Keynsham Cemetery, Durley Hill, Keynsham. Archaeological Recording Project SMR BN2929 BATRM 2007.2

on behalf of

Keynsham Town Council

Lynn Hume MA & Andrew Young AIfA

Avon Archaeological Unit Bristol: January 2007

Keynsham Cemetery: Archaeological Structural Recording BATRM 2007.2

Keynsham Cemetery, Durley Hill, Keynsham Archaeological Structural Recording

NGR ST 64546926

Report SMR BN2929 Accession Number BATRM 2007.2

on behalf of Keynsham Town Council

View of the Lower Steps, Northern Corridor of the Villa, taken in 1924 (Bulleid; 1926)

by Lynn Hume M.A & Andrew Young AIfA

Avon Archaeological Unit Limited Avondale Business Centre, Woodland Way, Kingswood, Bristol BS15 1AW

Report Number SMR: BN2929

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Keynsham Cemetery: Archaeological Structural Recording BATRM 2007.2

CONTENTS Acknowledgements

3

Copyright

3

Health & Safety Statement

3

1

Introduction

4

2

Methodology

4

3

Site Observations

5

4

References

7

FIGURES Figure 1……………………………...

Location of the Site, scale 1:25,000

Figure 2………………………………

Location of the Study Area, scale 1:1250

Figure 3 ……………………………..

Location of the Archaeological Cutting in relation to a Plan prepared by Bulleid in 1924, scale as shown

Figure 4 ……………………………..

Schematic reconstruction of Cutting S1, not to scale

PLATES Cover

…………………………………. Views of Cutting S1, viewed from the west and east

Frontispiece …………………………….. View of the Lower Steps, Northern Corridor of the Villa, taken in 1924 (Bulleid; 1926) Plate 1 ………………………………

The cutting after excavation, looking west

Plate 2 ………………………………

Showing Retaining Wall 501, looking northwest

Plate 3 ………………………………

Objects photographed during the 1924 excavation (Bulleid; 1926)

Plate 4 ............................................

Object 1, viewed from the north

Plate 5 ............................................

Object 3, scale as shown

Plate 6 ............................................

Object 5 (north arrow is used here as a scale only)

Plate 7 ............................................

Object 10 (north arrow is used here as a scale only)

Report Number SMR: BN2929

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Keynsham Cemetery: Archaeological Structural Recording BATRM 2007.2

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Avon Archaeological Unit Limited wishes to thank Elaine Giles of Keynsham Town Council, Gary Hibbitt, Grounds Maintenance Worker at Keynsham Cemetery and Susan Fox curator at the Roman Baths Museum & Pump Room for their assistance during this project. The project was managed by Principal Archaeologist Andrew Young.

COPYRIGHT The copyright to the following text, drawings and photographs is, unless otherwise credited, the property of the author, the commissioners of the project and the Avon Archaeological Unit Limited, to whom all enquiries should be addressed to: Avondale Business Centre, Woodland Way, Kingswood, Bristol BS15 1AW Telephone and Facsimile 0117 9608487 e-mail [email protected] Visit our Website at www.avonarch.freeserve.co.uk Ordnance Survey maps and plans are reproduced courtesy of Her Majesty’s Stationery Office, Crown Copyright Reserved. Licence Number: AL 100005802

PROJECT HEALTH & SAFETY STATEMENT In all matters pertaining to this fieldwork and research project Health and Safety has taken priority over all archaeological matters. All archaeological fieldwork has been undertaken in accordance with the guidelines set out by the Standing Conference of Archaeological Unit Managers (SCAUM 2002, Health & Safety in Field Archaeology) and also the relevant requirements set out in Construction (Design & Management) Regulations 1994 (Health & Safety Commission; 1994).

NOTE Whereas Avon Archaeological Unit Limited have taken all care to produce a comprehensive summary of the known and recorded archaeological evidence, no responsibility can be accepted for any omissions of fact or opinion, however caused.

