Himley Hall, Staffordshire WB and HBR

birminghamarchaeology

Himley Hall, Staffordshire,Watching Brief and Historic Buildings Alterations Record2008

PN1851

Project No. 1851

2008

Himley Hall,

Himley Park, Himley, Staffordshire

ARCHAEOLOGICAL WATCHING BRIEF AND HISTORIC BUILDINGS ALTERATIONS RECORD

Elisabeth Bishop and Shane Kelleher

BIRMINGHAM ARCHAEOLOGY

for Dudley MBC

For further information please contact: Alex Jones (Director)

Birmingham Archaeology The University of Birmingham

Edgbaston BIRMINGHAM

B15 2TT Tel: 0121 414 5513 Fax: 0121 414 5516

e-mail: [email protected] Web Address: http://www.barch.bham.ac.uk

PN: 1851 Himley Hall, Staffordshire: Watching Brief and Historic Buildings Alterations Record

Birmingham Archaeology Project No: 1851

HIMLEY HALL, Staffordshire

Archaeological Watching Brief and Historic Buildings Alterations Record, 2008

TABLE OF CONTENTS

SUMMARY ........................................................................................................ i

1. INTRODUCTION.....................................................................................1

1.1. Background to the Project .......................................................................11.2. The Planning Background ........................................................................1

2. LOCATION AND GEOLOGY......................................................................1

2.1. Site Location..........................................................................................12.2. Geology ................................................................................................2

3. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES .........................................................................2

3.1. General Aims and Objectives ...................................................................2

4. METHODOLOGY......................................................................................2

4.1. Archaeological Watching Brief ..................................................................24.2. Historic buildings Alterations Record .........................................................2

5. HISTORICAL CONTEXT...........................................................................2

6. ARCHAEOLOGICAL WATCHING BRIEF RESULTS.....................................3

7. ARCHAEOLOGICAL WATCHING BRIEF CONCLUSIONS............................4

8. HISTORIC BUILDINGS ALTERATIONS RECORD ......................................4

8.1. Introduction...........................................................................................48.2. Former Swimming Pool Room ..................................................................48.3. Former Cinema Room .............................................................................58.4. Internal Services and walls ......................................................................58.5. Internal Doorways ..................................................................................6

9. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS...........................................................................6

10. LIST OF SOURCES..................................................................................6

10.1. Cartographic Sources..............................................................................610.2. Published Sources ..................................................................................6



List of Figures Figure 1: Site Location Plan. Figure 2: Detailed Location Plan and Site Layout. Figure 3: Ordnance Survey Map Regression (a) 1882, (B) 1903, (C) 1919, (d) 1937 Figure 4: Trench Plan Figure 5: Ground Floor Plan of Himley Hall. A: Swimming Pool Room, B: Cinema

Room. List of Plates Plate 1: Watching Brief Trench from North. Plate 2: Foundation Footing in North Part of Trench. Plate 3: Culvert Offshoot on West Side. Plate 4: Early/mid 20th-century Shower. Plate 5: Swimming Pool Room from East. Plate 6: Northeast Corner of Swimming Pool. Plate 7: Swimming Pool Room from West. Plate 8: Balcony Overlooking Swimming Pool from East. Plate 9: Alterations to Window, Swimming Pool Room. Plate 10: New Services in Hallway. Plate 11. Service Conduits in Hallway. Plate 12. Original Doorway, Ground Floor, North Wing, Himley Hall.



HIMLEY HALL, STAFFORDSHIRE


SUMMARY

Birmingham Archaeology was commissioned in September 2008 by Roger Stanton of Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council to undertake an archaeological watching brief and a historic buildings alterations record at Himley Hall, Himley, South Staffordshire. The archaeological work was related to refurbishments being carried out on the ground floor of the north wing of this Grade II* listed building.

Himley Hall is believed to occupy the site of a former medieval moated manor house. The manor house together with the Barony of Birmingham was inherited by John Ward of Sedgley in 1740 who demolished the old house and constructed a new mansion in the Palladian style. The house was enlarged in 1824-7 by William Atkinson, and the ground reordered in the 1770s by Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown. The house survives today and is included on the Statutory List of Buildings of Special Historical or Architectural Interest as a Grade II* listed building. Since 1988 the house and gardens have been in the ownership of Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council.

