An archaeological evaluation on land at Banstead Downs Golf Club ...

Archaeology South- EastBanstead Downs Golf ClubAbstract<strong>An</strong> <strong>archaeological</strong> <strong>evaluation</strong> was conducted on land at Banstead Downs GolfClub, Banstead, South London in advance of the construction of a golf clubreservoir. Four trial trenches were excavated to a cumulative length of 80m.No <strong>archaeological</strong> finds or features were identified.__________________________________________________________________________________

Archaeology South- EastBanstead Downs Golf ClubCONTENTS1.0 Introduction2.0 Archaeological Background3.0 Archaeological Methodology4.0 Results5.0 Discussion and ConclusionsTable 1. Levels InformationSMR Summary SheetFig. 1: Site LocationFig. 2: Site Plan (showing location of trenches)Plate 1: Trench 1 facing NWPlate 2: Trench 2 facing NPlate 3: Trench 3 facing EPlate 4: Trench 4 facing EPlate 5: Sondage within Trench 4. E facing sectionPlate 6: Sondage within Trench 1. E facing section__________________________________________________________________________________iii

1.0 INTRODUCTIONArchaeology South- EastBanstead Downs Golf Club1.1 Archaeology South-East (ASE), the contracting division of The Centrefor Applied Archaeology at the Institute of Archaeology, UniversityCollege London, was commissioned by 2ic Consultants Ltd. toundertake an <strong>archaeological</strong> <strong>evaluation</strong> in advance of theconstruction of a reservoir at Banstead Downs Golf Club. The site iscentred on National Grid Reference (NGR) 524714 160507 and itslocation is shown in Fig. 1.1.2 A Written Scheme of Investigation was prepared by ASE andsubmitted to Tony Howe at Surrey County Council for approval priorto commencement of the work.1.3 The site is located to the west of the A217 in Banstead, to the north ofthe railway line, and at the southern extent of the Banstead golfcourse (Fig. 1). The site is located on a north-west facing hill slope, inan overgrown patch of woodland with a thick shrub under storey.Several large trees have recently been cleared from the site, tofacilitate access. The wood floor contained many hollows and ridges,resulting from this process, and which are also likely in part to derivefrom biological action.1.4 The British Geological Survey Map Sheets 270 and 286 Solid andDrift Edition (1:50,000 scale) indicates that the site lies on theCretaceous Upper Chalk, which is described as white with flints, withnodular chalk at its base.1.5 The fieldwork was undertaken by Alice Thorne (Archaeologist) andPaul Derwent (Site Assistant) during October 2007. The project wasmanaged by Diccon Hart (Project Manager) and Louise Rayner (Post-Excavation Manager).2.0 ARCHAEOLOGICAL BACKGROUND2.1 Little is known about activity in and around Banstead prior to theemergence of the town of Benestede during the later <strong>An</strong>glo-Saxonand medieval periods. Chance finds of Palaeolithic, Mesolithic andNeolithic date in the area attest to limited activity in the vicinity duringthese periods (Griffin 2003). Interestingly, mention is made of adestroyed barrow of possible Neolithic date in close proximity to thesite (Griffin 2000), which may suggest increased activity of this datein the vicinity of the site. A Bronze Age bowl barrow recorded atTumble Beacon (SMR No. 2523) to the south of the site and afounder’s hoard to the east, as well as a general scatter of find spotsprovides somewhat more concrete evidence of activity during thisperiod. A general dearth of Iron Age finds in the Banstead areasuggests that activity of this period is limited as does the isolatedfinds of Roman date, though a potential building recorded to the__________________________________________________________________________________1