Report Number SMR: BN2929

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Keynsham Cemetery: Archaeological Structural Recording BATRM 2007.2

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Introduction & Archaeological Background 2

The site (figure 1), measuring approximately 5.25 m , is located within the grounds of Keynsham Cemetery and gardens, Durley Hill, Keynsham (NGR ST 64546926) and occupies part of the nationally important Durley Hill Roman Villa complex (SMR BN 1208; figure 2). It is bounded to the northwest by the A4175 Keynsham to Durley Road and to the east by a Victorian, Grade II listed Chapel of Rest. Archaeological structures and deposits of RomanoBritish origin associated with the villa have been revealed, both in the past (Bulleid & Horne; 1926) and more recently, during refurbishments and modifications to the western chapel (Young; 2004) and external surface drainage (Hume, 2005), when remnants of tessellated floors and stone walls, considered to form part of the east corridor wing of the villa were exposed. First discovered in the first half of the twentieth century, the villa was partially excavated in response to the frequent discovery of tessellated pavements and masonry structures during grave digging and although the general layout of the villa, a palatial colonnaded courtyard complex was formulated, little attention was paid to detailed stratigraphic relationships and artefact distribution. Accordingly, the chronological and structural development of the villa remains poorly understood. The archaeological recording project (SMR BN2929) resulted from the need to make safe a deep archaeological cutting excavated in the 1920s by Bulleid and subsequently left open for public viewing. The principal aim and objective of the archaeological programme was to enable backfilling and consolidation of the cutting to proceed, whilst ensuring that important archaeological deposits of Roman date exposed therein were suitably recorded and preserved in-situ. Keynsham Town Council commissioned Avon Archaeological Unit Limited to undertake the work in accordance with a Written Scheme of Work produced by the Unit (Hume; 2006) and the stated requirements of the Archaeological Officer for Bath and Northeast Somerset. The archaeological programme of work was carried out over a period of three working days, th commencing on December 5 , 2006 and followed by a further five days of post-excavation, processing, report writing and compilation of the site archive. The project archive will temporarily be stored at the premises of Avon Archaeological Unit Limited before being deposited for long-term curation and storage at Roman Baths Museum and Pump Room, Trim Street, Bath, under the accession number BATRM 2007.2.

2

Methodology

Once cleared of vegetation all archaeologically significant remains were cleaned by hand and fully recorded using standard Avon Archaeological Unit Limited context-based record sheets. Significant archaeological features, structures and deposits of Roman date were photographed and scaled drawings made as appropriate. A full individual photographic catalogue and written record was also compiled for unstratified architectural fragments associated with the villa. The location of the trench was related to the National Grid using the appropriate Ordnance Survey sheet for the area and the cutting was levelled to a nearby spot height located adjacent to the western wing of the chapel (16.35 m a.O.D, figure 3). For ease of description the 1920s cutting is referred to throughout the report as Cutting S1.

Report Number SMR: BN2929

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Keynsham Cemetery: Archaeological Structural Recording BATRM 2007.2

3

Site Observations

In the mid 1920s Bulleid and Horne excavated a portion of the 64 m long and 3 m wide northern hallway of the villa (Cutting S1, figure 3 and frontispiece).

The structures exposed in Cutting S1 were largely as Bulleid had described them in 1926, although the northern portion of the corridor, including the full span of the steps and northern wall, was sealed behind a modern drystone retaining/shoring wall (501). A schematic plan detailing the layout of the corridor is shown below (figure 4). Figure 4: Not to Scale

Stone Steps 503

Southern Wall 505/506

Recess

Recess

Northern Wall 505/506

Pennant Floor 502

The retaining wall (501; plate 2), built from variously sized limestone blocks, was constructed against the northern and eastern baulks of Cutting S1, directly above Structure 503 and Floor 502. Where exposed, the corridor floor was paved throughout with squared Pennant stones. Four steps (Structure 503) formed from Bath stone blocks some 1.34 m wide (as exposed) and with an average rise of 280 mm, were sited in the northwest baulk of the cutting, at the centre of the northern return of Wall 505/506 (see figure 4). The structure (503) displayed evidence of decay and the middle of the two lower treads were noticeably worn. A transverse section of limestone wall (Masonry 505/506, plates 1 and 2), of which only the lower load bearing courses, constructed from large, slightly projecting blocks of limestone and three of the upper facing courses survived, was located in the southern and western baulk of Cutting S1. The rubble core of the wall (512) was, however, still clearly visible (plate 1). Retaining Wall 501

Rubble 512

Steps 503

Masonry 505/506

Masonry 505/506

Floor 502

Plate 1: The cutting after excavation, looking west

Report Number SMR: BN2929

Plate 2: Showing Retaing Wall 501, looking northwest

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Keynsham Cemetery: Archaeological Structural Recording BATRM 2007.2