Groundworks within the courtyard to the north of Himley Hall exposed a brick built vault/culvert of unknown function. The limited exposure of the structure did not allow for any meaningful interpretation of its original function, though it appears not to relate to the standing 20th-century storage sheds within the yard. Further documentary research may serve to establish an historical context for the structure and more fully understand its original function.

The current project has allowed for a record to be made of the alterations to the historic fabric of the ground floor of the north wing of Himley Hall. These alterations included works in the former swimming pool room, the former cinema room, the insertion of internal service conduits, the insertion of fire-doors, and the provision of pedestrian access through a window in the swimming pool room.


Birmingham Archaeology Project No: 1851 1

HIMLEY HALL, STAFFORDSHIRE


1. INTRODUCTION

1.1. Background to the Project

1.1.1. In September 2008, Birmingham Archaeology carried out an archaeological watching brief and historic buildings alterations record at Himley Hall, Staffordshire. The work was carried out in relation to ongoing works to refurbish the north wing. The work was commissioned by Roger Stanton, Architect for Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council.

1.1.2. This report outlines the results of the assessment, which has been prepared in accordance with the Institute for Archaeologists Standard and Guidance for Archaeological Watching Brief (IfA, rev. 2001a) and with Institute for Archaeologists Standard and Guidance for the Archaeological Investigation and Recording of Standing Buildings or Structures (IfA, rev. 2001b).

1.1.3. This report has been prepared based upon information current and available as of October 2008. Details of archaeological terms used in this report are given in the glossary appended as Appendix B.

1.2. The Planning Background

1.2.1. Listed Building Consent was granted by South Staffordshire Council on 16th November 2007 for the refurbishment of the ground floor of the north wing of Himley Hall for wedding receptions and conferences (ref:07/00980/LBC).

1.2.2. This Listed Building Consent stipulated that the developer allow access to an appropriately qualified archaeologist to maintain a watching brief and record any features of archaeological interest which might be exposed within a stipulated area which included the north wing and much of the adjacent courtyard.

2. LOCATION AND GEOLOGY

2.1. Site Location

2.1.1. Himley Hall is located midway between the towns of Wombourne and Kingswinford, and approximately 5km west-north-west of the modern town centre of Dudley in the West Midlands (NGR: SO 8883 9156; Figure 1). The Hall is located within extensive parkland which extends to 180 acres.

2.1.2. The current watching brief focussed on the parkland area south-west of the Hall and also on the enclosed courtyard to the north of the hall building, the northern boundary of which is formed by the laundry block (Figure 2). The western boundary of the courtyard is formed by a series of single-storey storage sheds of early 20th-century date, which back onto a pre-existing boundary wall.



2.2. Geology

2.2.1. The underlying geology of the study area comprises bedrock of the Bridgnorth Sandstone Formation.

3. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

3.1. General Aims and Objectives

3.1.1. The general aim of the archaeological watching brief was to record any archaeological features, structures, deposits, or horizons exposed during intrusive groundworks across the site.

3.1.2. The objective of the historic buildings alterations record was to compile a record of any historic architectural components/elements which were to be removed, revealed, altered, or covered during refurbishment works.

4. METHODOLOGY

4.1. Archaeological Watching Brief

4.1.1. Groundworks comprised the excavation of a service trench located alongside a 20th century storage shed. This was monitored by a suitably qualified archaeologist and complemented with the salvage recording of any archaeological deposits and features revealed during works.

4.1.2. All stratigraphic sequences were recorded, even where no archaeological features or deposits were present/ encountered. A comprehensive written record was maintained using a continuous numbered context system on pro-forma context and feature cards. Photographs supplemented written records and scale plans and sections.

4.1.3. The full site archive includes all artefactual remains recovered from the site. The site archive will be prepared according to guidelines set down in Appendix 3 of the Management of Archaeology Projects (English Heritage, 1991), the Guidelines for the Preparation of Excavation Archives for Long-term Storage (UKIC, 1990) and Standards in the Museum Care of Archaeological collections (Museum and Art Galleries Commission, 1992). The paper archive will be deposited with the appropriate repository subject to permission from the landowner.