south of the site (SMR No. 942) is worth noting.Archaeology South- EastBanstead Downs Golf Club2.2 Benstede was first mentioned in a royal charter dated AD967 and agroup of <strong>An</strong>glo-Saxon barrows are recorded to the north of the site(SAM No’s 23010 and 23034). By the Domesday Survey, a smallsettlement, recorded as Benestede was established and thiscontinued to develop, albeit slowly throughout the medieval and postmedievalperiods. The advent of the railways served to accelerate theexpansion of the town to its present size.3.0 ARCHAEOLOGICAL METHODOLOGY3.1 The aims of the <strong>archaeological</strong> investigation were to ascertain:• Whether <strong>archaeological</strong> remains were present on the site and if soassess their date, survival and condition.• To ascertain the character, date and quality of ancient remains anddeposits.• To assess how they might be affected by the development of thesite• To consider what options should be considered for mitigation3.2 The fieldwork aimed to investigate the site, establish the distributionof <strong>archaeological</strong> remains and to place these within our currentunderstanding of landscape development.3.3 The groundwork comprised the excavation of four 20m long, 1.8mwide trenches by mechanical excavator, utilising a flat blade ditchingbucket. These trenches were positioned within the footprint of theproposed reservoir, and were laid out prior to commencement of thefieldwork by the client (2ic Consultants Ltd). Due to on siteconstraints, Trench 2 was shifted slightly in order to facilitate machinemovement.3.4 All trenches were scanned with a Cable Avoidance Tool prior toexcavation.3.5 All encountered <strong>archaeological</strong> deposits, features and finds wererecorded according to accepted professional standards in accordancewith the Specification using standard Archaeology South-East contextrecord sheets. Deposit colours were verified by visual inspection andnot by reference to a Munsell Colour chart.3.6 A full photographic record of the work was kept (black and whiteprints, colour slides and digital images) and will form part of the sitearchive. The archive is presently held at the Archaeology South-East__________________________________________________________________________________2

Archaeology South- EastBanstead Downs Golf Cluboffices at Portslade and will be offered to a suitable local museum.3.7 The site was levelled with respect to OD, using a Bench Mark locatedon a bridge to the east of the site (value 131.11mOD) and located on tothe 1:1250 map of the area.3.8 The spoil from the excavations was inspected to recover anyartefacts or ecofacts of <strong>archaeological</strong> interest, and was scanned witha metal detector.4.0 RESULTSTrench no Top of trench (mOD) Base of trench (mOD)1. SE end: 125.00 124.461. NW end: 123.01 122.672. SW end: 123.86 122.982. NE end: 123.04 122.773. E end: 123.51 123.143. W end: 122.62 122.344. E end: 122.27 122.034. W end: 123.00 122.47Table 1. Levels Information4.1 Trench 1 (Plate 1)4.2 This trench was orientated NW-SE, and was located upon the hillslope. The stratigraphic sequence observed was as follows:• Context 1/001 was a mulch and organically rich topsoil deposit,resulting from organic decay and biological movement on the woodfloor. This deposit was very variable in depth, ranging from betweenapproximately 150mm- 300mm, and consisted of a dark greyishbrownclayey silt, containing frequent rooting, chalk fragments, leafmulch and occasional modern inclusions such as glass bottles,metal cans and modern ceramic.• Below this a light orangish brown clayey silt was encountered(Context 1/002). This contained frequent rooting, frequent chalknodules and fragments and had a friable consistence. This depositrepresented a rooting deposit, which was present across the site,but was very variable in depth and character. Towards the north ofthe trench it measured approximately 90mm in depth, whilst at thesouthern end of the trench the deposit measured up to 400mmthick. In areas this rooting had penetrated and broken up the erodedsurface of the underlying upper chalk and constituted pockets ofinfilled silting.• Below this the surface of the upper chalk was encountered (1/003).This constitutes a creamy off white weathered, fragmented and__________________________________________________________________________________3

