An Archaeological Evaluation at Plot 6030/6040 Western Approaches & Avonmouth, Western Approach Plot 6030 Watching Brief Report Distribution Park Avonmouth South Gloucestershire

Oxford Archaeology (OA) was commissioned by CgMs (formerly JSAC),
on behalf of Gazeley UK Limited, to carry out a field evaluation at Plot
6030 and 6040, Western Approaches Distribution Park, South
Gloucestershire (NGR 355076E
183388N). The work was carried out at the request of Gazeley UK
Limited, prior to a planning application for a warehouse development,
associated offices and car parking facilities. The work was carried out in
March 2007.
The development area was previously evaluated by Wessex Archaeology in
1998, by trial trenching and an auger survey designed to assess the
archaeological potential of the underlying alluvial sequence. The
evaluation trenches were targeted on the recently demolished postmedieval
farm houses (Creed’s farm and Dyer’s farmhouse), and the
underlying Wentlooge sequence. They were far less numerous than the
trenches excavated more recently on the adjacent plots (4000 and 5000) to
the south and east, where extensive Romano-British settlement activity has
been identified. Prior to the present phase of trenching it was not clear
whether the absence of significant features in Plot 6030/6040 reflected
genuinely low archaeological potential or the limited scope of the 1998
evaluation The present evaluation aimed to address this issue, in particular to
determine whether the Romano-British activity identified in Plots 5000
and 4000 continued into Plot 6030/ 6040. Seven trenches were located in
areas not covered by the previous work, targeting locations where linear
features were expected to continue into the area from the adjacent Plot
5000.
The evaluation identified Roman activity on the southern edge of the site,
concentrated in Trench 3 immediately to the north-west of the previously
excavated Romano-British site in Plot 5000. It also revealed ditches and
gullies forming part of a possible sub-divided enclosure. Similarities with
the features at Plot 5000 suggest that the enclosure is likely to date from
the later Romano-British period (2nd to 4th century AD). Further undated
ditches were recorded in Trenches 1 and 4.
Several late post-medieval/modern features were also revealed in
Trenches 2 and 7, located close to the former post-medieval/modern farm
buildings. The evaluation results help to confirm the postulated
construction date in the late 17th and 18th century for Dyer’s Farmhouse,
and the 19th century for Creed’s Farm. No earlier medieval evidence for
these settlements was detected.
Undated ditches were present throughout the site, many respecting the
alignment of extant drainage ditches. Most are likely to be field
boundaries and drains of post-medieval and modern date. They are not
considered archaeologically significant.
Two contingency trenches were excavated in plot 6040 in August 2007
with the aim to trace the alignment of the ditches observed in the first phase of evaluation and establish the extent of the enclosure ditches
identified in the second phase of evaluation. The trenches revealed a
continuation of these features but did not identify significant new features.
The evaluation has confirmed that the Romano-British activity identified
within Plot 5000 appears to decrease at the edge of plot 6040
&
In January of 2018 Oxford Archaeology undertook a targeted watching brief at
the site of a proposed warehouse development at Plot 6030, Avonmouth
Western Approach Distribution Park on behalf of Curtis Hall Limited/UMC
Architects. Undated ditches and pits were uncovered that are probably
associated with Romano-British settlement that had previously been
excavated to the south-east. The features appeared to be petering out and
this may represent the north-western extent of the settlement.