4.2. Historic Buildings Alterations Record

4.2.1. This involved the recording of historic architectural components/elements which were to be removed, revealed, altered, or covered during refurbishment works. This recording included an analytical written record/description, a high resolution digital photograph, and where deemed necessary, a measured sketch or drawing of individual architectural features.

5. HISTORICAL CONTEXT

5.1.1. Himley Hall is believed to occupy the site of a former medieval moated manor house (SMR 01149). An engraving of 1735 by Ravenhill, from a drawing by



Vandlest, titled ‘a view of the old house at Himley’ shows a large house surrounded by a moat on at least three sides and accessed by a permanent brick or stone bridge (Martin 2003, 1). The manor house and the Barony of Birmingham was inherited by John Ward of Sedgley in 1740. He demolished the old house and backfilled the moat, constructing a new mansion in the then fashionable Palladian style (SMR 09209) within extensive pleasure grounds, possibly set out by Nathaniel Richmond. The house was enlarged in 1824-7 by William Atkinson, and the grounds reordered in the 1770s by Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown.

5.1.2. The house survives today and is included on the Statutory List of Buildings of Special Historical or Architectural Interest as a Grade II* listed building (see Appendix A). The park is included on the English Heritage Register of Historic Parks and Gardens (Ref: GD2289). Since 1988, the house and gardens have been in the ownership of Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council.

5.1.3. An archaeological watching brief undertaken by Birmingham University Field Archaeology Unit in March 2003 to the east of the present hall revealed three sandstone walls and a cobbled surface possibly associated with the medieval manor house, a brick wall contemporary with the early 18th-century house and a series of services associated with the 19th-century remodelling of the hall (Martin 2003, 1).

5.1.4. A further archaeological watching brief carried out by Birmingham Archaeology in June 2007 within in the courtyard to the north of Himley Hall exposed a brick built vault of unknown function. It did appear that this did not relate to the 20th-century storage sheds within the yard (Bishop and Tyler 2007).

6. ARCHAEOLOGICAL WATCHING BRIEF RESULTS

6.1.1. During insertion of a drainage run in the Laundry Courtyard, a small trench was excavated immediately adjacent to the east of the standing single-storey storage sheds. This trench, which was orientated north-south, measured 8.30m x 1.20m (Plate 1, Fig 4). The excavated area was effectively a northwards extension of and partially included the trench previously recorded by Birmingham Archaeology (Bishop and Tyler 2007). The earliest deposit encountered was a layer of reddish sand with sandstone inclusions (109). In the southern part of the trench, a heavily truncated foundation wall (104) orientated east-west was discovered. It consisted of heavily mortared reddish-orange bricks measuring 7⅛ ins x 3½ ins. This wall continued under the present standing building, i.e. the single-storey storage sheds, bordering the trench to the west. In the northern part of the trench another foundation/footing wall was present (103, Plate 2). This wall was of reddish-orange bricks measuring 8½ ins x 4 ins x 2¾ ins and was heavily truncated. As with wall (104) this ran underneath the standing building.

6.1.2. A much truncated north-south orientated culvert (108) was also exposed. This consisted of reddish orange bricks of varying sizes, principally 9 ins x 4¼ ins x 2¾ ins and 4¼ ins x 5⅛ ins x 2¾ ins. Another small culvert appears to feed into (108) on its west side (see Plate. 3, only visible inside 108). A wall (106) orientated east-west appears to overlie this culvert (108), although was possibly contemporaneous with it. This wall was of reddish orange bricks roughly measuring 8⅝ ins x 4¼ ins. Adjacent to this wall, overlying (104) and the culvert (108) on its eastern edge, but not bonded to it, was another wall (107) which was orientated north-south. This was of reddish-orange



bricks measuring 8⅝ ins x 4¼ ins x 2¾ ins. This wall was truncated on its southern terminal where it was became a deposit/dump of brick and concrete material (105) measuring 0.50m x 0.50m.

6.1.3. Running parallel to (104) at the southernmost edge of the trench was a further wall laid in English garden wall bond (102). This was of reddish-orange bricks measuring 8⅝ ins x 2¾ ins. This wall had been truncated on its western edge by a modern pipe. Partly covering the culvert on its western edge was a thin layer of lime mortar (110) measuring 0.70m by 0.14m. Overlying each of the walls and culvert was mid-brown silty sand (101). Sealing the whole of the trench was a layer of tarmac (100).