Archaeology South- EastBanstead Downs Golf Clubblocky chalk surface, which was compact in places with pockets of asofter, more friable creamy chalk marl and light orangish brown siltson the surface. A sondage was excavated at the northernmostextent of the trench to investigate the underlying chalk geology, anddemonstrated that a purer, less eroded deposit of chalk bedrockwas present at a depth of approximately 800 - 900mm below groundsurface (Plate 6).4.3 No <strong>archaeological</strong> finds or features were observed.4.4 Trench 2 (Plate 2)4.5 This trench was orientated NE- SW. Due to the presence of severaltrees, and to allow the machine room to manoeuvre, the trench layoutwas shifted slightly, resulting in a ‘kinked’ layout in plan (Fig. 2). Thestratigraphic sequence observed was as follows:• Context 2/001 was a mulch and organically rich topsoil deposit, asin Trench 1. This varied in depth between approximately 190mm –270mm.• Below this the light orangish brown clayey silt was encountered asin Trench 1 (Context 2/002). This varied substantially, varyingbetween 160mm to 400mm in depth.• Below this the surface of the upper chalk was encountered (2/003).This constitutes a creamy off white weathered, fragmented andblocky chalk surface, as in Trench 1.4.6 No <strong>archaeological</strong> finds or features were observed.4.7 Trench 3 (Plate 3)4.8 This trench was orientated E-W. The stratigraphic sequence observedwas as follows:• Topsoil 3/001 was the same as Context 1/001, and varied in depthbetween 100mm – 230mm.• Below this the light orangish brown clayey silt was encountered (asin Trench 1) (Context 3/002). This has a slightly more consistentdepth, varying between 100mm – 170mm.• Below this the surface of the upper chalk was encountered (2/003).4.9 No <strong>archaeological</strong> finds or features were observed. Several patchesof silting were investigated to double check the nature of the soilshere. These investigations confirmed that these were ‘natural’biological hollows and seams in the surface of the chalk, and that the__________________________________________________________________________________4

silts were totally sterile of <strong>archaeological</strong> artefacts.4.10 Trench 4 (Plate 4)Archaeology South- EastBanstead Downs Golf Club4.11 This trench was orientated E-W. The stratigraphic sequence observedwas as follows, and was very similar in depth to trench 3:• Topsoil 4/001 varied in depth between 100mm – 150mm.• Below this the light orangish brown clayey silt had a more consistentdepth, varying between 100mm – 200mm (4/002).• Below this the surface of the upper chalk was encountered (4/003).4.12 No <strong>archaeological</strong> finds or features were observed. A modern test pitwas identified towards the centre of the trench, and on-site inquiriesconfirmed that it had been excavated in the past year. A sondage wasexcavated in the centre of the trench, and demonstrated that the chalkbecame ‘cleaner’ and less eroded at a depth of only 200mm below itssurface (Plate 5).5.0 DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS5.1 No <strong>archaeological</strong> finds or features were observed during the<strong>evaluation</strong>. Some areas of rooting and erosion at the surface of theupper chalk were investigated to confirm their ‘natural’ character, andwere found to have no evidence at all of human action ormodification. They are therefore thought to derive from biologicalaction such as rooting, burrowing and tree throws eroding andcausing intrusion of the surface of the chalk, a process probablyexacerbated by chemical weathering. The total absence of anyresidual finds (other than 20 th century material) identified from thespoil heaps indicates an area of little <strong>archaeological</strong> activity.ReferencesGriffin 2000: <strong>An</strong> Archaeological Desk Based Assessment of a Site at CastleHouse, Park Road, Banstead. Surrey. Unpub. ASE Report.Griffin 2003: <strong>An</strong> Archaeological Desk Based Assessment of a Site at 120,Hillside, Banstead. Surrey. Unpub. ASE Report.__________________________________________________________________________________5

Archaeology South- EastBanstead Downs Golf ClubSMR Summary FormSite CodeIdentification Nameand AddressBDG07Banstead Downs Golf Club Reservoir, BansteadCounty, District &/orBoroughOS Grid Refs.GeologyBanstead, South LondonNGR 524714 160507 (Centred)Upper ChalkArch. South-EastProject NumberType of FieldworkType of SiteDates of FieldworkSponsor/ClientProject Manager2999Eval.Excav. WatchingBriefStandingStructureGreen Shallow Deep OtherField Urban UrbanEval. Excav. WB. Other10-11 th /10/20072iC Consultants LtdDiccon HartSurveyOtherProject SupervisorAlice ThornePeriod Summary Palaeo. Meso. Neo. BA IA RBAS MED PM OtherModern100 Word Summary.<strong>An</strong> <strong>archaeological</strong> <strong>evaluation</strong> was conducted on land at Banstead Downs Golf Club,Banstead, South London in advance of the construction of a golf club reservoir. Fourtrial trenches were excavated to a cumulative length of 80m. No <strong>archaeological</strong> findsor features were identified.__________________________________________________________________________________6

