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7 undated sites were identified in this study – they are shown in Figure 23.
Figure 23: Map to show undated sites within 1.5km of Site 3
and K) (see Figure 24). Two 2mx2m test pits were then dug to examine two of the maculae anomalies – these were revealed to be two gravel mounds with evidence of burning and fires. The two examined maculae were clearly skirted by a linear boundary. Two radiocarbon dates from charcoal indicate use from the Late Neolithic through to the Middle Bronze Age (Darvill, 1999: 51). These gravel mounds are hard to interpret but combined with the geophysical survey indicate the continued occupation of this area in prehistoric times.
Figure 24: Geophyscial Surveys from Ronaldsway airport, taken from Darvill, 1999
Figure 25: Map to show location of the two Bowl-shaped hollows, taken from MNH NMHER.
| Destroyed in 1944 |
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Figure 26: Image to show the cropmarked enclosure taken from NMHER 486
6.4 Listed Buildings and Gardens
One building within the study area appears on the Registered Building list (see http://www.gov.im/transport/planning/conservation/registeredbuildings.xml)
Aerial photographs were consulted at the Library in MNH. These photos date to 1940-46. The catalogue was flown during the war by the RAF and is in black and white; the quality is quite variable and in many the details are hard to discern. Images from Google earth were also consulted to provide a more recent characterisation of the landscape.
The images from the 1940s show Site 3 as an undeveloped area of farm land (see Figure 27). The village of Ballasalla is obvious; however it has not expanded on the eastern side of the A5 at this point. Balthane industrial estate has begun to expand at this point in time with many tracks and buildings obvious. The Rushen Abbey site is also obvious, as is the scope of the two quarries in the area. Looking at Site 3 the area appears to be broken into a few fields of roughly the same shape as they remain today. The line of the steam train to the west of Site 3 is obvious. Cutting across the two of the fields is what appears to be a worn track from the Balthane Industrial Estate, across two fields towards the railway line.
| Site 3 |
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| Billown Quarry |
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roughly northeast up (image taken from the MNH archive).
Figure 28 shows the area to the north of Figure 27. The main road moving north is the A5 and the sharp bend marks the area of the blackboards. The majority of the image is taken up by fields that are being farmed. Several of the fields are obviously under cultivation showing the characteristic linear marks from ploughing and planting. The field at the bottom of the image, on the right hand side of the A5, and part of the field above it are part of Site 3. Both of these fields appear to be under cultivation, what appears to be a worn track cuts through from the lower field to the upper one.
There are an obvious, and somewhat unusual set of earthworks in one of the fields to the left of the A5. Working back from the Orrisdale road, the field concerned is the third field to the south, a more focused detail of this field is shown in Figure 29. There is what appears to be a linear earthwork in the left of the field, which likely relates to agricultural use, being of a similar size to those seen in other fields in the area. To the right of this feature here is a round earthwork. This is a very unusual feature with what appears to be two concentric circular features with an internal round feature in the centre of the earthwork. This feature is quite hard to interpret given the large circular feature in the middle; the concentric circles are reminiscent of henge features however the very circular feature in the middle would be unusual in a henge. The feature could be a burial barrow however we would expect a more rectangular feature in the middle rather than a circular one in such a case. It is possible that the feature could be some kind of settlement enclosure or similar. Geophysical survey in the area might help to resolve what this feature is.
Figure 30 shows the same field on a current image from GoogleEarth. The field appears to be under plough in this image and the feature is barely discernable without the prior knowledge from the 1940s images. The feature is certainly under risk at present. Fieldwalking may prove profitable and geophysical survey might also be prudent. The field lies outside of the development zones for Ballasalla given in the Southern Area Development Plan, however it provides further evidence of the richness of the archaeological activity in the area.
Figure 28: Aerial photograph from the 1940s. The image shows the A5 heading towards the blackboards, an earthwork is obvious in a field to the left of the A5. The most northerly part of Site 3 is shown at the bottom of the image. The image is orientated roughly northeast up (image taken from the MNH archive).
to the west of the A5. Image is roughly north up (image taken from GoogleEarth, property of the Isle of Man Government).
