**Document:** APL Wsi for Chapel and Wash House Drainage - P Davey
**Application:** 23/10107/AIR — Information in relation to condition 2 for PA 21/01297/B for a written scheme of investigation for Bishopscourt House.
**Decision:** Permitted
**Decision Date:** 2023-10-30
**Parish:** Michael
**Document Type:** consultation / utilities_response
**Source:** https://planningportal.im/a/27308-kirk-michael-bishopscourt-mansion-dwelling/documents/1037454

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# APL Wsi for Chapel and Wash House Drainage - P Davey

## Bishopscourt, Kirk Michael, Isle of Man Wri en scheme of inves ga on for archaeological watching brief

![A pencil sketch on aged paper depicting a stone building with crenellated walls and surrounding trees.](https://images.planningportal.im/2023/09/7079257.jpg)

![A hand-drawn architectural sketch or perspective view of a large historic building featuring Gothic-style arched windows and a driveway.](https://images.planningportal.im/2023/09/7079258.jpg)

Centre: NGR SC32800 92395 September 2023

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## Curragh Environmental Consultancy

#### Registered in 2010, Company No: 022475B

www.curraghec.org

#### Registered office: Close Corvalley, The Curragh, Ballaugh, IM7 5BJ

Dr Philippa Tomlinson: philippatomlinson7@gmail.com mob 497731 Dr Peter Davey: email pjd1@liv.ac.uk mob 341820

Cover illustra on: Drawing by Miss Georgina Gore Currie between 1854 and 1877 (MM1954-3601/64). Copyright Manx Na onal Heritage.

© Curragh Environmental Consultancy, 2023.

### Contents

- 1 INTRODUCTION

- 1.1 Project and planning background 4
- 1.2 Scope of document 4

- 2 ARCHAEOLOGICAL CONTEXT AND BACKGROUND

- 2.1 The archaeological poten al of the site 4
- 2.2 Recent archaeological fieldwork 4
- 2.3 The present inves ga on 5

- 3 PURPOSE, AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

- 3.1 Purpose 7
- 3.2 Aims 7
- 3.3 Objec ves 8
- 4 FIELDWORK METHODS

- 4.1 Introduc on 8
- 4.2 Scope 8
- 4.3 Methodology 8

- 5 POST-EXCAVATION METHODS AND REPORTING

- 5.1 Stra graphic evidence 9
- 5.2 Finds evidence 9
- 5.3 Environmental evidence 9
- 5.4 Repor ng 9
- 5.5 Publica on 10
- 6 ARCHIVE STORAGE AND CURATION

- 6.1 Physical archive 10
- 6.2 Digital archive 10
- 6.3 Security copy 10

- 7 OUTREACH AND SOCIAL MEDIA 10
- 8 COPYRIGHT 10
- 9 CEC ARCHAEOLOGICAL PROCEDURES

- 9.1 External quality standards 11
- 9.2 Personnel 11
- 9.3 Health and safety 11
- 9.4 Insurance 11

- 10 REFERENCES

- 10.1 Primary 11
- 10.2 Secondary: general 11
- 10.3 Secondary: Bishopscourt 12

- 1 INTRODUCTION

- 1.1 Project and planning background A planning applica on (No 21/01297/B) for the construc on of French drains and the lowering of land surface levels at Bishopscourt was approved on 8th September 2023. Two loca ons are involved: around the mid-19th century chapel of St Nicholas and along the south side of the wash house and engine house. The approval was subject to three condi ons, the second of which requires the submission of a wri en scheme of inves ga on (WSI) for a watching brief to record any archaeological remains that might be exposed:

No development shall take place un l the applicant has secured the implementa on of a programme of archaeological work in accordance with a wri en scheme of inves ga on, which has been submi ed to and approved in wri ng by the Department in consulta on with Manx Na onal Heritage. The programme of archaeological work shall be fully implemented in accordance with the approved wri en scheme of inves ga on.

Reason: The informa on is required prior to development commencing as the site is of known archaeological poten al and it is important that archaeological remains are appropriately recorded prior to their damage or destruc on by the development in accordance with Environment Policy no. 41 of The Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016 (ufm24_Approval_No ce_2020).

Curragh Environmental Consultancy (CEC) has been commissioned by Bell Burton (Douglas) on behalf of Mr. and Mrs. Giroux to produce a wri en scheme of inves ga on (WSI) for a watching brief during the reduc on of land surfaces and construc on of French drains.