6.1.4. No archaeological finds were recovered from the trench.

7. ARCHAEOLOGICAL WATCHING BRIEF CONCLUSIONS

7.1.1. The foundation walls discovered do not clearly relate to the adjacent storage buildings which were clearly built between the 1919 and 1937 Ordnance Survey maps (Figure 3), and thus probably relate to the building depicted on the 1st Edition OS map of 1882 (Figure 3) which had been removed by the time of the 1st Revision map of 1903 (Figure 3). These walls were likely to have been truncated when the culvert was constructed.

8. HISTORIC BUILDINGS ALTERATIONS RECORD

8.1. Introduction

8.1.1. As part of the refurbishment works at the North Wing of Himley Hall a number of alterations were made to the historic fabric of the building. These alterations were recorded as part of the archaeological watching brief in order to have a written and photographic record of any material changes to the historic fabric of the building for posterity. Much of the alterations in the North Wing were centred on the former Swimming Pool room which is being converted as a ballroom/function room. This room, which was formerly the old kitchen area, was greatly modified in the early/mid 20th-century as part of a programme of modifications and modernisations attributed to Viscount Ednam who succeeded his father as Earl of Dudley in 1932. Other contemporary modernisations included the addition of central heating, shower rooms (still in-situ and in fine condition, Plate 4) and a cinema. Himley became an up-to-date luxurious home “that welcomed the ‘jet set’ of its era, so fashionable that in 1934 the Duke and Duchess of Kent spent the first two weeks of their honeymoon at Himley (Himley Hall Exhibition at Dudley Archives and Local History Centre). In honour of this royal visit further enhancements were made including the addition of a water chute, and a cocktail bar on the balcony overlooking the pool. It is also believed that Edward VIII spent his last weekend at Himley Hall before his abdication in 1936. Anecdotal evidence suggests that he and Mrs Simpson were quite fond of the swimming pool and other luxurious facilities provided at Himley.

8.2. Former Swimming Pool Room

8.2.1. A number of material alterations were carried out in the former Swimming Pool Room (Figure 5 1, Plate 5) as part of the current programme of refurbishment works. Following the sale of Himley Hall to the National Coal



Board after the Second World War, the swimming pool was covered over with floorboards. As part of the current refurbishment works these floorboards were removed and replaced with sturdier/stronger boards as part of the change of use. This afforded an excellent opportunity to make a photographic record of the swimming pool, which hadn’t been seen for over half a century.

8.2.2. The mid 20th-century floorboards (Plate 6) above the swimming pool were supported by a number of inserted one brick thick walls. The swimming pool itself was utilitarian in appearance, unlike pools of the Edwardian era, where elaborate tiling was part of the decoration scheme, the Himley Hall swimming pool was simply painted rather than tiled. Another interesting survival in the swimming pool was the access steps which were found in each of the four corners. These consisted of three curved wooden steps. There are clearly deep and shallow ends with the western end of the pool considerably deeper than the other. Other original swimming pool features included metal decorative water vents.

8.2.3. As part of the current scheme of works, the ceiling of the former Swimming Pool Room was sympathetically covered over with a suspended plaster ceiling (Plate 7). This ceiling, which has been designed to be easily removable in the future, obscures a possibly original timber beam which runs across mid-room on the short axis. The inserted ceiling partly obscures some plaster coving which appears to be early/mid 20th-century in date, though elements remain visible at the western end of the room above the balcony which surmounts the showering rooms (Plate 8).

8.2.4. Another alteration in the former Swimming Pool Room is related to provision of access from the laundry courtyard to the north, this entailed the alteration of the third window from the east for use as a doorway (with the present window being retained). This window is a 15 (9 + 6) pane timber hung sash window (Plate 9). The design of the doorway will ensure that the rhythm and internal and external aesthetics of the fenestration scheme will not be altered, with sympathetic design and materials being used. In addition it must be noted here that the internal timber panelling surrounding each window in this room is a 1980s insertion (Roger Stanton pers. comm.).

