Warwickshire: assessment of archaeological resource in aggregate areas

English Heritage ALSF Summaries 2005/2006

The aim of this project is to identify, characterise and digitally map available information on Warwickshire’s archaeological resource in areas of past, present and potential future aggregates extraction in order to enhance existing baseline data, to improve archaeological mitigation of future extraction proposals in the county, and to promote better public understanding of and engagement with these issues.
It will define the aggregates resource, identifying areas of past, present and potential future extraction; summarise the archaeological resource already destroyed, and that potentially threatened; assess the level of information for the various areas and draw up a draft research agenda to address those areas where there is insufficient information.
The project area will consist of those areas mapped by the British Geological Survey (BGS) at 1:50,000 which contain (or have in the past contained) geologies exploited for aggregates within the present day county of Warwickshire and the area of Solihull MBC (Solihull was part of historic Warwickshire, and the Archaeology Service in Warwickshire has provided an archaeological planning advice and HER service for the borough since 2000).  The relevant geological deposits comprise sand and gravel drift deposits and solid rock outcrops. These geologies are complex and cover approximately a third of the County; they also occur in most geographical areas of Warwickshire.  The project area will therefore be in the order of 70,000 hectares.

There are six principal stages to this project:
• The definition of the aggregates resource will consist of the identification of the relevant geologies and their spatial extent.
• Study areas will then be defined on the basis of the geology being exploited and the topography of the county.
• An Archaeological Resource Assessment will be undertaken.  This will form the core of the project and will consist of a summary of our understanding of the archaeological resource within aggregates areas encompassing all archaeological periods.  This will be based upon information held in the HER and data files held by Warwickshire Museum Projects Group.  AP information will also be used including the plotting of selected areas as part of the National Mapping Programme (NMP).
• Priorities for research within the aggregates areas will be identified leading to the production of a research agenda; it will address gaps in knowledge identified during the previous stage.
• The assessment will be used to identify management prescriptions in the context of local development frameworks, planning policy and legislation to produce a management framework.
• The final stage will be the dissemination of the project outcomes.  This will take the form of an internally produced report that will also be available on CD and via the Warwickshire County Council website.

The project will run from March 2006 to the end of February 2007.  For more information contact Magnus Alexander at Warwickshire Museum Field Services on 01926 412734 or magnusalexander@warwickshire.gov.uk.

This page was published on 22/03/2006