- 1.2 Scope of document This WSI sets out the aims, methods and standards that will be employed. In format and content, it conforms to current best prac ce, as represented by guidance provided by Historic England (2015a) and the Chartered Ins tute for Archaeologists’ (CIfA), specifically Standard and guidance for an archaeological watching brief (CifA 2014b, 7-15).

As required by the planning condi on, this WSI will be submi ed to the Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture (DEFA) for approval, following further consulta on by the Department with Manx Na onal Heritage (MNH). Work on the site and the implementa on of the watching brief will not begin un l wri en confirma on of the content of this WSI is received.

- 2 ARCHAEOLOGICAL CONTEXT AND BACKGROUND

- 2.1 The archaeological poten al of the site The archaeological significance of the bishop’s place and demesne within a Manx context, both for prehistoric, medieval and post-medieval sites and finds is well established (eg Cro  P, Gardiner M and McDonnell P 2021, Denton 2022, Davey 2023).
- 2.2 Recent archaeological fieldwork 2002 A watching brief during the construc on of a large garage and driveway to the south of the main building complex, produced indica ons for a substan al nega ve feature, possibly a ditch of unknown

date that had been filled with po ery, glass and other domes c rubbish da ng from the mid-19th to the early 20th century (Davey and Allwood 2016, 149).

In January and February geophysical surveys were carried out over the whole estate (Barker et al 2022). These were followed in June by an archaeological evalua on consis ng of the hand excava on of 22 test-pits in areas likely to be affected by construc on of the French drains (Saunders 2022). Whilst rela vely few artefacts of significance were recovered, the evalua on was able to describe the effects of repeated landscaping episodes over much of the site and to establish the varying depths of undisturbed archaeological deposits.

- 2.3 The present inves ga on There are two separate areas involved: a) around the chapel and b) alongside the wash house and engine house.

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Figure 1: Extract from 2101297B AMD PL350B showing the area around the chapel of St Nicholas where land levels will be reduced

- a) Lowering the surface levels around the chapel of St Nicholas (fig 1) The amounts of level reduc on indicated are modest but variable in ver cal and geographic extent. The three main areas to be reduced are as follows (to avoid confusion liturgical compass direc ons are used):

- 1. Between the south of the nave, the tower and the west side of the south transept (test pit 3)

This area to be reduced to 28.00m, involving removal of between 100mm and 260mm of overburden.

Note: these levels are well above the landscaping layer iden fied in test pit 3 at between 400mm and 600mm below the present surface.

![A technical site plan detailing test pit locations, ground surface levels, and proposed drainage reductions for a chapel and wash house.](https://images.planningportal.im/2023/09/7079260.jpg)

![A site plan showing the layout of a chapel with proposed drainage levels and a test pit location.](https://images.planningportal.im/2023/09/7079261.jpg)

![A technical site plan section showing test pit locations, ground surface levels, and proposed drainage reductions for a chapel foundation.](https://images.planningportal.im/2023/09/7079262.jpg)

- 2. East of the south transept and south and south-east of the chancel (test pit 4) This area to be reduced to between 28.50m and 29.00m, involving removal of between 2mm and 340mm of overburden. The greatest reduc on close to the chapel itself.

Note: these levels are well above the founda ons of the chapel as indicated in test pit 4 which were located at 600mm below the present surface, cut through a further 250mm of landscaping layers.

- 3. The north side of the chapel (test pits 6, 7, 8-11) This much larger area to be reduced to 28.90-29.00m to the north-east of the chancel and 28.60m elsewhere, involving a removal of between 5mm and 200mm of overburden.

Note: the reduc on to 28.60m may create problems at a number of loca ons marked A on the plan because in test pit 6 the upper levels of the chapel founda ons were iden fied at 28.84m. Elsewhere the reduc on levels are well above any structure recorded in the other test pits.

In the areas to the south of the south transept and east of the east end of the chancel the present levels are to be retained.

