Archaeology & Heritage Assessment, Worcester
Border Archaeology undertook an Archaeology and Heritage Assessment for a private developer regarding a proposed residential development in the centre of Worcester.
In Brief
Key Points
- Assessment of the potential archaeological significance of the site and the impact of the proposed residential development.
- Assessment of the potential heritage impacts of the proposed residential development.
- The assessment was informed by a site visit, consultation of the Worcester City Historic Environment Record, reports on previous archaeological investigations in the area, and analysis of historic mapping and documentary records.
Summary
The archaeological assessment determined that the potential of the site with respect to the medieval and post-medieval periods was Moderate to High, reflecting the presence of a Scheduled Ancient Monument representing the line of Worcester’s medieval city walls within the southern portion of the site, as well as the presence of a number of buildings within the site of the proposed development on the 19th and 20th century historic cartographic record.
The potential for archaeological evidence of Romano-British activity to be encountered within the boundaries of the site was assessed as Moderate, reflecting the location of the site in the vicinity of an area of known Romano-British occupation. The prehistoric archaeological potential of the site was assessed as Low to Moderate, due to the underlying potential for the works to encounter alluvial deposits.
The heritage assessment determined that the overall potential impact of the proposed development was Large/Very Large, although this potentially could be lowered to Moderate/Large and Moderate/Slight, depending on the final design of the project. This assessment was based on potential impacts upon the Scheduled Ancient Monument representing the city walls, and to the settings of a nearby Listed Buildings and a designated Conservation Area.
Results
The assessment determined that there was a Moderate to High potential for archaeological remains to be encountered during the proposed works, and that the development would likely have a Large/Very Large impact in terms of built heritage, although there was potential for this impact to be lowered in the final designs. The completion of the Archaeology and Heritage Assessment allowed the application for planning permission to progress.
