Land at Chesterton Farm, Cirencester CIR E5

Cirencester

The historic environment of Cirencester is of national significance. This was the second largest Roman town in Britain; Roman archaeological deposits are overlain by medieval and post-medieval development. The built historic environment is of a high quality, and a large part of the town is designated as a scheduled monument. Most proposed development in and around Cirencester will therefore encounter historic environment issues which will need to be resolved through the Local Plan and the development management process. The significance of the local historic environment should be highlighted in the strategy.

Chesterton

The first stages of archaeological evaluation have been undertaken by prospective developers, and the evaluation will need to be completed as part of the Environmental Impact Assessment. eritage assets identified to date include two settlements, probably of later prehistoric and Roman date, one of which is designated as a scheduled monument. A possible Bronze Age burial site and other as yet undated features are also present. It is anticipated that the reminder of the evaluation process will indentify further heritage assets and provide more information on their significance. The scheduled monument should be excluded from the area to be developed; other constraints of equivalent importance may be identified through the evaluation process.

Land at Chesterton Farm, Cirencester – CIR_E5

401415 200426

112.47ha

1 Designated heritage assets on/adjacent to the site

SM 1003444 Settlement south east of Chesterton Farm partially within and immediately to the south of the site

SM 1003320 Long barrow and Roman amphitheatre and cemetery approximately 650m north of the site

SM 1003426 Corinium Roman town approximately 900m north of the site

SM 1003445 Tithe Barn, Siddington approximately 1km east of the site

Numerous LBs within 1km, four within the site – Milestone at NGR SP010010 (LB 365141 – Grade II), Chesterton Farm and attached outbuilding and garden wall (LB 365103 – Grade II), Barn and attached cattle stalls approximately 20m north of Chesterton Farmhouse (LB 365104 – Grade II) and The Cranhams, Cranhams Lane (LB 365237 – Grade II)

The Park conservation area approximately 450m north east of the site

Cirencester south conservation area approximately 1km north of the site

Cirencester Park Registered Park and Garden (RPG 1000432 – Grade I) approximately 450m north of the site