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Figure 2: Extract from 2101297B AMD PL350B showing the route of the French drain and area south of the washhouse and engine house where land surface levels will be reduced

![A site plan showing proposed drainage works, including a new land drain trench and level adjustments.](https://images.planningportal.im/2023/09/7079263.jpg)

![A technical site plan illustrating proposed drainage works, test pits, and structural modifications for the Wash House and Engine House.](https://images.planningportal.im/2023/09/7079264.jpg)

- b) French drain and the lowering of surface levels to the west of the wash house and engine house (fig 2)

The drain

The French drain will be laid in a 600mm wide trench and connected at either end to exis ng drains. For a typical cross-sec on see Typical Land Drain Detail DN 20-167 55. The precise depth of the base of the drain trench will depend on the height required to avoid the adjacent building founda ons and at the same  me to maintain a minimum of 1:150 fall. It will not exceed 600mm in depth.

Note: test pits 1 and 2 showed that at these depths the exis ng drain had been cut through recent backfill, so that preserved stra fied deposits are unlikely to survive.

The lowering of surface levels Land surface levels will be lowered in an area between the new drain and the entrance drive into the site. A maximum of 130mm will be reduced from this area.

Note: test pits 1 and 2 revealed modern made ground to a depth of at least 570 and 580mm respec vely. It seems very unlikely that this level of reduc on of surface levels will impact stra fied archaeological deposits.

- 3 PURPOSE, AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

- 3.1 Purpose The purpose of a watching brief is:

- a) to allow, within the resources available, the preserva on, by record, of archaeological deposits, the presence and nature of which could not be established (or established with sufficient accuracy) in advance of development or other poten ally disrup ve works
- b) to provide an opportunity, if needed, for the watching archaeologist to signal to all interested par es, before the destruc on of the material in ques on, that an archaeological find has been made for which the resources allocated to the watching brief itself are not sufficient to support treatment to a sa sfactory and proper standard.

- 3.2 Aims

The aim of a watching brief is to establish and make available informa on about the archaeological resource exis ng on a site (CifA 2014b, 4).

In order to achieve the above aims, the general objec ves of this watching brief are:

to record the presence or absence of archaeological features, deposits, structures, artefacts or ecofacts within the specified area within the constraints of the brief, to record the extent, character, date, condi on and quality of any surviving archaeological remains to place any iden fied archaeological structures or finds within a wider historical and archaeological context in order to assess their significance to make available informa on about any archaeological informa on recovered from the site by means of a wri en report.

#### 3.3 Objec ves

The research objec ves are to extend and enrich the programme of specialist assessment and study of the history and archaeology of the Bishopscourt complex in which the client has been intensively engaged for the past two years (eg Barker et al 2022, Bridge 2021 and 2022, Croft, Gardiner and McDonnell 2021, Davey 2023, Denton 2022 and Saunders 2022).

##### 4 Fieldwork Methods

- 4.1 Introduc on Health and safety will take priority over archaeological ma ers (CIfA 2014a, 11).

All ac vi es will be undertaken in accordance with the methods set out within this WSI. Any significant varia ons to these methods will be agreed in wri ng with the Department and the client prior to being implemented.

- 4.2 Scope The watching brief comprises supervision and oversight of the reduc on of land levels around the chapel of St Nicholas and of the construc on of a new drain alongside the wash house and engine house and associated land level reduc on (figs 1 and 2).
- 4.3 Methodology The reduc on of land surface levels by hand and the excava on of the drain trench will be carried out by the main site contractor G.J. Ingham and Sons Limited of Peel. This process will be monitored throughout by a professional field archaeologist who will adhere throughout to the MifA’s Code of conduct and Regula ons for professional conduct (MifA 2014e and 2014f).

Given the stra graphic evidence of the test pits, in the unlikely event of any unexpected structural elements or deposits being encountered that are considered by the field archaeologist to be of archaeological or historical significance, the contractor would be requested to pause the work in that specific area. The situa on would be reported to the client and to the Inspector of Ancient Monuments so that a decision could be made on how best to progress the work considering the significance of the newly revealed structures or deposits.

- a) Recording Any newly exposed archaeological deposits and features will be recorded following the guidelines for watching briefs recommended by CifA (2014b).

A full photographic record will be made of all areas concerned both before, during and on comple on of the brief.

- b) Monitoring CEC will inform the Inspector of Ancient Monuments of the start of the watching brief. Reasonable access will be arranged for him to make site visits to inspect and monitor progress. Any varia on to the WSI will be agreed in advance with the client and the Inspector of Ancient Monuments.
- c) Reinstatement Topsoil will be retained and reinstated once the level reduc on and French drain trench have been completed. Excess spoil will be removed to the area south of the site carpark where in the longer term it will either be redistributed internally or taken off site.