8.3. Former Cinema Room

8.3.1. The ceiling in the former Cinema Room (Figure 5 2) is also being covered over by a reversible plaster ceiling, similar to that in the former Swimming Pool Room. This does not appear to be obscuring any historic or architectural decoration or fittings.

8.4. Internal Services and walls

8.4.1. The internal services, which principally run at ceiling level within the hallways of the ground-floor, are to be covered by a suspended ceiling which will be inserted c. 0.5m below the present ceiling height (Plate 10). This suspended ceiling will be removable and will not obscure any original or later architectural details such as coving, cornices or decorative plasterwork.

8.4.2. Where necessary, electric service conduits for sockets and light switches have been recessed into the plaster of the walls (Plate 11). This resulted in the minimum loss of historic fabric, and did not disturb any significant architectural fixtures or fittings.



8.4.3. Each of the internal wall surfaces at ground floor level has been given a new layer of plaster.

8.5. Internal Doorways

8.5.1. In order to satisfy Health and Safety Regulations relating to the change of use of the north wing of Himley Hall, the doors and door surrounds, which appear on the whole to be 20th-century inserts, are being replaced with fire-doors which will be replicas of the original door type (as can still be found at first floor level) and are therefore sympathetic to the fabric of the structure (Plate 12).

9. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

9.1.1. The project was commissioned by Roger Stanton of Dudley MBC. Thanks are extended to the site staff for their help and cooperation throughout the course of the project.

9.1.2. The archaeological watching brief was carried out by Elisabeth Bishop who co-authored the report with Shane Kelleher who also conducted the Historic Buildings Alterations Record. Illustrations were the work of Helen Moulden and the report was edited by Ric Tyler. The project was managed for Birmingham Archaeology by Shane Kelleher.

10. LIST OF SOURCES

10.1. Cartographic Sources

• 1882 Ordnance Survey County Series 1:2500 map, 1st Edition.

• 1903 Ordnance Survey County Series 1:2500 map, 1st Edition revision.

• 1919 Ordnance Survey County Series 1:2500 map, 2nd Edition.

• 1937 Ordnance Survey County Series 1:2500 map, 3rd Edition.

10.2. Published Sources

Bishop, E. And Tyler, R. 2007. Archaeological Watching Brief at Himley Hall, Staffordshire. Birmingham Archaeology Report no. 1633.

English Heritage 1991 The Management of Archaeological Projects. English Heritage: London

IfA (Institute for Archaeologists), 2001a. Standard and Guidance for Archaeological Watching Brief.

IfA (Institute for Archaeologists), 2001b. Standard and Guidance for the Archaeological Investigation and Recording of Standing Buildings or Structures.

Martin, H.R., 2003. Himley Hall, Staffordshire: Archaeological Watching Brief. Birmingham University Field Archaeology Unit Report No. 1033.



Museums and Galleries Commission. 1992 Standards in the museum care of archaeological collections. London: Museums and Galleries Commission.

UKIC 1990 UKIC (Walker, K.) 1990 Guidelines for the preparation of excavation archives for long-term storage, Archaeology Section of the United Kingdom Institute for Conservation.



