Savile House Music Practice Rooms New College Oxford

In September 2014, Oxford Archaeology (OA) undertook an archaeological
evaluation and topographical survey of the 17th century civil war defences at Savile
House Music Practise Rooms, New College, Oxford (SP 5172 0671). The evaluation
revealed the sand gravel of the second (Summertown-Radley) gravel terrace, which
appeared to slope gradually from south to north and had been truncated by a single
undated post hole. The fill of the post hole and the natural gravel were directly
overlain by a possible trample deposit associated with the construction of an earth
bank which formed part of the inner civil war defences constructed around Oxford in
the 17th century. No evidence for the loessic subsoil which overlies the gravel
terrace was recovered in-situ, although the composition of the deposits which
created the bank was predominantly re-deposited loess overlain by a very
compacted layer of re-deposited sand and gravel. This differed from the composition
of the rampart of the more substantial outer defensive circuit recorded at Manor
Place to the east of the site, although it was very similar to evidence recovered for
the composition of another section of the inner bank during groundworks for the
construction of The New Oxford University Clubhouse on the east side of Mansfield
Road. It is entirely possible that the marked difference in the composition of the
inner and outer defences reflects a better organised construction programme for the
latter, although the topographical and stratigraphical evidence from the evaluation
may indicate that an earlier feature in the landscape has influenced the location of
the inner defences, and possibly been incorporated into them.
Following on from the results of the evaluation, an additional topographical and
auger survey of the defensive bank was requested by the Oxford City Council
(OCC) Archaeologist. The results of this survey confirmed that the composition of
the bank was predominantly a re-deposition of the loessic subsoil which overlies the
second (Summertown-Radley) gravel terrace upon which Oxford sits.
Addendum 1
In November 2014, Oxford Archaeology (OA) undertook an archaeological
evaluation and topographical survey of the 17th century civil war defences at Savile
House Music Practise Rooms, New College, Oxford (SP 5172 0671, OA 2014).
Following on from the results of the evaluation, an additional topographical and
auger survey of the defensive bank was requested by the Oxford City Council
(OCC) Archaeologist. The results of this survey confirmed that the composition of
the bank was predominantly a re-deposition of the loessic subsoil which overlies the
second (Summertown-Radley) gravel terrace upon which Oxford sits.
Addendum 2
In September 2014, Oxford Archaeology (OA) undertook an archaeological
evaluation and topographical survey of the 17th century civil war defences at Savile
House Music Practise Rooms, New College, Oxford (SP 5172 0671, OA 2014)
This was followed in November 2014 by an additional topographical and auger
survey of the defensive bank requested by the Oxford City Council (OCC)
Archaeologist. The results of this survey were presented in an addendum to the
original report, and confirmed that the composition of the bank was predominantly a
re-deposition of the loessic subsoil which overlies the second (Summertown-
Radley) gravel terrace upon which Oxford sits.
During the original evaluation, OSL (optically stimulated luminescence) samples
were also taken and the result of the dating of one of these samples is the subject of
this second addendum to the original report.
The evaluation revealed the sand gravel of the second (Summertown-Radley)
gravel terrace, which appeared to slope gradually from south to north and had been
truncated by a single undated post hole. The fill of the post hole and the natural
gravel were directly overlain by a series of deposits associated with an earth bank
which formed part of the inner civil war defences constructed around Oxford in the
17th century. The composition of the deposits which created the bank was
predominantly a re-deposition of the loessic subsoil which overlies the gravel
terrace, overlain by a very compacted layer of re-deposited sand and gravel. This
differed from the composition of the rampart of the more substantial outer defensive
circuit recorded at Manor Place to the east of the site, although it was very similar to
evidence recovered for the composition of another section of the inner bank during
groundworks for the construction of The New Oxford University Clubhouse on the
east side of Mansfield Road. The topographical and stratigraphical evidence from
the evaluation indicated that an earlier feature in the landscape - represented by the
re-deposited loess - may have influenced the location of the inner defences, and
possibly been incorporated into them when a ditch was excavated to the north of the
feature and the resulting spoil used to raise the top of the bank - as represented by
the compacted sand and gravel.
The results of the dating of one of the OSL samples from the re-deposited loess
suggested a date of 880-1045 for the deposition of the original bank material, which
strongly suggested that this interpretation is correct. The interpretation of the origin
and function of this feature is rather more circumspect.