Figure 31 from Google Earth shows a recent aerial photograph of the area. The village of Ballasalla has expanded significantly from the 1940s images with an increased number of houses and buildings on the eastern side of the A5 road encroaching onto what was once fields. The fields that make up Site 3 are, in the main, still farmland, some of which appears to be under plough. There appears to have been an expansion of the Balthane Industrial estate towards Site 3 and there appears to be some digging and use of the land adjacent to Balthane that is part of Site 3.
Figure 31: Aerial photograph from GoogleEarth showing Site 3, Ballasalla Village and Balthane industrial estate. Image is roughly north up (image taken from GoogleEarth, property of the Isle of Man Government).
Figure 32 from Google Earth shows Rushen Abbey, Billown and Ballahot. The excavations at Rushen Abbey and development of the site into a museum are obvious in the image. To the left of Rushen Abbey there is a field with a large amount of potential earthworks obvious, a more focused image is shown in Figure 33. There are several linear features running lengthwise across the field, they are not entirely straight – these features could be geological. In the top left of that field there is what appears to be a round feature cut by the field boundary. This could be some kind of enclosure or structure.
GoogleEarth, property of the Isle of Man Government).
property of the Isle of Man Government).
Ballasalla village has a rich archaeological landscape and heritage. There is evidence of occupation and settlement stretching from the Mesolithic to the present day. The continued evidence of landscape exploitation from the Mesolithic to the present attests to the richness of the land surrounding Ballasalla and later to the development of the area as a place of industry through mining and milling. The fertile soil and the Silverburn River have made the area an excellent place to farm or work and this is reflected in the rich archaeology. Rushen Abbey, one of the most important buildings in the history of the Isle of Man served to dominate the surrounding lands for many years and cement the importance of the area in island history. In more recent years the port at Derbyhaven, the development of the steam railway and the later construction of the airport have served to continue to make the area important in trade and industry. The development of the airport site and the surrounding area in relation to World War I and II has given rise to a rich military history in the area. The development of the Balthane industrial estate continues this pattern today.
There are several early finds of Mesolithic microliths both from the area outside of Ballasalla, and from Billown that suggest occupation and exploitation of the landscape in the Mesolithic (1, 3 and 4). This is confirmed by the discovery of the Mesolithic pit house at the airport (2). This early exploitation of the landscape was probably the result of the access to the sea, the river and the gently sloping landscape.
The Neolithic exploitation of the landscape is most evident at Billown (5). Here evidence of occupation stretches from the Mesolithic through to the Late Bronze Age. The Neolithic evidence from Billown speaks of returning to similar parts of the landscape to light fires and bury the debris within pits and shafts. The developing importance of this area is attested by both the Ronaldsway ‘House’ site (6) and the burial of multiple Earthfast Jars within the area (8 and 9). Recent work at Balthane has revealed evidence of settlement in the Late Neolithic that would appear to be comparable to what we know from elsewhere (7). It should be noted that in the case of both the finds from the Mesolithic and Neolithic there was little or no indication that any of these sites, features or finds were present in the landscape prior to excavation.
The importance of the landscape in the Bronze Age is clearly attested by the number of barrows within 1.5kms of the site (10, 13, 14, 15 and 16). These burial sites mark a clear change of tradition from the Late Neolithic where monumental modification of the landscape appears to have been uncommon – these Bronze Age barrows evidence that even if traditions have changed the landscape continues to remain important. Many of these sites are poorly understood at present having received little excavation work. As well as barrows there is also evidence of burial at sites that may have been less monumental in character
(11 and 12) (though these so –called ‘flat cemetery’ sites could have had barrows that have been long since removed by ploughing and landscape modification). The two barrows at Arragon Mooar (15 and 16), with their retaining kerbs of quartz and granite are likely, based on their form, and comparisons to known kerbed monuments on the island, to date to the later half of the Early Bronze Age c. 1900-1500.