2 Undesignated heritage assets on/adjacent to the site

HER No. / Area Description
4972 / Fragments of Glass Beaker from the Querns
6491 / The Roman road known as the Foss(e) Way runs from Exeter to Lincoln, with sections running north-east and south-west from Cirencester.
9138 / Roman Burials found 1975 at Querns Maternity Hospital. Cirencester
9187 / Gloucester Street Almshouses
9194 / Medieval Seal and Roundel from Cirencester
9195 / Clay Pipe from Cirencester
9196 / C17 tokens from Cirencester
9197 / Cirencester Gaol
20665 / Modern desk-based assessment, geophysical survey and evaluation at the Royal Agricultural College, Cirencester.
27119 / Four undated features recorded during a 2004 evaluation excavation on the former grounds of Cirencester Town Football Club, Cirencester.
32536 / Antiquarian investigation at Farm Field, near the Agricultural College. Cirencester
32541 / Iron adze found at the Cranhams, 1870
33209 / A Roman, medieval or post medieval series of linear limestone quarries visible as cropmarks on aerial photographs, Cirencester.
42854 / Geophysical survey over 107ha by Archaeological Services WYAS March to May 2011 on the southern side of Cirencester, Cirencester parish.
42855 / Pair of sub-rectangular anomalies - probably areas of quarrying - located in 2011 geophysical survey work 116m northeast and 108m southeast of The Steadings, Cirencester.
42856 / Possible infilled ditch recorded as a geophysical survey anomaly located in 2011 geophysical survey work about 250m east northeast The Steadings, Cirencester.
42857 / Possible infilled ditches - as a field system - recorded as a geophysical survey anomaly located in 2011 geophysical survey work about 250m east northeast The Steadings, Cirencester.
42858 / Possible curvilinear enclosure recorded as a geophysical survey anomaly about 220m southeast of The Steadings, southwest of Cirencester
42859 / Cluster of probable pits recorded as geophysical anomalies during 2011 about 320m south of The Steadings, Cirencester.
42860 / Probable pit anomaly recorded as geophysical anomalies during 2011 about 180m southwest of The Steadings, Cirencester.
42861 / Series of possible ditches recorded as geophysical survey anomalies during 2011 about 165m southeast of Dairy Cottage, southwest of Cirencester.
42862 / Post Medieval field boundary recorded as a geophysical survey anomaly during 2011 from south of Dairy Cottage - to the southeast - on the Foss Way southwest of Cirencester, Cirencester.
42863 / Two clusters of probable pits recorded as geophysical survey anomalies about 360m south of Dairy Cottage, Cirencester.
42864 / Large enclosure recorded as a geophysical survey anomaly 350m southeast of Dairy Cottage, southwest of Cirencester on the Foss Way, Cirencester.
42865 / Possible field boundaries recorded as geophysical survey anomalies about 350m southeast of Dairy Cottage, southwest of Cirencester on the Foss Way, Cirencester.
42866 / Ditch anomaly recorded as geophysical survey anomaly about 350m west of Chesterton Farm, Cirencester.
42867 / Series of possible pits recorded as geophysical survey anomalies west of Chesterton Farm, Cirencester.
42868 / Back-filled quarry pits identified as anomalies centred around 215m west of Chesterton Farm, Cirencester.
42869 / Post Medieval field boundary recorded as a geophysical anomaly 270m northeast of Chesterton Farm, Cirencester.
42870 / Linear anomalies recorded in geophysical survey work to the east and south of Chesterton Farm, Cirencester.
42871 / Ploughed-out remains of a round barrow recorded as a geophysical survey anomaly during 2011 about 360m northeast of Chesterton Farm, Cirencester.
42872 / Post Medieval field boundary recorded as a geophysical survey anomaly centred 175m east of The Cranhams, Cirencester.
42873 / Series of ditch anomalies forming an enclosure or series of enclosures about 240m east of The Cranhams, Cirencester.
42874 / Series of geophysical survey anomalies partly revealing an Unknown period settlement about 360m east southeast of The Cranhams, Cirencester.
42875 / Series of anomalies indicating Unknown period enclosure about 420m north of Chesterton Farm, Cirencester.
42876 / Pair of Post Medieval field boundaries recorded as geophysical anomalies 300m and 500m north of Chesterton Farm, Cirencester.
43314 / Norcon pillbox to the south west of Cirencester.

3 Historic landscape character

Ridge and furrow recorded on NMP, small amount still extant in C_111 but immediately adjacent to this site.

Not within the historic towns survey.

A3x and A4p HLC categories - Regular organised enclosure ignoring former unenclosed cultivation patterns and Less regular organised enclosure partly reflecting former unenclosed cultivation patterns respectively.

4 Potential to include currently unknown heritage assets with archaeological interests

Potential for currently unknown heritage assets is high due to the very large area of the site, the density of archaeology recorded in the vicinity and the masking effect of agricultural earthworks, which can obscure earlier archaeological features. Investigation has already commenced however, see below.

5 Recent planning history

In 2011 geophysical survey of the majority of this land was undertaken (HER42854; SW11399). The survey revealed a potential prehistoric round barrow (represented by a ring-ditch), several areas of later prehistoric/Roman settlement and a number of other ground anomalies.

In May 2013 an Environmental Impact Assessment scoping report was submitted to Cotswold District Council, and in September 2013 this was followed by a revised scoping report. In response to both consultations it was recommended that the scope of the information to be provided should comprise desk-based assessment, geophysical survey and trial-trenching, together with an assessment of the development impact and an outline proposal for mitigation.

An initial phase of trial-trenching was undertaken in the western part of the site during December 2013. A report is yet to be received.

6 Recommendations

Assessment and evaluation should be undertaken prior to the determination of any planning application (where this has not yet been carried out), to include an assessment of the impact of the development on the significance of any heritage assets and their settings.

An agreed mitigation strategy to cover:

· Exclusion of any heritage assets meriting preservation from the application area (to include designated sites and undesignated sites meriting exclusion)

· Archaeological recording of other assets to an appropriate level

· Mitigation of the impact of the development on the setting of designated assets

Land at Chesterton Farm, Cirencester – C_75

401410 200430

110.1ha