nisbets f britannia zinc works avonmouth bristol

NISBETS

FORMER BRITANNIA ZINC WORKS AVONMOUTH

BRISTOL

ARCHAEOLOGICAL WATCHING BRIEF

JUNE 2008

For

on behalf of

HALCROW GROUP LTD

ST. MODWEN DEVELOPMENTS LTD

CA PROJECT: 2506 CA REPORT: 08116

NISBETS FORMER BRITANNIA ZINC WORKS

AVONMOUTH BRISTOL

ARCHAEOLOGICAL WATCHING BRIEF

CA PROJECT: 2506 CA REPORT: 08116

prepared by Kelly Saunders, Project Supervisor

date 11 June 2008

checked by Mark Collard, Head of Contracts

date 13 June 2008

approved by Mark Collard, Head of Contracts

signed

date 13 June 2008

issue 01

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 Building 11, Kemble Enterprise Park, Kemble, Cirencester, Gloucestershire, GL7 6BQ

Tel. 01285 771022 Fax. 01285 771033 E-mail: [email protected]

© Cotswold Archaeology

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Niisbets, Former Britannia Zinc Works, Avonmouth, Bristol: Archaeological Watching Brief

CONTENTS

SUMMARY........................................................................................................................2

1. INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................. 3

2. RESULTS (FIGS 2-4) .......................................................................................... 5

3. DISCUSSION....................................................................................................... 5

4. CA PROJECT TEAM ........................................................................................... 6

5. REFERENCES .................................................................................................... 6

APPENDIX A: CONTEXT DESCRIPTIONS ..................................................................... 7 APPENDIX B: OASIS REPORT FORM............................................................................ 8

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Fig. 1 Site location plan (1:25000)

Fig. 2 The site, showing location of groundworks (1:1000).

Fig. 3 The dock levelling bay, stripped to the full depth of the groundworks

Fig. 4 The lift shaft, excavated to the full depth of the groundworks


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SUMMARY

Project Name: Nisbets, Former Britannia Zinc Works

Location: Avonmouth, Bristol

NGR: ST 5270 7914

Type: Watching Brief

Date: 11 January – 18 February 2008

Planning Reference: 07/03022/M

Location of Archive: To be deposited with Bristol City Museum and Art Gallery Site Code: NAA 08

An archaeological watching brief was undertaken by Cotswold Archaeology during

groundworks associated with the redevelopment of the Nisbets site at the former Britannia

Zinc Works, Avonmouth, Bristol.

No features or deposits of archaeological interest were observed during groundworks, and

no artefactual material pre-dating the modern period was recovered.


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1. INTRODUCTION

1.1 In January and February 2008 Cotswold Archaeology (CA) carried out an

archaeological watching brief for Halcrow Group Ltd on Behalf of St. Modwen

Developments Ltd at Nisbets, the former Britannia Zinc Works, Avonmouth, Bristol

(centred on NGR: ST 5270 7914; Fig. 1). This followed two earlier site visits by

James Goad of Halcrow on 18 December 2007 and 4 January 2008. The watching

brief was undertaken to fulfil condition no. 18 attached to the planning consent for

the construction of commercial units (Bristol City Council Planning ref: 07/03022/M).

The objective of the watching brief was to record all archaeological remains exposed

during the development.

1.2 The watching brief was carried out in accordance with a briefing prepared by

Halcrow Group Ltd, in agreement with by Mr Bob Jones (Bristol City Council

Archaeologist), the archaeological advisor to the Local Planning Authority (LPA).

The fieldwork also followed the Standard and Guidance for an Archaeological

Watching Brief issued by the Institute of Field Archaeologists (2001), and the

Management of Archaeological Projects (English Heritage 1991).

The site

1.3 The Site lies within the St. Modwen Development on the site of a former zinc works,

and is approximately 0.5 ha. Prior to the present groundworks any infrastructure

associated with the Zinc Works had been removed and a pile mat of crushed stone

over a geotextile laid across the area. To the north of the site are modern

warehouses, whilst to the south are the officers of the former zinc works. To the

west of the site lies a very large slag heap, whilst to the east the site is bounded by

fields and Kings Weston Lane (Fig. 1). The site lies at approximately 6m AOD.

