110-118 Kidmore Road, Caversham, Reading, Berkshire

An Archaeological Evaluation

for Charles Church Homes

by Danielle Milbank

Thames Valley Archaeological Services

Ltd

Site Code KRC 07/110

October 2007

i

Thames Valley Archaeological Services Ltd, 47–49 De Beauvoir Road, Reading RG1 5NR

Tel. (0118) 926 0552; Fax (0118) 926 0553; email tvas@tvas.co.uk; website : www.tvas.co.uk

Summary

Site name: 110-118 Kidmore Road, Caversham, Reading, Berkshire Grid reference: SU 7086 7588 Site activity: Field Evaluation Date and duration of project: 9th - 16th October 2007 Project manager: Steve Ford Site supervisor: Danielle Milbank Site code: KRC 07/110 Area of site: c. 0.54 ha Summary of results: No archaeological deposits or features were observed during the evaluation, though a pottery sherd of probable Bronze Age/ Early Iron Age date was recovered from the modern overburden. Location and reference of archive: The archive is presently held at Thames Valley Archaeological Services, Reading and will be deposited with Reading Museum in due course. This report may be copied for bona fide research or planning purposes without the explicit permission of the copyright holder Report edited/checked by: Steve Ford 22.10.07 Steve Preston 22.10.07

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110-118 Kidmore Road, Caversham, Reading, Berkshire An Archaeological Evaluation

by Danielle Milbank

Report 07/110

Introduction

This report documents the results of an archaeological field evaluation carried out at 110-118 Kidmore Road,

Caversham, Reading, Berkshire (SU 7086 7588) (Fig. 1). The work was commissioned by Mr Alan Murren of

Charles Church Homes, Charles Church House, Knoll Road, Camberley, Surrey, GU15 3TQ.

A planning application (06/01272/FUL) has been granted by Reading Borough Council for the construction

of new housing on the site, following the demolition of 110 and 114 Kidmore Road. This consent is subject to a

condition relating to archaeology, which requires a programme of archaeological works to be carried out prior to

commencement of groundworks. In this case, the programme of works was to begin with a field evaluation, on

the basis of the results of which an appropriate mitigation strategy could be devised if required. This is in

accordance with the Department of the Environment’s Planning Policy Guidance, Archaeology and Planning

(PPG16 1990), and the Borough Council’s policies on archaeology.

The field investigation was carried out to a specification approved by Mr Mike Hall, Archaeology Officer

with Berkshire Archaeology, adviser to the Borough Council on archaeological matters. The fieldwork was

undertaken by Danielle Milbank and James McNicholl-Norbury between 9th and 16th October 2007 and the site

code is KRC 07/110. The archive is presently held at Thames Valley Archaeological Services, Reading and will

be deposited with Reading Museum in due course.

Location, topography and geology

The site lies on the east side of Kidmore Road, in Caversham, which lies to the north of Reading town centre

(Figs 1 and 2). According to the British Geological Survey, the underlying geology of the site consists of Upper

Chalk and Plateau Gravel (BGS 1946), though more recent and detailed geological maps show the site located

on gravel which comprises the Boyn Hill Terrace (Wymer 1968). Chalk was encountered in trench 9, whereas

clay-with-flints geology was encountered throughout Trenches 1 to 8. The front of the site on Kidmore Road lies

at a height of 62.15m above Ordnance Datum, and the ground level slopes down to the north-west and west, to

59.8m and 55.6m above Ordnance Datum respectively.

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Archaeological background

The archaeological potential of the site stems from its location in an area where prehistoric and Roman finds

have been recorded (information from the Berkshire Sites and Monuments Record). The site lies close to the

Smiths Pit and Kidmore Road former gravel pits noted for their prolific finds of Palaeolithic artefacts (Wymer

1968, 183). At a greater distance from the site was the finding of a hoard of three Bronze Age axes and an Iron

Age gold coin at Emmer Green Primary School, with Roman coins, a Palaeolithic stone tool, and Iron Age

deposits also present.

Objectives and methodology

The purpose of the evaluation was to determine the presence/absence, extent, condition, character, quality and

date of any archaeological deposits within the area of development. The work was to be carried out in a manner

which would not compromise the integrity of archaeological features or deposits which might warrant

preservation in situ, or might be better recorded under conditions pertaining to full excavation.

The specific research aims of the project were;

To determine if archaeologically relevant levels have survived on this site.

To determine if archaeological deposits of any period are present.

To determine if there are any prehistoric, Roman or medieval deposits present on the site.