APPENDIX A: Himley Hall - List Entry

Country house. Early C18, enlarged 1824-7 by William Atkinson. Ashlar; hipped slate roofs, rendered stacks. Principal range aligned north-south; Atkinson added flanking wings on an east-west alignment, attached to the main house by short links; the resulting structure encloses 3 sides of an eastern entrance courtyard. West front. Early C18 central block: 3 storeys with balustraded parapet and giant pilasters at the corners and to each side of a central pedimented projection; 2:3:2 bays, glazing bar sashes with aprons, bracketed sills, and raised architraves and keystones. Flanking 2-storey, 3-bay links, and single-bay wing ends framed by paired Doric pilasters; glazing bar sashes with bracketed sills and raised architraves; eaves cornice and plain parapets. South front. 2 storeys with eaves cornice and plain parapet; 9 bays defined by giant Doric pilasters, central 3-bay Ionic portico with unfluted columns, glazing bar sashes with bracketed sills and raised architraves. East front. Deeply recessed 3-storey central block with giant corner pilasters, eaves cornice and balustraded parapet. Boldly projecting 2-storey flanking wings with plain parapets stepped up in the centre. 5:7:5 windows, glazing bar sashes with raised architraves and bracketed sills, second floor windows have a sill band. Central C19 eight-panel door with rectangular overlight and pedimented architrave with flanking columns. Interior. Entrance Hall. Early C18 fireplace with eared wooden surround. Central boxed beam on paired Ionic pilasters. Plaster cornice with egg and dart mouldings and dentils. Early C18 dog-leg staircase immediately north of entrance hall, with closed string, turned balusters, ramped handrail and dado with bolection moulded panels. Large room to west of entrance hall has pilasters with acanthus leaf and palmette capitals and arabesque frieze. On the first floor are several bedrooms with large painted wooden wall panels and egg and dart and dentilled cornice; early C18 fireplace one with bolection moulded surround. The other has an egg and dart moulded surround, console brackets and an overmantle with volutes. Early C19 fireplace with reeded surround and corner blocks with roundels. In the south wing at ground floor level is a room with oak wall panelling approximately 6 feet in height incorporating an oak fireplace surround flanked by 2 pairs of Ionic columns with console brackets above each supporting a bold cornice. 6-panel doors with egg and dart moulded panels, and overmantel with egg and dart moulded cornice. Charles Cope Tubshaw is recorded as having made chimney pieces for Himley Hall. Colvin, p.838; B.o.E. p. 147.



APPENDIX B: Glossary of Terms

Archaeological Periods and Date Ranges

Period Date Range

Prehistoric

Paleolithic 500,000 BC – 10,000 BC

Mesolithic 10,000 BC – 4,000 BC

Neolithic 4,000 BC – 2,400 BC

Bronze Age 2,400 BC – 700 BC

Iron Age 700 BC – AD 43

Historic

Roman AD 43 – AD 410

Anglo-Saxon/ Early Medieval AD 410 – AD 1066

Medieval AD 1066 – AD 1539

Post Medieval AD 1540 – AD 1800

Industrial Revolution c.AD 1750 – AD 1825

Modern AD 1801 - present

Statutory Designations

Scheduled Ancient Monument (SAM)

'Scheduling' is the process through which nationally important sites and monuments are given legal protection. A schedule has been kept since 1882 of monuments whose preservation is given priority over other land uses. The current legislation, the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979, supports a formal system of Scheduled Monument Consent (SMC, see below) for any work to a designated monument.

Conservation Area (CA)

Conservation Areas are any areas of ‘special architectural or historic interest, the character or appearance of which it is desirable to preserve or enhance' and are designated by Local Authorities. There are now more than 8,000 conservation areas in England. Designation introduces a general control over the demolition of unlisted buildings and provides the basis for policies designed to preserve or enhance all the aspects of character or appearance that define an area's special interest.

Listed Building (LB)

A ‘Listed Building’ is a structure that has been placed on the statutory lists of buildings of 'special architectural or historic interest' compiled by the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport on advice from English Heritage. When a building is listed, it is listed in its entirety, which means that both the exterior and the interior are protected. In addition, any object or structure fixed to the building, and any object or structure within the curtilage of the building, which although not fixed to the building, forms part of the land and has done so since before 1 July 1948, are treated as part of the listed building.

Locally Listed Building (LLB)

A Locally Listed Building is a building, structure or feature which, whilst not Statutorily listed by the Secretary of State, a local authority feels makes a significant contribution to the local environment and an important part of an area’s heritage due to its architectural, archaeological significance or historical associations. Inclusion on a Local List does not give a building any statutory protection.



Registered Parks and Gardens

The Register of Parks and Gardens of special historic interest in England, compiled and maintained by English Heritage, currently includes nearly 1450 sites, divided into three grade bands. The majority of the sites identified through the Register as being of a sufficiently high level of interest to merit a national designation, are designated Grade II. Around 30% of the 1450 are considered to be of exceptional historic interest and are awarded a star giving them Grade II* status while a further 10% are of international importance, and are classified as Grade I.

Historic Battlefields

The English Heritage Register of Historic Battlefields identifies forty-three important English battlefields. Its purpose is to offer them protection and to promote a better understanding of their significance.