1.4 The underlying solid geology of the area is mapped as Mercia Mudstone, overlain by

drift alluvium of the Pleistocene and recent era (BGS 1974). The drift geology was

encountered in the deepest areas of the groundworks.


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Archaeological background

1.5 An archaeological Desk-Based Assessment (DBA) has previously been carried out

on the site by Halcrow Group Ltd (2005), and it is not the intention to repeat their

findings here.

1.6 In summary, evidence for occupation has been found within the vicinity of the study

area from the Mesolithic to the Roman periods as a series of buried land surfaces,

on average between 1-1.5m below present ground level (bpgl). Within 350m of the

North of the site lies the Scheduled Monument known as the Mere Bank, a straight

linear earthwork with flanking ditches which represents the Anglo-Saxon

reclamation of the Henbury saltmarsh. The use of this reclaimed land is further

shown by ridge and furrow of the medieval and later periods observed in the

vicinity, finely ending in the industrialisation of the area, and associated construction

of heavy industry, with the opening of Avonmouth Docks in the nineteenth century

(Halcrow Group 2005)

1.7 More recently an evaluation was undertaken by Cotswold Archaeology (CA 2008)

within the eastern edge of the St. Modwen Development, to the east of this

watching brief. Modern industrial deposits were observed to 1.5m to 2m bpgl. These

covered a mottled alluvial clay which was observed down to the base of the

trenches between 2.4m to 3m bpgl

Methodology

1.8 An archaeologist was initially present during intrusive groundworks comprising the

excavation of all foundation and service trenches. This was then altered, with the

agreement of Mr Jones (Bristol City Council Archaeologist) to the observation of the

deeper groundworks, due to the consistent level of modern makeup deposit

encountered across the site, specifically the excavation of the dock levelling bay and

a lift shaft (Figs. 2, 3 and 4).

1.9 Throughout the project written, graphic and photographic records were compiled in

accordance with CA Technical Manual 1: Fieldwork Recording Manual (2007).

1.10 The archive is currently held by CA at their offices in Kemble. Subject and will be

deposited with Bristol City Museum and Art Gallery. A summary of information from


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this project, set out within Appendix B, will be entered onto the OASIS online

database of archaeological projects in Britain.

2. RESULTS (FIGS 2-4)

2.1 The Drift Geology was encountered within the deepest areas of the groundworks, up

to 2.4m bpgl, at an average depth of 1.4m bpgl, consisting of blue-grey alluvial clay

throughout. This was overlain by post-medieval makeup layers (102, 202) between

0.25m to 1m in thickness, which were in turn sealed by the modern piling mat. No

former topsoil horizon was observed between them. This concurs with the

observations made by Halcrow during the excavation for the pile caps and footing

trenches of buildings on the site.

2.2 No features or deposits of archaeological interest were observed during

groundworks and, despite visual scanning of spoil, no artefactual material pre-dating

the modern period was recovered. Deposits were assessed for their

palaeoenvironmental potential in accordance with CA Technical Manual 2: The

Taking and Processing of Environmental and Other samples from Archaeological

Sites (2003), but no deposits suitable for sampling were identified.

3. DISCUSSION

3.1 Despite the archaeological potential of the application area, the watching brief

identified no archaeological remains within the area of observed groundworks. The

absence of archaeological deposits may indicate that they either do not extend as

far as the development, or that they were removed during the construction of the

Britannia Zinc Works, as the interface between the modern and geological deposits

is very sharp, with no surviving former ground surface surviving, or that they lie

within deeper layers of alluvium not exposed during the present groundworks. These

results also reflect those from the recent evaluation (CA 2008).


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4. CA PROJECT TEAM

Fieldwork was undertaken by Kelly Saunders, who also wrote this report. The

illustrations were prepared by Jemma Elliott. The archive has been compiled by

Kelly Saunders, and prepared for deposition by Kathryn Price. The project was

managed for CA by Mark Collard.