It was proposed to dig nine trenches, each 15m long and 1.6m wide, using a Kubota-type mechanical excavator,

fitted with a toothless ditching bucket, under constant archaeological supervision. The trenches were located

within the footprint of the proposed new development, targeting the house footprints in particular.

The full depth of archaeological deposits above the natural geology was to be established, with the trenches

being shored or battered to facilitate access to deep deposits, if necessary. Where archaeological features or

deposits were certainly or probably present, the stripped areas were to be cleaned using appropriate hand tools

and sufficient of the features or deposits sampled to satisfy the project aims outlined above.

Results (Figs 3 and 4)

Trenches 1, 6, 8 and 9 were dug shorter than intended due to the presence of fences around protected trees, and

other trenches were lengthened and/or widened in order to compensate for this. Due to the width of the

machine’s bucket, the trenches varied in width from 1.7m to 2m. A complete list of trenches giving lengths,

breadths, depths and a description of sections and geology is given in Appendix 1.

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Trench 1 This trench was aligned south east–north west, and was 13.4m long and 1.70m wide. It was excavated to a depth

of 0.46m. Topsoil 0.20m thick overlay brown grey silt subsoil 0.26m thick. This in turn overlay the natural

geology, which was firm orange red sandy clay with occasional flints and vague broad bands of slightly darker

clay, which small hand-dug slots confirmed as natural. No archaeological finds or features were encountered.

Trench 2

This trench was aligned south west – north east, and was 15.8m long and 1.8m wide. It was excavated to a depth

of 0.40m. Overall, topsoil 0.20m thick directly overlay the geology, which was firm orange red sandy clay with

occasional flints. At the southwest end, topsoil 0.15m thick overlay a layer of modern made ground (which

comprised topsoil with brick rubble and glass jar fragments) which was 0.05m thick. No archaeological features

were encountered, though an abraded sherd of likely Bronze Age or Early Iron Age pottery was recovered from

the made ground layer.

Trench 3 This trench was aligned south east – north west and was 15.2m long and 1.8m wide. It was excavated to a depth

of 0.40m. Topsoil 0.23m thick directly overlay the natural geology, which was firm orange red sandy clay with

occasional to moderate flints. No archaeological finds or features were encountered.

Trench 4 This trench was aligned west–east, and was 15.5m long and 1.8m wide. It was excavated to a depth of 0.50m.

Topsoil 0.30m thick directly overlay the natural geology, which was firm orange red sandy clay with occasional

to moderate flints. No archaeological finds or features were encountered.

Trench 5 This trench was aligned south east–north west, and was 13.4m long. It was excavated to a depth of 0.58m at the

southeast end, and 0.30 at the northwest, where subsoil was not present. At the southeast end, topsoil 0.26m

thick overlay grey brown silty subsoil with occasional brick flecks 0.32m thick. This in turn overlay the natural

geology, which was firm orange red sandy clay with occasional flints and, as in Trench 1, ill-defined broad

bands of very slightly darker clay, which a hand-dug slot confirmed as natural. No archaeological finds or

features were encountered.

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Trench 6 This trench was aligned south west–north east, and was 12.50m long and 1.8m wide. It was excavated to a depth

of 0.26m. Topsoil 0.23m thick overlay the natural geology, which was firm orange red clay with occasional flints

and chalk flecks. No archaeological finds or features were encountered.

Trench 7 This trench was aligned south west–north east, and was 15.30m long and 1.8m wide (Plate 1). It was excavated

to a depth of 0.51m. Topsoil 0.20m thick overlay brown grey silt subsoil 0.20m thick. This in turn overlay the

natural geology, which was firm orange red clay with frequent small and occasional medium-large flints and

chalk patches. No archaeological finds or features were encountered.

Trench 8 This trench was aligned south east–north west, and was 5.50m long and 2m wide. It was excavated to a depth of

0.58m. Topsoil 0.22m thick overlay brown grey silt subsoil 0.36m thick. This in turn overlay the natural

geology, which was firm orange red clay with moderate to frequent flints. No archaeological finds or features

were encountered.

Trench 9 This trench was aligned south east–north west, and was 7.2m long and 2m wide (Plate 2). It was excavated to a

depth of 0.85m, with a test pit at the southeast end to 1.21m. Topsoil 0.20m thick overlay orange brown silt

subsoil which was 0.74m thick. This in turn overlay the natural geology, which was friable white chalk with

occasional medium and large flint nodules, and orange brown silt streaks. No archaeological finds or features

were encountered.

Conclusion

Despite the potential for archaeological deposits to have survived on this site, no archaeological deposits or

features were encountered in any of the evaluation trenches. The abraded pottery sherd recovered from the

modern made ground layer in Trench 2 can be assumed to be redeposited and does not necessarily come from the

environs of the site.