Moving into the Middle and Late Bronze Age the development of more permanent settlement sites and houses is obvious within the landscape. Earlier settlement evidence indicated a temporary, perhaps seasonal occupation of sites in the area whereas the archaeological evidence indicates more permanent and substantial settlement from the Mid to Late Bronze Age. At both Ronaldsway Village (17) and Billown (18) houses and evidence of domestic dwelling and activity are known. Chance finds such as the saddle-stone from Ballasalla (20) indicate that more settlement sites are possibly unknown – heavy items such
In the Iron Age, this pattern of defensive, and increasingly long-term enclosure continues. Excavation at the promontory fort at Cass ny Hawin (22) shows the site bank and ditch were re-cut several times indicating the prolonged use. The fort on the opposite side of the Santon Burn (23) indicates the importance of so-called promontory locations on the coast. These sites are often near to river outlets where defensive settlement sites appear to have developed. The Iron Age ditch at Ronaldsway (21) hints at further aspects of enclosure and landscape modification from the period. The enclosure identified in the aerial photographs (see Figure 29) on the northwest side of the A5 could also potentially date to this period. The prehistoric archaeology evidence from the area surrounding Site 3 is significant and sizeable. This is a landscape that has attracted people for thousands of years due to its fertile soils, frequent rivers and streams and easy access to the sea. Recent work within Balthane Industrial estate (2 and 7), on pipelines in the area (9) and at the airport (2 and 17) has revealed abundant archaeological remains that were previously unknown and for which there were no surface markers. In particular the Mesolithic pit dwelling is one of very few known across Europe and is likely, once the post-excavation work is completed, to be of European significance. The site finds potential parallels in the Howick House in Northumberland (http://research.ncl.ac.uk/howick/).
The area of Ballasalla had particular significance in medieval times not only as a result of the fertile soil and abundant natural resources but because of the construction of the monastery at Rushen Abbey (26). The presence of the Abbey resulted in much agricultural work and also the modification of the landscape with the re-directing of the Silverburn around the Monastery and the building of the Crossag bridge (27). The Abbey’s continued use made the area a significant seat of power and wealth for many years until it’s dissolution in 1540. Following this the Abbey fell into dis-repair and eventually became the site of the Abbey Hotel, tea rooms and later a night club.
Variety in the settlement pattern for the period is indicated by the discovery of the rectangular house found within the promontory fort at Cass ny Hawin (25). This site also indicates the continued importance of older sites from the Long Iron Age into the Medieval period.
Geological resources available in the Langness area led to the development of a medieval lead-smelt (30) and a metalworking site (29). A series of early lintel graves were found when excavating the metalworking site (31). The geological significance of the area as a source of conglomerate, limestone and metal ores continues in the post-medieval period with a significant amount of quarrying in the area (discussed below).
Malew Church (28) lies on the edge of the area covered by this assessment. Malew church has a long history and several phases of re-design are evident in the structure of the building. The graveyard is the only graveyard for Malew and as such shows evidence of changing fashions in gravestones, it is also rumoured to be the final resting place of Illiam Dhone. A far smaller chapel and burial grounds is known from Ballawoods (24), providing earlier evidence of the impact of Christianity on the landscape and people of the island.
The importance of the Ballasalla area, and the south of the island, in industry is evident in the landscape which is littered with mills and quarries. The fertile soil of the area that was once owned by the Abbey continued to be farmed by local quarterland and tenant farmers. The Santon Burn and Silver Burn have both been exploited for their power and led to the development of a landscape of small mills (1, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38 and 39) and farms (40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47 and 48). These mills and farms build on the modification of the water-courses that began with the arrival of the Cistercians at Rushen Abbey. The geological significance of the landscape, as noted earlier, meant that several quarries arose in the area (56, 57 and 58) with associated lime kilns. Lime kilns are also noted at Ballahick, which lies within Site 3 itself (49).
This farming and early industrial development went hand-in-hand with the development of Ballasalla as a village with its own Church of Ease (Abbey Church) (50) and a parochial school (51). Early maps show a range of small cottages in the village as well as pubs and a post
office. The village also has a very rich history of Methodism. A formative Methodist church was established and was already a ruin in 1869 (52). Two Weslyan chapels were established in the village, the first was built around 1798 and later reconstructed c. 1846 (53) and the second dated to 1893 and was demolished in 1981 (55). The village was also home to a later Primitive Methodist chapel, established in 1833 and closed in 1949 – the building however continued to be used as a Sunday school until 1975 (54). The Steam Railway (60) connected Ballasalla to Douglas as well as the rest of the south. Ballasalla is noted as a particularly busy market stop with a lot of livestock trade (indicative of the high level of farming in the area).