5. REFERENCES

BGS (British Geological Survey) 1974 Geological Survey of England and Wales, Sheet 264

Bristol, Scale 1:50,000

CA (Cotswold Archaeology) 2008 Access 18, St Modwen’s Office Block, King’s Weston

Lane, Avonmouth, Bristol: Archaeological Evaluation, Report No. 08038

Halcrow Group. 2005 BZL Avonmouth: Desk-based Assessment


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APPENDIX A: CONTEXT DESCRIPTIONS

Dock levelling bay No. Type Description Length

(m) Width (m)

Depth (m)

Spot-date

101 Layer Modern made ground 1.1 Modern 102 Layer Dark brown mixed clay silt with large stones and

mortar fragments 0.25

103 Layer Mid blue-grey alluvial clay 1 + Lift Shaft No. Type Description Length

(m) Width (m)

Depth (m)

Spot-date

201 Layer Modern hardcore pile mat 0.14 Modern 202 Layer Dark grey fine ashy silt, occasional CBM 1 203 Layer Mid blue-grey alluvial clay 0.5 +


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APPENDIX B: OASIS REPORT FORM

PROJECT DETAILS Project Name Nisbets, Former Britannia Zinc Works, Avonmouth,

Bristol Short description (250 words maximum)

An archaeological watching brief was undertaken by Cotswold Archaeology during groundworks associated with the redevelopment of the Nisbets site at the Former Britannia Zinc Works, Avonmouth, Bristol. No features or deposits of archaeological interest were observed during groundworks, and no artefactual material pre-dating the modern period was recovered.

Project dates 11 January – 18 February 2008

Project type (e.g. desk-based, field evaluation etc)

Watching Brief

Previous work (reference to organisation or SMR numbers etc)

None

Future work Unknown

PROJECT LOCATION Site Location Nisbets, Former Britannia Zinc Works, Avonmouth,

Bristol Study area (M2/ha) 0.5ha Site co-ordinates (8 Fig Grid Reference) ST 5270 7914

PROJECT CREATORS Name of organisation Cotswold Archaeology Project Brief originator Halcrow Group Ltd Project Design (WSI) originator Halcrow Group Ltd Project Manager Mark Collard Project Supervisor Kelly Saunders PROJECT ARCHIVES Intended final location of

archive (museum/Accession no.)

Content (e.g. pottery, animal bone etc)

Physical Paper Bristol Museum and Art

Gallery Pro forma recording sheets

Digital Bristol Museum and Art Gallery

Digital Photos

BIBLIOGRAPHY

CA (Cotswold Archaeology) 2008, Nisbets, Former Britannia Zinc Works, Avonmouth, Bristol: Archaeological Watching Brief, Report No. 08116

Bristol

N

SCALEDRAWN BY PROJECT NO. FIGURE NO.

PROJECT TITLE

FIGURE TITLE

COTSWOLD ARCHAEOLOGY

0 2.5km

Site

Reproduced from the 1998 Ordnance Survey Explorer map with the permissionof Ordnance Survey on behalf of The Controller of Her Majesty's Stationery Office Crown copyright Cotswold Archaeological Trust 100002109 c

1:25,000@A4 2506JE 1

Nisbets, Former Britannia Zinc WorksAvonmouth, Bristol

Site location plan

800

520 530

790790

791791

790

791

ST

526526526

527527527

DOCK LEVELLING BAY

LIFTSHAFT

site

area of observed groundworks

N


PROJECT TITLE

FIGURE TITLE

COTSWOLD ARCHAEOLOGY

0 100m

1:1000@A4 2506JE 2


The Site, showing location of observed groundworks


COTSWOLD ARCHAEOLOGYPROJECT TITLE

FIGURE TITLE

3 The Dock Levelling Bay, stripped to the full depth of the groundworks

4 The Lift Shaft, excavated to the full depth of the groundworks

Photographs

4

3

n/a 3 & 42506JE


nisbets f britannia zinc works avonmouth bristol

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