity of an undated saltern. No archaeological features were revealed during the investigation. However, the size and frequency of the test pits and boreholes do not preclude archaeological sites existing along the route of the bypass. Groundwater levels are at between 1.2m and 2m depth and so archaeological remains of the Iron Age and Romano-British periods are likely to be well preserved due to waterlogging.

8.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Archaeological Project Services would like to acknowledge the assistance of Mr G. Page of Lincolnshire County Council Highways and Planning Directorate who commissioned the fieldwork and post excavation analysis. The work was coordinated by Gary Taylor and this report was edited by Tom Lane. Mark Bennett and Sarah Grundy kindly provided information from the County Sites and Monuments Record maintained by the Archaeology Section, Lincolnshire County Council.

9.

PERSONNEL

Project Coordinator: Gary Taylor Supervisors: Neil Herbert, Fiona Walker Finds Processing: Denise Buckley Illustration: Paul Cope-Faulkner Post-excavation Analyst: Paul CopeFaulkner

7.

CONCLUSIONS

10.

BIBLIOGRAPHY Drift

Archaeological investigations were carried out along the route of the proposed Addlethorpe bypass because the site lies within an area of prehistoric and later remains. Natural deposits of boulder clay were the earliest deposits encountered. An organic layer at the base of some test-pits indicates a drier period and probable land surface. These were overlain by alluvial deposits, one of which contained briquetage fragments, indicating the possibility of a saltern in the vicinity. No archaeological remains were encountered. Groundwater levels were of a height to suggest that any waterlogged f e a t u r e s may contain environmental indicators (snails, seeds, pollen etc.). 4

BGS., 1996, Skegness, Solid and Edition, 1:50,000 sheet 116

Cope-Faulkner, P., 1998, Desk-top Assessment of the Archaeological Implications of Proposed Northern Bypass, Addlethorpe, Lincolnshire (ANB98), Unpublished APS report No. 75/98 Cope-Faulkner, P., 1999, An Archaeological Watching Brief of Development at Sun City, IngoldmellsPoint, Ingoldmells, Lincolnshire (IIP 99), Unpublished APS report 40/99 Ekwall, E., 1974, The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Place-Names (4th edition) Foster, C.W. and Longley, T. (Eds), 1976,

The Lincolnshire Domesday and the Lindsey Survey, The Lincoln Record Society 19 I FA, 1997, Standard and Guidance Archaeological Watching Briefs May, J., 1976, Prehistoric History of Lincolnshire I for

Lincolnshire,

Pevsner, N. and Harris, J., 1989, Lincolnshire, The Buildings of England (2nd edition revised Antram, N.)

11. BGS DoE I FA

ABBREVIATIONS British Geological Survey Department of the Environment Institute of Field Archaeologists

Figure 1: General location map

f/IJ] Proposed B y p a s s Route ^ JJ Test pits | B [ Boreholes

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Figure 2 - Site Location Plan

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044 036 040 Section 8 Borehole A 045 I Section 9 Borehole B

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031 026 032 I Section 5 Test Pit 12 Section 6 Test Pit 13

Section 7 Borehole 4

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Figure 4 - Sections 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9

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Topsoil

Figure 5 - General sequence of deposits along the bypass route

Plate 1 Test-pit 1, showing the subsoil and topsoil overlying the natural alluvium

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Appendix 1 CONTEXT DESCRIPTIONS