The presence of chalk geology in the area of Trench 9 suggests this trench may be located on or very near

the boundary of the chalk with gravel on the geological map. The geology across the site was anticipated to be

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Boyn Hill terrace gravel, but this was not present; throughout Trenches 1 to 8, orange red clay with varying

proportions of large, medium sized and small flint nodules was visible.

The slight changes in the hue of the clay, from slightly lighter to darker red orange in Trenches 1 and 5,

which appeared as ill-defined broad bands, can be attributed to subsequent drifting of clay deposits down the

natural slope (colluvium). On average, the clay contained larger flint nodules at the east (highest) part of the site,

while toward the western and lower part the flint inclusions were more rounded and generally smaller and more

frequent, and rough sorting of the inclusions in this manner also suggests natural colluvial action.

The negligible amount of modern truncation or intrusion to the natural deposits would provide ideal

conditions for any archaeological features to be identified, but it appears that the garden area of the site has not

been occupied or significantly disturbed in any archaeological period. Based on the results of the evaluation, it

seems that the archaeological potential of the area to be developed is quite low, and that there is little chance of

archaeological deposits being destroyed during the proposed groundworks.

References

BGS, 1946, British Geological Survey, 1:50000, Sheet 268, Drift Edition, Keyworth PPG16, 1990, Archaeology and Planning, Dept of the Environment Planning Policy Guidance 16, HMSO Wymer, J, 1968, Lower Palaeolithic Archaeology in Britain, London

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APPENDIX 1: Trench details

Trench Length (m) Breadth (m) Depth (m) Comment 1 13.40 1.7 0.46 0-0.20m topsoil; 0.20-0.46m grey brown silt subsoil; 0.46m+ firm orange red

clay with flints (natural geology). 2 15.80 1.8 0.40 0-0.20m topsoil; 0.20m+ orange clay with flints (natural geology). Made

ground lens at SW end 0.15m-0.20m 3 15.20 1.8 0.40 0-0.23m topsoil; 0.23m+ orange clay with flints (natural geology). 4 15.50 1.8 0.50 0-0.30m topsoil; 0.30m+ orange clay with flints (natural geology). 5 15.10 1.6 0.58 0-0.26m topsoil; 0.26-0.58m grey brown silt subsoil; 0.58m+ orange clay with

flints (natural geology). 6 12.50 1.8 0.26 0-0.23m topsoil; 0.23m+ orange clay with flints (natural geology). 7 15.30 1.8 0.51 0-0.20m topsoil; 0.20-0.40m grey brown silt subsoil; 0.40m+ orange clay with

flints (natural geology). [Plate 1] 8 5.50 2.0 0.66 0-0.22m topsoil; 0.22-0.58m grey brown subsoil; 0.58m+ orange clay with

flints (natural geology). 9 7.20 2.0 0.85 0-0.20m topsoil; 0.20-0.74m grey brown silt subsoil; 0.74m+ orange clay with

flints (natural geology). [Plate 2]

110-118 Kidmore Road, Caversham, Reading,Berkshire, 2007

Archaeological evaluation

Figure 1. Location of site within Readingand Berkshire.

Reproduced from Ordnance Survey Pathfinder 1172 SU 67/77 at1:12500.

Ordnance Survey Licence 100025880

SU71000 72000

SITE

KRC 07/110

SITE

76000

77000

110-118 Kidmore Road, Caversham, Reading,Berkshire, 2007

Archaeological evaluation

Figure 2. Detailed location of site off Kidmore Road.

75900

75860

75980

SITE

KRC07/110

N

SU 70820 70860 70900 70940

Scale 1:1250

Kidm

ore Road

75940

KRC 07/110Figure 3. Location of trenches.

N

110-118 Kidmore Road, Caversham, Reading, Berkshire, 2007

SU70860

75940

75860

75900

70900

8

9

7

5

43

2

1

6

0 25m

KRC 07/110Figure 4. Representative section of Trenches 4 and 7.

110-118 Kidmore Road, Caversham, Reading, Berkshire, 2007

0 1m

Orange red sandy clay with occasional flints (natural geology)

Orange red sandy clay with occasional flints (natural geology)

Orange brown silt (subsoil)

Garden topsoil

Garden topsoil

SW

SW

NE

NE

base of trench

base of trench

Plate 1. Trench 7 looking southwest, scales: 1m and 2m. Plate 2. Trench 9 looking north west, scales: 1m and 2m.

KRC 07/110