The landscape has many standing stones, such as those at Ballahot (59) – excavation suggests at least one of these stones was erected as a rubbing post for animals – many of the stones within the fields of the area may have been erected as rubbing posts, however this does not mean that some of them are not far older.
The development of the island as a tourist location is evident in the construction of the Abbey hotel and leisure site. The development of Silverdale as a leisure area (61) and the tourist-ification of the steam railway (60) all highlight modern changes to a once more industrial landscape as the island’s economy changed in the nineteenth and twentieth century. With the growth of motorcycle racing and motorcycle tourism the Southern 100 course develops as an important and popular counterpoint to the larger TT races (105). The establishment of the millennium way in 1979 created a long distance foot path that passes through Ballasalla (106).
The area surrounding the current day Ronaldsway airport was a key area during world war one and two. There are a large number of 20th Century military buildings that were recorded within the study area prior to 2006 when a series of books were published looking
manual pumps (71 and 72), stand-by set house for emergency electricity supply (74) and an electricity sub-station (89) were also established. A Royal Observation Corp Post was established in Castletown – this post was later adapted to become the official nuclear warning and monitoring organisation (104).
| Period | Number of Sites | Sites from DBA |
|---|---|---|
| Mesolithic c. 8000-4000 BC | 4 | Flint scatters (1, 3), settlement site (2) and extensive evidence of activity (4). |
| Neolithic c. 4000-2200 BC | 5 | Settlement evidence (5, 6, 7) and Earthfast Jars (8, 9) |
| Bronze Age c. 2200-500 BC | 11 | Barrows and burial sites (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16), settlement sites (17, 18, 19) and a saddle quern (20) |
| Iron Age c. 500BC – 900 AD | 3 | Ditch (21) and promontory forts (22 and 23). |
| Medieval 900- 1550 AD | 8 | Burial ground (24), settlement evidence (25), Rushen Abbey (26), bridge (27), Malew Church and burial ground (28) metalworking and smelting sites (29, 30) and burials (31) |
| Post Medieval 1550AD - present | 78 | Mills (1, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38 and 39), quarterland farms (40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47 and 48), lime kilns and quarries (49, 56, 57, 58), churches and chapels (50, 52, 53, 54, 55), school (51), standing stones (59), steam railway (60), national glen (61) Southern 100 course (105), military installations (62, 63, 64, 65, 67, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100, 101, 102, 103, 104) and a long-distance footpath (106) |
| Listed Building | 1 | (115) Glashen Farmhouse and attached Barn |
| Undated | 9 | Possible prehistoric settlement (107), possible metalworking site (108), possible prehistoric of early medieval burial ground (109), bowlshaped hollows (110), cropmarked enclosure (111), possible medieval watch and ward beacon (112), mound (113), geophysics results (114) |
| Total no. of sites | 115 |
Table 1: Sites by period
| Period | Number of Sites | Sites from DBA |
| Mesolithic c. 8000-4000 BC | 4 | Flint scatters (1, 3), settlement site (2) and extensive evidence of activity (4). |
| Neolithic c. 4000-2200 BC | 5 | Settlement evidence (5, 6, 7) and Earthfast Jars (8, 9) |
| Bronze Age c. 2200-500 BC | 11 | Barrows and burial sites (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16), settlement sites (17, 18, 19) and a saddle quern (20) |
| Iron Age c. 500BC – 900 AD | 3 | Ditch (21) and promontory forts (22 and 23). |
| Medieval 900- 1550 AD | 8 | Burial ground (24), settlement evidence (25), Rushen Abbey (26), bridge (27), Malew Church and burial ground (28) metalworking and smelting sites (29, 30) and burials (31) |
| Post Medieval 1550AD - present | 78 | Mills (1, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38 and 39), quarterland farms (40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47 and 48), lime kilns and quarries (49, 56, 57, 58), churches and chapels (50, 52, 53, 54, 55), school (51), standing stones (59), steam railway (60), national glen (61) Southern 100 course (105), military installations (62, 63, 64, 65, 67, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100, 101, 102, 103, 104) and a long-distance footpath (106) |
| Listed Building | 1 | (115) Glashen Farmhouse and attached Barn |
| Undated | 9 | Possible prehistoric settlement (107), possible metalworking site (108), possible prehistoric of early medieval burial ground (109), bowl-shaped hollows (110), cropmarked enclosure (111), possible medieval watch and ward beacon (112), mound (113), geophysics results (114) |
| Total no. of sites | 115 |
The extensive number of archaeological sites listed from this area confirms it as one of the most archaeologically significant on the Isle of Man. The landscape has a rich prehistoric archaeology with evidence of settlement and occupation of the landscape from the Mesolithic to the Iron Age. The presence of Rushen Abbey in the area led to the development of the landscape with houses, churches, farms and mills. The area is also of crucial importance in understanding the 20th century military role of the island.