The Architectural Objects Records and photographs taken during the 1924 excavation describe a single, small stone ‘water trough’ (Object A; plate 3) found at the junction of the north and west corridor walls (shown as ‘T’ on figure 3). A worked stone (Object 1, plate 4) of similar dimension, located in the southeastern corner of Cutting S1, was believed to represent the same object. Object 2

Object A

Plate 3: Trough found during the 1924 excavation

Object 1

Plate 4: The Object 1, viewed from the north

Cut from a single piece of Bath stone, the object measured a length of 960 mm with a maximum width of 610 mm. Tool marks were evident on both the internal and external surfaces and the vertical sides showed evidence of considerable damage. Six segments of unstratified guttering (Objects 2, 3, 5, 8 – 10; plates 4-7) were also recorded. Each was carved from Bath stone some 700 mm long and had a squared Ushaped profile, averaging an internal width of 250 mm. The sides were near to vertical and the base flat. It is likely that the segments formed part of a more extensive subterranean system, probably designed to drain excess rainwater away from the villa.

Plate 5: Object 3

Plate 6: Object 5

Plate 7: Object 10

(NB: the north arrow is used here as a scale only)

(NB the north arrow is used here as a scale only)

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Keynsham Cemetery: Archaeological Structural Recording BATRM 2007.2

At the end of the archaeological programme of work, the exposed structures in Cutting S1 © were covered with Terram geotechnical membrane and sealed with a deep layer of inert sand in readiness for general backfilling and re-turfing. Due to the fragile nature of Object 1 a decision was made and backed by Keynsham Town Council to leave it in-situ in order to prevent further damage and to help ensure its future preservation. The smaller of the Roman architectural fragments were suitably labelled and transported to the Roman Baths Museum for long-term storage.

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References

Aston, M. and Iles, R. eds. 1987 The Archaeology of Avon – A Review from the Neolithic to the Middle Ages Avon County Council; Bristol Bulleid, A. and Horne, D.E. 1926 The Roman House at Keynsham, Somerset in Archaeologia 75 Cox, A. 1998 Keynsham Cemetery, Durley Hill, Keynsham: Archaeological Evaluation Project Avon Archaeological Unit; Bristol Hume, L. 1993 Site Specific Archaeological Evaluation at Somerdale, Cadbury Limited, Keynsham: Avon SMR 9471. Avon Archaeological Unit; Bristol Hume, L. 2004 Keynsham Cemetery, Durley Hill, Keynsham: Archaeological Recording Exercise Avon Archaeological Unit; Bristol Hume, L. 2006 Keynsham Cemetery, Durley Hill, Keynsham: Scheme of Work for Archaeological Structural Recording. Avon Archaeological Unit Limited; Bristol Hume, L. and Young, A.C. 1998 Keynsham Cemetery, Durley Hill, Keynsham: Archaeological Salvage Recording Avon Archaeological Unit; Bristol McWhirr, A. 1996 Houses in Roman Cirencester pp 47-48 The Cirencester Excavation Committee Young, A.C. 2004 Keynsham Cemetery Chapel, Keynsham: Scheme of Work for Archaeological Evaluation and Recording Avon Archaeological Unit; Bristol Young, D.E.Y. 2004 Keynsham Cemetery Chapel, Durley Hill, Keynsham: Archaeological Recording and Trial Excavation SMR BN 2929. Avon Archaeological Unit; Bristol

Report Number SMR: BN2929

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Keynsham Cemetery: Archaeological Structural Recording BATRM 2007.2

Figure 1 Location of the Site Plans and maps based on the Ordnance Survey Sheets are reproduced by the permission of Her Majesty’s Stationery Office.

BRISTOL

N



ST 65

ST 69

Scale 1:25,000

Report Number SMR: BN2929

© Crown Copyright Reserved. Licence Number: AL 100005802

Keynsham Cemetery: Archaeological Structural Recording BATRM 2007.2

Figure 2 Location of the Study Area

•

N

ST 645

ST 693

•

Scale 1:1250

Report Number SMR: BN2929

© Crown Copyright Reserved. Licence Number: AL 100005802

Keynsham Cemetery: Archaeological Structural Recording BATRM 2007.2

Figure 3 Location of the Archaeological Cutting in relation to a Plan prepared by Bulleid in 1924

Study Area

16.35m a.O.D

Report Number SMR: BN2929