Ladybridge Farm: Archaeological Evaluation
Introduction
This interim report provides a preliminary account of the results of an ongoing watching brief being undertaken at Nosterfield Quarry, North Yorkshire, on behalf of Mike Griffiths and Associates for Tarmac (Northern) Ltd. The archaeological investigation in advance of mineral extraction at Nosterfield Quarry will not be completed for several years, and as such this report is based on the preliminary assessment and review of field records, and selected specialist assessments and analyses, which have been prioritised in order to inform the strategy for the ongoing watching brief. This interim report has been prepared at the request of Tarmac (Northern) Ltd. in support of a planning application to extend Nosterfield Quarry. In accordance with the archaeological planning condition for the current quarry, a full and final report including all necessary assessments and analyses, will be produced on completion of the watching brief and the results published.
The watching brief at Nosterfield Quarry commenced in 1995, and has been carried out since 1998 by Field Archaeology Specialists (FAS) Ltd on behalf of Mike Griffiths and Associates for Tarmac Northern Ltd. The area covered by the fieldwork lies to the north of Nosterfield village, North Yorkshire.
1.1 Location & Land Use
Nosterfield Quarry (SE 280 808) is situated to the west of Nosterfield village, North Yorkshire, on fluvio-glacial gravels that lie to the north of the River Ure. The quarry occupies land on the northern side of the B6267, as it leads away from the A1 (Figure 1), bounded to the east by a road, and extending westwards for 1800m. The quarry extends north-south for 660m, covering a total of 106 hectares. At the onset of this project, existing quarry workings dominated the eastern part of this area, lying between the road to the south, and extending north and west for a total of 13.4 hectares.
The area of investigation generally lies between 40mand43m AOD, rising gently from north to south, and much of the surrounding area is given over to arable land and pasture. The northern part of the site is occupied by a relict lake, in which peat deposits have formed and which retains a marshy character, now known as the Flasks.
To the east of the quarry, the land rises towards Upsland Hill, and in the west, slopes towards the more distant Whitwell Hill. Generally, the landscape surrounding the quarry site is dominated by arable cultivation, although areas such as the Flasks have always been poorly drained. The disused marl pits, areas of peat, limestone and sandstone quarries located within the surrounding areas provide evidence for extraction over several centuries.
1.2 Planning Background
Planning permission for the current quarrying operation at Nosterfield Quarry was granted by North Yorkshire County Council in January 1995. This planning permission included an archaeological condition requiring a watching brief to be maintained during topsoil stripping at the quarry, and the submission of a full report within 6 months of the completion of the final phase of fieldwork. Since 1995 a watching brief has been maintained on successive phases of mineral extraction undertaken in line with the phases of operation submitted with the planning application (Figure 2).
1.3 Aims & Objectives
The primary aim of the watchingbrief wasto identify, investigate and record any archaeological remains within the quarry area prior to mineral extraction, and where possible to determine their date, character and function. A further objective of the archaeological investigation was to develop the most effective methodological approach, given the nature of the archaeological remains encountered, the anticipated variation in the natural strata, and the necessary health and safety constraints of working on an active quarry. In many instances, a variety of investigative techniques were tested in order to enhance data recovery. Geophysical survey, topographic survey, fieldwalking (before and after topsoil stripping), test pitting, and auger survey were employed to provide a fuller record than would have been produced by the watching brief alone.
1.4 Chronology of Investigation
Pre-determination assessment and evaluation of the Nosterfield Quarry site was undertaken in a number of stages from 1991 to 1995, with the watching brief commencing in 1995 (Table 1; Figure 3). Fieldwork was initially undertaken or commissioned by Mike Griffiths and Associates (MGA); phases of fieldwork were carried out by West Yorkshire Archaeological Services (WYAS) and AOC (Scotland). Full reports on all of these stages are available online at:
www.archaeologicalplanningconsultancy.co.uk/mga/projects/noster/index.html.
From 1998 onwards, FAS continued a programme of further evaluation, watching briefs and surveys at successive areas of the Nosterfield Quarry site. The methodology and results for each investigation are presented individually: relevant feature and structure indices are appended (Appendix A and B), along with specialist reports.
archaeological planning consultancy > thornborough > ladybridge farm: archaeological evaluation