There is a high potential for archaeological evidence from any period to be uncovered during construction work that breaks new ground in the study area.
The potential for prehistoric remains is particularly high. The Mesolithic flint scatter uncovered at Ballahick (3) is within the area to be developed and is strong evidence that the area has a high potential for producing prehistoric remains. Developments at Balthane (7, 11 and 108), the airport (2, 6, 8, 12 and 17) and in relation to the installation of pipelines (9) in recent years have frequently uncovered archaeological sites for which there was no surface indicator of their presence. At Billown (4, 5 and 18) Quarry Darvill (1999: 25) commented:
“…the Billown Quarry Site is clearly a major focus of prehistoric activity of many different sorts over a long period of time. It should be noted however, that prior to excavation, the site looked just like any number of cultivated fields in the Island. There were no visible earthworks, and while fieldwalking had certainly brought to light some interesting pieces of worked flint neither the range nor the density of material was exceptional.”
Archaeological research in this area proves, time and again, that the area is rich in prehistoric remains for which there is often no surface indication. Furthermore, there are a number of indicators that there may be further remains in the area that we are yet to understand. The crop marks identified to the west of the Douglas road (see Figure 29) are indicative of further archaeological remains in the area. The geophysical survey in Balthane
(114), very close to Site 3, ahead of the development of a field produced results indicative of archaeological remains. The cropmarks identified to the north of the runway at Ronaldsway (111) suggest significant activity in the area that may impact upon Site 3. Finally the hollows (110) and mounds (113) within the Freeport and Balthane area that have already been destroyed by development are indicative of the high level of activity in this area. Given that the majority of Site 3 is currently undeveloped green fields, and appears to have been since at least the Medieval period it is unlikely that archaeological remains in the area have been disturbed by construction (the exception here is remains that have been disturbed by the farm buildings, drainage ditches and access road in the centre of Site 3 and the railway line).
As such, a complete geophysical survey of the entire of Site 3 is the recommendation of this report. As some periods of archaeology, such as the Mesolithic, would not be visible from geophysical results alone, some other evaluation including field walking of ploughed ground and test pitting may also be required.
The transmitting station for the Ronaldsway regional Control Centre (66) is located within the Area of Site 3. The building is now a residential house and presumably has undergone significant modification from its original use. If this house is to remain untouched during development then no action would be necessary, if however the house is going to be subject to modification or demolition as part of the development then recording of the building and any parts of it associated with the regional control centre may be advised.
Ballahick lime kiln (49) is located just to the east of Site 3, falling just outside of the area to be developed. Lime kilns are an important part of the industrial archaeology and heritage of the island and there is a possibility that archaeological remains associated with the lime kiln may be found in the east of Site 3. As such, this area should be treated sensitively and the results of the geophysical survey in the area should be checked to see if evidence of activity relating to the lime kiln is likely to have survived and a watching brief for any trenching or construction work here would be recommended.
The results of the recommended geophysical survey should be used as the basis from which to design a programme of trial trenching, test pitting and watching briefs that will effectively explore any archaeological remains that might be within the area and protect any archaeological and heritage assets that may be at risk as a result of development.