- d) Finds The field archaeologist will make every a empt to recover any artefacts that might be revealed by the contractor’s work. All archaeological finds will be retained.

Should any unforeseen undisturbed organic deposits be encountered they will be sampled for future assessment.

The discovery of any human remains would be dealt with in line with the standards set out in CIfA Technical Paper 13, 1993.

As required by sec on 8 of the Isle of Man Treasure Act 2017, CEC will no fy the client and the Manx Museum and Na onal Trust of the discovery of any material covered, or poten ally covered, by sec on

- 4 of the Act within 14 days.

Should it prove necessary to remove any objects or samples from the Isle of Man for specialist study, an export license will be applied for as required by sec on 20 of the Manx Museum and Na onal Trust Act 1959, as amended.

- 5 POST-EXCAVATION METHODS AND REPORTING

- 5.1 Stra graphic evidence The records of any new structural or deposi onal evidence derived from the watching brief will be collated, checked for consistency and for its rela onship to the evidence provided by the test-pi ng programme.

A wri en descrip on will be made of all archaeologically significant features and deposits that are located during the watching brief.

- 5.2 Finds evidence

All retained finds will, as a minimum, be washed, weighed, counted and iden fied. They will then be recorded to an appropriate level according to the methodology recommended by CifA (2014c).

Finds will be suitably bagged and boxed in consulta on with the client and generally in accordance with the standards of the CIfA (2014c).

- 5.3 Environmental evidence

Any environmental samples taken during the watching brief will be retained for further analysis which would be the subject of an addi onal proposal from CEC to the client.

- 5.4 Repor ng

Following comple on of the fieldwork and the evalua on of the stra graphic, artefactual and ecofactual evidence, a dra  report will be submi ed for approval to the client and the Inspector of Ancient Monuments, for comment. Once approved, a final version will be submi ed.

The report will include the following elements:

Non-technical summary Project background Archaeological and historical context Aims and objec ves

Methods Results: stra graphic, finds and environmental Conclusions: in rela on to the project aims and objec ves, and discussion of wider local, regional or na onal implica ons Archive prepara on and deposi on arrangements Appendices: including site diary and tables of finds References

A copy of the final report will be deposited with the Historic Environment Record, along with any spa al digital data rela ng to watching brief.

- 5.5 Publica on A short report on the results of the watching brief will be prepared for publica on in a suitable journal, if considered appropriate and agreed with the client. Copies of the field records and final report will be deposited with the Archaeology Data Service (ADS).
- 6 ARCHIVE STORAGE AND CURATION The client intends to retain ownership of any finds and the archive generated by the project.

- 6.1 Physical archive The complete physical archive, which may include paper records, graphics, artefacts, and eco-facts, will be prepared following na onally recommended guidelines (CIfA 2014d; Brown 2011).
- 6.2 Digital archive The digital archive generated by the project will be deposited with Manx Na onal Heritage and the Archaeology Data Service (ADS), to ensure its long-term cura on.
- 6.3 Security copy In line with current best prac ce (eg, Brown 2011), on comple on of the project a security copy of the wri en records will be prepared in the form of a digital PDF/A file.

- 7 OUTREACH AND SOCIAL MEDIA

The clients will con nue their policy of providing copies of completed survey and research reports on aspects of the history and archaeology of Bishopscourt to the HER where they will be publicly accessible. In addi on, in the case of this watching brief, informa on will be provided to the press and social media as appropriate to the significance of any findings.

- 8 COPYRIGHT

The full copyright of the wri en/illustra ve/digital archive rela ng to the project will be retained by CEC under the Isle of ManCopyright Act 1991(as amended) with all rights reserved. A copy of the report and archive lis ng will be deposited at the Manx Museum where it can be used for educa onal purposes, including academic research, providing that such use conforms to the UK Copyright and Related Rights Regula ons 2003, as applied to the Isle of Man.

The copyright of figures 1 and 2 is retained by Adam Architecture of Winchester and London.

- 9 CURRAGH ENVIRONMENTAL CONSULTANCY ARCHAEOLOGICAL PROCEDURES

- 9.1 External quality standards All staff directly employed or subcontracted by CEC will normally be members or associate members of the CIfA or related professional associa on.
- 9.2 Personnel The watching brief will be carried out by an experienced field archaeologist with considerable experience of a range of types and periods of sites on the Isle of Man. The following key staff are proposed:

Dr Peter Davey MifA, project manager Ms Fenella Logan BA, ACifA, field archaeologist Dr Philippa Tomlinson MCIEEM, environmental archaeologist All staff are responsible for adhering to the CifA’s the Code of conduct and Regula ons for professional conduct (MifA 2014e and 2014f).