Archaeology South- EastBanstead Downs Golf ClubOASIS ID: archaeol6-33209Project detailsProject name<strong>An</strong> Archaeological EvaluationShort description ofthe project<strong>An</strong> <strong>archaeological</strong> <strong>evaluation</strong> was conducted on land at BansteadDowns Golf Club, Banstead, South London in advance of theconstruction of a golf club reservoir. Four trial trenches wereexcavated to a cumulative length of 80m. No <strong>archaeological</strong> findsor features were identified.Project dates Start: 10-10-2007 End: 11-10-2007Previous/futureworkNo / Not known<strong>An</strong>y associatedproject referencecodesBDG07 - Sitecode<strong>An</strong>y associatedproject referencecodes2999 - Contracting Unit No.Type of projectField <strong>evaluation</strong>Site statusNoneCurrent Land useOther 13 - Waste groundMonument typeNONE UncertainSignificant FindsNONE UncertainMethods &techniques'Sample Trenches'Development typeGolf coursePromptVoluntary/self-interest__________________________________________________________________________________7

Archaeology South- EastBanstead Downs Golf ClubPosition in theplanning processNot known / Not recordedProject locationCountrySite locationEnglandSURREY REIGATE AND BANSTEAD BANSTEAD Banstead GolfCoursePostcodeXXXXXXStudy area100.00 Square metresSite coordinatesTQ 24714 60507 51.3294517924 -0.209734893329 51 19 46 N000 12 35 W PointHeight OD Min: 122.00m Max: 124.00mProject creatorsName ofOrganisationArchaeology South EastProject brieforiginatorSurrey County CouncilProject designoriginatorArchaeology South-EastProjectdirector/managerDiccon HartProject supervisorAlice ThorneType ofsponsor/fundingbodyClientName ofsponsor/fundingbodyInternational Irrigation Consultants LTD__________________________________________________________________________________8

Archaeology South- EastBanstead Downs Golf ClubProject archivesPhysical ArchiveExists?NoDigital ArchiverecipientLocal MuseumDigital Contents'other'Digital Mediaavailable'Images raster / digital photography'Paper ArchiverecipientLocal MuseumPaper Contents'Stratigraphic'Paper Mediaavailable'Context sheet','Correspondence','Diary','Map','Notebook -Excavation',' Research',' GeneralNotes','Photograph','Plan','Report'Projectbibliography 1Publication typeTitleGrey literature (unpublished document/manuscript)<strong>An</strong> Archaeological EvaluationAuthor(s)/Editor(s)Thorne, AOther bibliographicdetails2999Date 2007Issuer or publisherArchaeology South - EastPlace of issue orpublicationArchaeology South- EastDescriptionGrey Literature report with trench photos__________________________________________________________________________________9

Archaeology South- EastBanstead Downs Golf ClubEntered byAlice Thorne (tcrnath@ucl.ac.uk)Entered on 29 October 2007__________________________________________________________________________________10

63N6261The Site6059580 1km23 24 25 26 27© Archaeology South-EastRef: 2999 Oct 2007Drawn by:JLRBanstead Downs Golf Club ReservoirSite LocationFig. 1Reproduced from the Ordnance Survey's 1:25000 map of 1997 with permission of theController of Her Majesty's Stationary Office. Crown Copyright. Licence No. AL 503 10 A

Plate 1: Trench 1 facing NWPlate 2: Trench 2 facing N

Plate 3: Trench 3 facing EPlate 4: Trench 4 facing E

Plate 5: Sondage within Trench 4. E facing sectionPlate 6: Sondage within Trench 1. E facing section

Head OfficeUnits 1 & 22 Chapel PlacePortsladeEast Sussex BN41 1DRTel: +44(0)1273 426830 Fax:+44(0)1273 420866email: fau@ucl.ac.ukWeb: www.archaeologyse.co.ukLondon OfficeCentre for Applied ArchaeologyInstitute of ArchaeologyUniversity College London31-34 Gordon Square, London, WC1 0PYTel: +44(0)20 7679 4778 Fax:+44(0)20 7383 2572Web: www.ucl.ac.uk/caaThe contracts division of the Centre for Applied Archaeology, University College Londonc Archaeology South-East