No. 001 002 003 004 005 006 007 008 009 010 Oil

Section 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2

Description Firm light to mid brown clayey silt, 0.45m thick Firm mid brown clayey silt, 0.35m thick Firm dark brown clayey silt, 0.71m thick Firm light to mid brownish yellow sand, 0.31m thick Soft light blueish grey and mid brown clayey silt, 0.3m thick Soft light to mid grey silty clay, c. 1.1m thick Firm dark brown organic silt Friable mid brown clayey silt, 0.3m thick Firm light yellowish brown clayey silt, 0.56m thick Firm light to mid yellow brown silty clay, 1.34m thick Firm greyish brown and black organic silt and clay, 0.2m thick Firm dark grey organic silt, >0.4m thick Firm mid brown clayey silt, 0.32m thick Firm light to mid yellowish brown clayey silt. 0.48m thick Firm light brown silty clay, 0.75m thick Firm light yellowish brown sand and silt, 0.7m thick Firm mid blueish grey organic clay, 50mm thick Firm mid brown organic silt, 0.35m thick Firm mid brown silt and clay, 0.73m thick Firm light to mid brown clayey silt, 0.72m thick Firm mid to dark blueish grey organic silt and fine sand, > 1.05m thick Firm mid brown clayey silt, 0.35m thick Firm mid yellowish brown clayey silt. 0.3m thick Firm light to mid greyish brown silty clay, c. l m thick Firm light yellowish brown silt and fine sand. 0.3m thick Firm mid to dark blueish grey organic silt. >0.8m thick Firm mid brown sandy clay. 0.35m thick Firm mid yellowish brown silty clay, 0.35m thick

Interpretation Ploughsoil Subsoil Natural deposit Natural deposit Natural deposit Natural deposit Natural deposit Ploughsoil Subsoil Natural deposit Natural deposit

012 013 014 015 016 017 018 019 020 021

2 3 3 3 3 3 4 4 4 4

Natural deposit Ploughsoil Subsoil Natural deposit Natural deposit Natural deposit Topsoil Subsoil Natural deposit Natural deposit

022 023 024 025 026 027 028

5 5 5 5 5 6 6

Ploughsoil Subsoil Natural deposit Natural deposit Natural deposit Ploughsoil Subsoil

No. 029 030 031 032 033 034 035 036 037 038 039 040 041 042 043 044 045

Section 6 6 6 6 7 7 7 7 8 8 8 8 9 9 9 9 9

Description Firm mid greyish brown silty clay and fine sand, 0.35m thick Firm mid grey silty sand, 50mm to 100mm thick Firm light to mid yellowish brown sandy silt, 1.5m thick Firm light blueish grey silty clay, 50mm thickness Soft mid yellowish brown silty clav, 0.35m thick Soft light brownish yellow silty clay, 0.55m thick Soft light greyish yellow silty clay, 0.3m thick Plastic mid grey clay, >0.9m thick Friable dark yellowish brown silty clay, 0.4m thick Soft mid yellowish brown silty clay, 0.6m thick Soft light brownish yellow silty clay, 0.5m thick Loose mid yellowish grey clayey sand, >0.15m thick Soft mid brown silty clay, 0.25m thick Soft mid yellowish grey silty clay, 0.5m thick Friable light yellowish grey clayey sand, 0.52m thick Loose mid yellowish grey clayey sand, 0.2m thick Friable dark grey clayey sand, >0.5m thick

Interpretation Natural deposit Natural deposit Natural deposit Natural deposit Ploughsoil Subsoil Natural deposit Natural deposit Ploughsoil Subsoil Natural deposit Natural deposit Ploughsoil Subsoil Natural deposit Natural deposit Natural deposit

Appendix 2 FINDS SUMMARY

By Hilary Healey and Gary Taylor

Provenance Much of the material was collected as unstratified objects from the field surfaces adjacent to two of the bore holes. The few stratified artefacts were recovered from a subsoil and a natural deposit. All of the potter,' was made at Toynton All Saints, or related kilns, 15km to the southwest of Addlethorpe. The briquetage would have been made locally at Addlethorpe. Range The range of material is detailed in the table. Potter.' fragments of late medieval date were the earliest artefacts recovered and are the largest component of the small assemblage. No faunal or environmental remains were retrieved.