The area covered by Site 3 is bordered to the west by the Steam Railway Line. When the train departs from Ballasalla for Douglas the section of railway that follows is dominated by green fields and countryside, any development should consider the visual impact on the railway line.
As a result of this assessment it is advised that the following action may be required prior to development:
Geophysical survey of the entire area to be developed. Results of the geophysical survey to be used to plan archaeological intervention going forward. Field walking of ploughed areas and test pitting Consideration of the visual impact of development on the Steam Railway line.
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Standard and guidance for desk-based assessment http://www.archaeologists.net/sites/default/files/node-files/DBA2012-Working-draft.pdf
Standard and guidance for archaeological field evaluation http://www.archaeologists.net/sites/default/files/node-files/ifa_standards_field_eval.pdf
Standard and guidance for excavation http://www.archaeologists.net/sites/default/files/node-files/ifa_standards_excavation.pdf
Standard and guidance for an archaeological watching brief http://www.archaeologists.net/sites/default/files/node-files/ifa_standards_watching.pdf
Standard and guidance for the archaeological investigation and recording of standing buildings or structures http://www.archaeologists.net/sites/default/files/node-files/ifa_standards_buildings.pdf
Standard and guidance for geophysical survey http://www.archaeologists.net/sites/default/files/node-files/Geophysics2010.pdf
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1826 Drinkwater, 1867 Woods Atlas,
Geological Survey of Great Britain 1: 50 000 drift edition reprinted 1975 Soils of the Isle of Man based on the 1969 OS 1inch to 1 mile
Crellin, Chapman & Mytum 2014, Centre for Manx Studies, University of Liverpool: Desk-Based Assessment - Ballasalla, Site 3, Malew. October, 2014
Location: Land to the south east of Ballasalla, between Douglas Road and Balthane Industrial Estate, Ballasalla, Malew Size of Site: 19 ha Proposed designation: See Development Brief Site Assessment Framework (Residential Score): 50/68
(Employment Score): 43/60
4.28.1 This site is largely contained by the route of the proposed Ballasalla By-pass but part of the site lies to the south of the by-pass route, bounded by Balthane Industrial Estate and Ballahick Lane. An approval on this site will need to be linked to a legal agreement(s) prepared in accordance with Section 13 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1999. Such a legal agreement(s) should address inter aliathe issue of the construction of the Ballasalla By-pass alongside phased development on the site. The proposed Planning Policy Statement (PPS) on ‘Contributions to the Ballasalla By-pass’ is intended to deal with the stretch of the Ballasalla By-pass road between the south western boundary of Site 3 and Balthane Corner. The PPS will identify the mechanism by which Government will use any monies accrued via the release of the Strategic Reserve sites, and any other additional sites, as well as any other monies which Government is prepared to commit, to this section of the Ballasalla By-pass in the future.
i. Include detailed plans for the Ballasalla By-pass route and design (including an associated landscaped buffer) as well as an agreed design solution for traversing the steam railway line; the preferred option being a level crossing.
Location: North-east of Freeport, Malew Proposed designation: Office/industrial (see Development Brief 4, Chapter 6)
Location: Land to the north of the Ronaldsway Industrial Estate Road and to the west of the RLC Engineering Group Building, Malew Proposed designation: See Development Brief 5, Chapter 6
Location: Corner of Douglas Road and Victoria Road, Castletown Size of Site 3.7 ha Previous designation: Open Space Proposed designation: Predominantly Residential (Proposed) Site Assessment Framework (Residential Score): 52/68
4.32.1 The site adjoins the Castletown Conservation Area and is close to Castletown Railway Station which is a Registered Building. The site is in a good position being close to existing residential development, located on a main road and bordered by development to the north-east and west. As such, residential development is considered appropriate on this site. The Airport Runway Public Safety Zone (PSZ) includes the northern corner of the site and this should be considered as part of any scheme.
