Site Event/Activity record ENT5003 - Watching Brief near A617, Kelham

Location

Location A617, Kelham, Nottinghamshire
Grid reference Centred SK 4774e 3552e (994m by 504m)
Map sheet SK43NE
District Newark
Civil Parish Kelham, Newark

Technique(s)

Organisation

Wessex Archæology

Date

Not recorded.

Map

Description

The Scheme is located 500 m northeast of the village of Averham and approximately 250m south of Kelham Hall. From the south-west, the Scheme traverses arable fields within the extent of the former Kelham Hall Gardens for approximately 500 m before turning east-south-east where it crosses the River Trent and continues to the east towards the A617. From the A617 the Scheme travels south-east for a short distance before branching, with one section remaining on an east-south-east alignment while the other section turns north-east for approximately 85m. Archaeological monitoring was undertaken during ground reductions along the easement and during the excavations of the pipe trench. The most significant result from the watching brief is the identification of a former gateway or gatehouse fronting on to the modern A617. The date of this structure is not known and interpretation of the role of this feature in the historic landscape is problematic. It may be that the gateway is associated with an unknown Civil-War-era house or fortification. The gateway may represent an entrance to an unknown high-status dwelling, or an elaborate gate complex associated with lower status occupation, perhaps a farm. A brick and flagstone post-medieval drain was recorded from the west of the scheme. The drain may represent the overflow from a pond visible on historic mapping of 1847. Peat deposits possibly associated with this former pond (possibly a relict meander of the River Trent as identified by a previous geoarchaeological assessment) were excavated. An environmental sample taken from this peat deposit along with another from elsewhere on Site were assessed and found to have low potential for artefacts and ecofacts. A large ditch denoting the parish boundary between Kelham and Averham was excavated. A 20th-century brick path possibly representing a garden feature associated with Kelham Hall was also uncovered. Unstratified and residual Neolithic worked flints were recovered.

Sources/Archives (1)

  • --- Unpublished document: Ashley Tuck, Andrew Reid, Martina Tenzer and Martyn Cooper. 2017. River Trent Crossing Nottinghamshire. Archaeological Watching Brief Report.

Related Monuments/Buildings (2)

  • Boundary ditch near A617, Kelham (Element)
  • Gateway near A617, Kelham (Element)

Record last edited

Jul 4 2024 12:15PM

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