- 9.3 Health and safety All works will be undertaken in accordance with the UK Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and the Isle of Man Health and Safety at Work Order1998and all other applicable health and safety legisla on.

CEC will work collabora vely with clients on health and safety ma ers and with the principal contractors G.J. Ingham and Sons Limited of Peel.

- 9.4 Insurance CEC holds archaeology and heritage professional indemnity Insurance policies covering employers liability (£10,000,000) and public liability (£5,000,000) with Ecclesias cal Insurance Office Plc and professional indemnity insurance (£5,000,000) with AXA Insurance UK Plc.

- 10 REFERENCES

- 10.1 Primary The following documents submi ed with the planning applica on form the basis for the wri en scheme outlined above.

ufm24_Approval_No ce_2020 Typical Land Drain Detail DN 20-167 55 PROPOSED PLAN FOR GROUND LEVELS AND FRENCH DRAIN 6296 PL350-B French Drain and Levels Eleva on PL351 Wessex Archaeology, Archaeological Evalua on Ref: 260210.03 August 2022

- 10.2 Secondary: general ADS 2013, Caring for Digital Data in Archaeology: a guide to good prac ce, York: Archaeology Data

Service & Digital An quity Guides to Good Prac ce. Brown D H 2011, Archaeological Archives: a guide to best prac ce in crea on, compila on, transfer and cura on (revised edi on). Cifa 1993, Excava on and post-excava on treatment of cremated and inhumed remains (revised edi on 2022), Reading: CifA.

CIfA 2014a, Standard and guidance for archaeological field evalua on (revised edi on June 2020), Reading: CIfA.

CifA 2014b Standard and guidance for an archaeological watching brief (revised 2020), Reading: CifA. CIfA 2014c Standard and guidance for the collec on, documenta on, conserva on and research of

archaeological materials (revised edi on October 2020), Reading: CIfA.

- CIfA 2014d Standard and guidance for the crea on, compila on, transfer and deposi on of archaeological archives (revised edi on June 2020), Reading: CIfA.
- CIfA 2014e Code of conduct, Reading: CIfA.
- CIfA 2014f Regula ons for professional conduct, Reading: CIfA. Historic England 2015a, Management of research projects in the historic environment: the MoRPHE

project managers’ guide, Swindon: English Heritage.

- 10.3 Secondary: Bishopscourt Barker P, Wajzer M R, Cockroft T, Hooper D and Gater J 2022, Geophysical survey report, Bishopscourt,

Kirk Michael, Isle of Man, Upton on Severn: SUMO Geophysics ltd, report 06360.

- Bridge M C 2021, Dendrochronological dating of timbers at Bishopscourt, Kirk Michael, Isle of Man (SC 32850 92370), Mapledurham: Oxford Dendrochronology Laboratory, unpublished report 2021/23.
- Bridge M C 2022, Further dendrochronological dating of timbers at Bishopscourt, Kirk Michael, Isle of Man (SC 32850 92370), Mapledurham: Oxford Dendrochronology Laboratory, unpublished report 2022/32.

Croft P, Gardiner M and McDonnell P 2021, Bishopscourt, Isle of Man: report on the historic architecture and decorative interior, Lincoln: Lincoln Conservation, University of Lincoln. Davey P and Allwood D 2016, ‘Archaeological fieldwork and research summaries’, Isle of Man Studies,

14, 142-9.

Davey P J 2023, Bishopscourt – landscape, history and archaeology to AD 1550, Ballaugh: Curragh

Environmental Consultancy. Denton L 2022, Bishopscourt heritage statement, Winchester: Adam Architecture. Saunders B 2022, Bishopscourt, Kirk Michael Isle of Man: Archaeological Evaluation, Sheffield: Wessex

Archaeology.

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*Data sourced from the Isle of Man public planning register under the [Isle of Man Open Government Licence](https://www.gov.im/about-this-site/open-government-licence/).*
*Canonical page: https://planningportal.im/a/27308-kirk-michael-bishopscourt-mansion-dwelling/documents/1037454*