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The area referred to as ‘Site 3’ within ‘The Area Plan for the South’ (D. Cretney, 2012) has been designated as an area for development. The site is described within the document as follows (D. Cretney, 2012: 47); Location: land to the south east of Ballasalla, between Douglas Road and Balthane Industrial Estate, Ballasalla, Malew.
The ‘Development Brief’ for this area takes into consideration its potential archaeological significance and point 7 states that;
The site has potential archaeological significance. An appropriate archaeological evaluation must be carried out on the site and suitable archaeological mitigation designed into any proposed scheme. The applicant is encouraged to discuss this with Manx National Heritage prior to the submission of any application for this site (D. Cretney, 2012: 48).
The developers have therefore approached the Centre for Manx studies to prepare a proposal for archaeological evaluation in response to the development brief.
Manx National Heritage (MNH) were consulted via telephone on 20/05/13 and were formally asked to provide a more detailed archaeological brief via email on 21/05/13. At this stage we are still awaiting a response in writing, but feel that the discussion over the telephone provided us with enough guidance to proceed with formulating a proposal.
The standard procedure for these types of archaeological evaluation usually fall into two distinct parts 1) The Desk Based Assessment and Archaeological Field Survey / Walk Over Survey and 2) Field Evaluation. Part one has to be completed in order to inform part two.
It is therefore not possible at this stage to provide a complete costing for the whole evaluation, but only specific parts. Once the ‘Desk-Based Assessment’ and the ‘Walk Over Survey’ have been completed discussions would need to take place between ‘The Client’, MNH and the Archaeological Contractors as to how to proceed. Further detailed costings could then be provided for this second stage of work.
A Desk-Based Assessment will determine, as far as reasonably possible from existing records, the nature of the archaeological resource within a specified area. In this case the whole of the area defined as ‘Site 3’ on Map 4 (web link in bibliography) and the area surrounding ‘Site 3’ up to a distance of 1.5 km from the edge of ‘Site 3’.
Manx National Heritage defines a desk-based assessment as follows;
A desk-based assessment draws together existing knowledge of archaeological, historical and heritage assets for a given area from available archive resources, eg Isle of Man National Monuments and Historic Environment Record, historic maps, photographs, aerial photographs, published and unpublished sources and archives, etc. The main repository for such information is the MNH Library and Archive.
The outcome of the desk-base assessment having consulted all of the relevant sources will therefore be a report that:
| For the desk-based assessment and the writing of the report we propose a costing of £1300 + VAT<br><br>This would consist of 7 days at £150 and 1 day by the Centre’s Senior Archaeologist at £250. |
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An archaeological field survey is a method by which archaeologists search for archaeological sites and collect information about the location and landscape setting of these sites, by going out into the landscape.
Manx National Heritage defines a field survey as follows;
The desk-based assessment will be followed up by a rapid field survey to understand landscape setting and other relevant issues, particularly existing land uses and geology, and to prove and assess the present condition of assets identified through the desk-based assessment, and any vulnerabilities or impacts posed by the proposed development.
The outcome of the field visit will be a report which addresses all of the elements outline above.
| For the field / walk over survey and the writing of the report we propose a costing of £1000 + VAT<br><br>This would consist of 5 days at £150 and 1 day by the Centre’s Senior Archaeologist at £250. |
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This part can be broken down into several sub-sections based on the different techniques that can be applied. In broad terms they apply to above ground archaeology i.e. buildings archaeology and the below ground archaeology. The extent to which they are applied and therefore how much they will cost will very much depend on the results from the DeskBased Assessment and the Field Survey and the outcome of discussions between all the relevant parties following its dissemination.
MNH states that;
Field evaluation shall be restricted to the sample investigation of the site physically effected by the proposed development, and must also include those areas required for services and utilities.
In order to plan this stage of the ‘Archaeological Evaluation’ we would need to see a plan of the proposed development and to be fully briefed on the types of ground works that will be taking place. We would also need to know about the location of service trenches, potential landscaping and where any earth moving may take place. Added to this information we would also need to know where any form of temporary structure are going to be located.
Assessing below ground archaeology
Archaeological geophysical survey uses non-intrusive and non-destructive techniques to determine the presence or absence of anomalies likely to be caused by archaeological features, structures or deposits, as far as reasonably possible, within a specified area. Geophysical survey determines the presence of anomalies of archaeological potential through measurement of one or more physical properties of the subsurface.