The Planning Process

Scheduled Monument Consent (SMC)

The Secretary of State must be informed about any work which might affect a monument above or below ground, and English Heritage gives advice to the Government on each application. In assessing each application the Secretary of State will try to ensure that damage done to protected sites is kept to a minimum. Written consent must always be obtained before any work can begin. Some development may also need planning permission.

Listed Building Consent (LBC)

Listed Building Consent (LBC) is required in order to carry out any works to a Listed Building which will affect its special value for listing purposes. This will almost certainly be necessary for any major works, but may also be necessary for minor alterations and possibly even repairs and maintenance. LBC may also be necessary for a change of use of the property. It is a criminal offence to carry out work which needs listed building consent without obtaining it beforehand.

The Archaeological Process

The principal stages for handling archaeology within the planning process, in line with the Government's Planning Policy Guidance notes PPG 15 and PPG16 are:

• Pre-determination: desk-based assessment, archaeological evaluation;

• Post-determination: preservation in situ, preservation by record (excavation).

Stages of Archaeological Work

Written Scheme of Investigation (WSI)

Any programme of archaeological work will normally be undertaken in accordance with a Written Scheme of Investigation (WSI), clearly stating the scope and extent of work, the aims and objectives, and the methodology to be employed during the course of work. The WSI will be prepared by the contracted archaeological organisation and approved in advance of work by the archaeological officer of the relevant LPA.

Archaeological Desk-Based Assessment (DBA)

An archaeological desk-based assessment (DBA) constitutes a first stage, non-invasive assessment of the archaeological potential of a site, undertaken in advance of any development. Research will normally comprise a search of all readily available documentary and archival sources pertaining to a site combined with an on-site ‘walkover’ survey to assess surviving archaeological remains/ built heritage of the area.

Archaeological Evaluation

An archaeological evaluation is a limited programme of intrusive or non-intrusive fieldwork undertaken to establish the extent of survival of archaeological deposits within a site and to determine the character, date, state of preservation and potential significance of any buried remains. An evaluation is often required prior to the determination of a planning application for development and will normally be undertaken subsequent to a desk-based assessment. A variety



of techniques may be employed including geophysical survey, fieldwalking, trial trenching and test pitting. The results of evaluation will be used to establish the necessity for and determine the requirements of any further stage of archaeological work.

Archaeological Excavation

An archaeological excavation is a programme of controlled, intrusive fieldwork, normally undertaken by means of open area excavation, with the purpose of examining and recording archaeological deposits, features and structures identified by documentary research and/ or archaeological evaluation. Archaeological excavation will normally lead on to a programme of post-excavation analysis and publication.

Archaeological Watching Brief

An archaeological watching brief is a formal programme of observation and investigation conducted during any operation carried out for non-archaeological reasons within an area or site where there is a possibility of archaeological deposits being disturbed or destroyed. Groundworks will normally be undertaken by a principal contractor under the supervision of an attending archaeologist.

Preservation in-situ

Foundation design to avoid or minimise impact on archaeology may be sought. This might include locating buildings to avoid archaeology; display of remains; sympathetic location of piled foundations and piling techniques; raising floor or ground beam levels; the routing of services; management of ground water. Landscaping and planting may also be constrained. Monitoring over a number of years after completion may be needed to assess if the preservation techniques have been successful.

Historic Building Recording (HBR)

A Historic Building Record (HBR) is a programme of work intended to establish the character, history, dating, form and archaeological development of a specified building, structure or complex and its setting. A programme of historic building recording will often be required as a condition of planning consent/ listed building consent, to be taken in advance of (pre-determination) and/ or during building refurbishment/ alterations/ demolitions (post determination).

HBR can be undertaken to a range of different levels (Levels 1 – 4 as defined by English Heritage) dependent upon the significance of the building under consideration and the extent of the proposed works.

Reproduced from the 1998 OrdnanceSurvey 1:50,000 map with thepermission of the Controller of HerMajesty's Stationary Office,c Crown Copyright

Licensee : Field Archaeology Unit University of Birmingham Edgbaston BIRMINGHAM B15 2TT

Licence No. AL 51303A

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Himley Hall, Staffordshire WB and HBR

Documents

Transcript of Himley Hall, Staffordshire WB and HBR