Context unstratified, borehole 1 unstratified, borehole 7 019 038 lx vessel glass

Description 20th century

Date

6x Toynton All Saints ware

14th-15th century

lx Toynton All Saints ware 4x briquetage fragments

14th-15th century

Condition All the material is in good condition and presents no long-term storage problems. The objects are archived by material class. Documentation A number of archaeological investigations in and around Addlethorpe have previously been undertaken and reported. Details of these and other archaeological and historical evidence has been compiled (Cope-Faulkner 1998). This same study also examined the bypass route and identified a number of previously unknown late medieval habitation sites and a saltern of probable Roman or earlier date (ibid.). Potential The assemblage has moderate potential. The pottery, particularly the unstratified collection from the vicinity of borehole 7. suggests the proximity of late medieval habitation and enhances the results of earlier investigations along the bypass route which also recovered evidence for the sites of abandoned late medieval occupation. Similarly, the briquetage may indicate that a saltern site is located proximity to that particular borehole. Reference Cope-Faulkner. P.. 1998 Desk-top Assessment of the Archaeological Addlethorpe, Lincolnshire (ANB98). APS Report No. 75/98 Implications ofproposed Northern Bypass

Appendix 3 THE ARCHIVE

The archive consists of: 45 9 1 1 1 Context records Scale drawings Photographic record sheet Bag of finds Stratigraphic matrix

All primary records and finds are currently kept at: Archaeological Project Sen-ices The Old School Cameron Street Heckington Sleaford Lincolnshire
NG34 9RW

The ultimate destination of the project archive is: Lincolnshire City and County Museum 12 Friars Lane Lincoln LN21HQ The archive will be deposited in accordance with the document titled Conditions for the Acceptance of Project .\rchives. produced by the Lincolnshire City and County Museum. Lincolnshire City and County Council Museum Accession Number: Archaeological Project Services Site Code: 268.98 ANB99

The discussion and comments provided in this report are based on the archaeology revealed during the site investigations. Other archaeological finds and features may exist on the development site but away from the areas exposed during (lie course of this fieldvvork. Archaeological Project Services cannot confirm that those areas unexposed are free from archaeology nor that any archaeology present there is of a similar character to that revealed during the current investigation. Archaeological Project Sendees shall retain full copyright of any commissioned reports under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 with all rights resen-ed; excepting that it hereby provides an exclusive licence to the client for the use of such documents by the client in all matters directly relating to the project as described in the Project Specification.

Appendix 4 GLOSSARY
Boulder Clav

A deposit formed after the retreat of a glacier. Also known as till, this material is generally unsorted and can comprise of rock flour to boulders to rocks of quite substantial size. A term given to fragments of ceramic equipment and hearth/oven remains from the processing of salt. An archaeological context represents a distinct archaeological event or process. For example, the action of digging a pit creates a context (the cut) as does the process of its subsequent backfill (the fill). Each context encountered during an archaeological investigation is allocated a unique number by the archaeologist and a record sheet detailing the description and interpretations of the context (the context sheet) is created and placed in the site archive. Context numbers are identified within the report text by brackets, e.g. (004). A mark that is produced by the effect of underlying archaeological features influencing the growth of a particular crop. A cut refers to the physical action of digging a posthole, pit, ditch, foundation trench, etc. Once the fills of these features are removed during an archaeological investigation the original "cut' is therefore exposed and subsequently recorded. A period characterised by the introduction of Iron into the country for tools, between 800 BC and AX) 50. A layer is a term to describe an accumulation of soil or other material that is not contained within a cut. The Middle Ages, dating from approximately AD 1066-1500. Undisturbed deposit(s) of soil or rock which have accumulated without the influence of human activity. The period following the Middle Ages, dating from approximately AD 1500-1800. The period of human history prior to the introduction of writing. In Britain the prehistoric period lasts from the first evidence of human occupation about 500,000 BC, until the Roman invasion in the middle of the 1st century AD. Pertaining to the period dating from AD 43-410 when the Romans occupied Britain. Salt producing site typified by ash, derived from fuel needed to evaporate sea water, and briquetage. Pertaining to the period dating from AD 410-1066 when England was largely settled by tribes from northern Germany

Briquetage

Context

Crop m a r k

Cut

Iron Age

Laver

Medieval Natural

Post-medieval Prehistoric

Romano-British Saltern

Saxon