A geophysical survey will as far as possible inform on the presence or absence, character, extent and in some cases apparent relative phasing of buried archaeology. The results from the survey can be used to inform strategies for the further recording, preservation or management of the resource possible archaeological resource.
By combining the information from the client outlined above with the information produced in the desk-based assessment, walk over survey and any geophysical results it will then be possible to suggest locations for archaeological evaluation trenches where any potential archaeology is likely to be destroyed by the development works.
These evaluation trenches will determine the presence or absence of archaeological features, structures, deposits, artefacts or ecofacts. They will help to record their character, extent, quality and preservation and inform development planning and any other necessary work.
Coupled with excavating archaeological evaluation trenches ahead of development it may also be felt desirable to conduct a watching brief where archaeological remains may be present.
An archaeological watching brief will record the archaeological resource during development within a specified area using appropriate methods and practices. An archaeological watching brief is a programme of observation and investigation to record archaeological remains (where present) during demolition and or ground works.
In simple terms an archaeologist is on hand to observe and record any archaeology that may appear during for example the digging of foundation trenches.
Where archaeological remains are identified from stages a) and b) and are defined as highly significant to Manx culture and history by MNH, and where preservation in situ is not possible, targeted full excavations, conservation and reporting of results will be required. This is to mitigate the effects of development and allow the Manx people to appreciate and understand their past, even when its original location has been lost through development.
The scale and timing of this will be agreed by the developer, MNH and the archaeological contractor.
Assessing above ground archaeology
As part of that process it may be felt appropriate to undertake some form of buildings recording.
There are four different levels of recording that can be undertaken for a building. An appropriate form and level of recording will build upon existing knowledge, and will be shaped both by the nature and perceived significance of the building (EH 2006, pg. 3).
For a full detailed description of the different levels of recording see ‘Understanding Historic Buildings: A guide to good recording practice’ (web link provided at the end).
Some elements of the survey and evaluation can be completed by a single member of staff, other elements will require two or three members of staff.
As a rule of thumb field archaeologists’ time will cost £150 per day plus VAT. There will also be certain elements of the project that require the time of the Centre’s Senior Archaeologist, and his time will cost £250 per day plus VAT.
| For the desk-based assessment we propose a costing of £1300 + VAT<br><br>For the field / walk over survey we propose a costing of £1000 + VAT |
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Cretney, D. (2012) The Area Plan for the South: Incorporating the Parishes of Rushen, Arbory, and Malew, the Villages of Port Erin and Port St. Mary, and the Town of Castletown, Isle of Man: Statutory Document Number: 0719/2012
http://www.gov.im/lib/docs/transport/planning/plan/approved_southplan/areaplanforthesouthwrit tenst.pdf
http://www.gov.im/lib/docs/transport/planning/plan/approved_southplan/southernareaplanmap4 ballasal.pdf
English Heritage documents Understanding Historic Buildings: A guide to good recording practice (2006) http://www.helm.org.uk/upload/pdf/Understanding_Historic_Buildings_1.pdf
IFA Codes, Standards and Guidance Institute for Archaeologists – Codes, Standards and Guidelines http://www.archaeologists.net/codes/ifa Standard and guidance for desk-based assessment http://www.archaeologists.net/sites/default/files/node-files/DBA2012-Working-draft.pdf Standard and guidance for archaeological field evaluation http://www.archaeologists.net/sites/default/files/node-files/ifa_standards_field_eval.pdf Standard and guidance for excavation http://www.archaeologists.net/sites/default/files/node-files/ifa_standards_excavation.pdf Standard and guidance for an archaeological watching brief http://www.archaeologists.net/sites/default/files/node-files/ifa_standards_watching.pdf
Standard and guidance for the archaeological investigation and recording of standing buildings or structures http://www.archaeologists.net/sites/default/files/node-files/ifa_standards_buildings.pdf
Standard and guidance for geophysical survey http://www.archaeologists.net/sites/default/files/node-files/Geophysics2010.pdf
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