Save Roman Southwell - Plan for Roman site opposed

Town councillors have objected to fresh plans for housing on the former Church Street site of The Minster School, Southwell.

Southwell Heritage Trust wants the site, where archaeologists have found a Roman villa said to be of national importance, to become a heritage park.

There were calls, at a meeting of Southwell Town Council planning committee, for Newark and Sherwood District Council to deal with the park proposal at the same time as the homes application.

The application is for nine homes, and proposes that the key archaeology be preserved in situ and not built on.

A Saxon burial ground has also been found at the site and could provide a link between the Roman occupation of Southwell and the minster cathedral.

The Southwell committee, whose comments are forwarded to the district council, objected to the homes for five main reasons.

These were the prematurity of the application, the proposed design and layout, the impact on the archaeology, the impact on views of the minster, and the absence of lower-cost housing.

The committee chairman for the night, Mrs Beryl Prentice, said the heritage trust application should be dealt with by the district council at the same time as the homes plan.

She said, and colleagues agreed, the homes plan was premature, because allocations mapping development in the district were being assessed by a planning inspector and the outcome wasn’t known.

Mr Peter Harris said it wasn’t a consideration as to whether the applicant made money from the sale of the homes or not.

He said that what branded the application a joke was the fact it was being suggested the homes would sell for £600,000 when he thought they would achieve seven figures.

Mr Harris said: “I am opposed to this application because I fundamentally don’t think it is appropriate to have this level of development in what is essentially now an open space.

“Any other town with an adjacent cathedral wouldn’t get significant development. Having said that district council planners seem keen for this site to be developed.”

A member of the public, Katie Todd, of Church Street, feared the application could bring flooding.

She said in 2007 30-40 properties were affected and recent deluges had led to worry of a repeat.

Another resident, Mr Peter Kent, said at 21/2 storeys high, the houses would be massive and views of the minster would be affected.

 

From: http://www.newarkadvertiser.co.uk/articles/news/Plan-for-Roman-site-opposed

News - Diggers move on to site (Southwell)

Further archaeological investigation is taking place at a site in Southwell that is believed to contain Roman remains of national significance.


Work taking place on the Church Street site.There had been no activity on the former Minster School site on Church Street since a planning application for 29 homes was rejected.

But concerns were raised when heavy machinery, including JCBs, were spotted carrying out work.

The site is believed to contain the remains of a Roman villa and archaeologists hope it could provide the link between the Roman occupation of Southwell and the building of the minster.

Town councillor Mrs Sue Rodgers, a former member of Nottinghamshire County Council’s archaeology team, said the county council’s archaeologist Ursilla Spence was aware of the investigations taking place.

Mrs Rodgers said: “There are no worries about the archaeology on site. The work is further archaeological work being carried out, not building work.”

Mrs Rodgers said she had been liaising with the landowner, Caunton Properties Limited, and heritage groups to try to reach a compromise over the future of the site.

She said: “No one has come forward to say they are interested in a compromise so for the time being it is all on hold.”

Mr Peter Kent, a member of the Roman Heritage Park campaign group, which wants to see the site turned into a heritage park, said the group had concerns about the work taking place.

He said: “I have been approached by several people enquiring about what is happening.

“Ursilla Spence has assured me that it is all under control and the work is being carried out by Preconstruct Archaeology, which is a reputable firm.

“There have been a lot of rumours going around about the site.”

Mr Kent, also a member of Southwell Archaeology, said the group would like there to be more information available about work taking place.

He said: “Some of the treatment looks pretty brutal but it looks as if it is quite an extensive archaeological investigation.

“There is so much speculation there and that would be much better if the groups were involved.”
  From: http://www.newarkadvertiser.co.uk/articles/news/Diggers-move-on-to-site

Event - Children invited to dig into the past of town (Southwell)

ENTHUSIASTS will be digging into the past of historic Southwell next month – and everyone can join in.


The project to uncover more information about the town's past will be led by Southwell Community Archaeology Group and the University of Nottingham's Department of Archaeology.

Plans for the day include the excavation of two archaeological 'test pits' where it is hoped finds or features will be brought to light. There will be plenty of opportunity to speak to the archaeologists and excavators about what has been found.

There is no charge and youngsters under parental supervision are welcome to take part in activities.

Southwell Archaeology will present a display including more information about the Burgage Earthworks Project.

The university will display finds from last year's test pit project in the town as well as offering an opportunity to sign up for this year's season in June.

Visitors are invited to bring in any object found in the garden and get it identified. There will be a prize for the most interesting.

The Community Archaeology Day takes place at the Hearty Goodfellow pub, Church Street, on Saturday, May 12.

For more information contact info@southwellarchaeology.org.uk or call 07786 521512.

From: http://www.thisisnottingham.co.uk/Children-invited-dig-past-town/story-15959153-detail/story.html

News - Medieval remains revealed (Southwell)

Evidence of extensive Medieval burials has been found on a site earmarked for homes in Southwell, it can be revealed.

The graves could prove a continuation of burials in the Church Street area from at least the late Saxon period to modern times.

The results of an interim evaluation of what has been found at Platts Orchard, which has planning permission for three homes, is expected to be made public next week by Newark and Sherwood District Council.

The private company, Pre-Construct Archaeological Services Ltd, with oversight from the county council archaeological team, was commissioned to conduct an investigation by site owner, Gascoines Group Ltd, eight months ago.

Six trenches were dug. According to the company’s report, Trench Five revealed the presence of an extensive area of human burials, which the district council’s planning services manager, Mr Pete Wilkinson, believes are Medieval.

Samples taken from the trench have been sent away to be carbon-dated.

Since the burial area is proposed to be gardens under the development plans, it is recommended to leave it undisturbed and the remains preserved in situ.

Mr Wilkinson said Trench Six did not reveal human remains, leading the archaeologists to believe the burial ground ended before reaching it.

Four more trenches were dug in locations where the three homes can be built.

These revealed archaeological remains within 50cm of the surface, but no further evidence of burials.

It is proposed the topsoil be removed from this area when earth-movers return to site, and what is found examined, excavated and recorded.

The district council told the Advertiser it intends to publish the interim archaeological report in full when the carbon data results are returned.

It is an interim report because the topsoil removal has not yet taken place.

The district council insisted on a full archaeological study in 2007 when a planning inspector granted planning permission on appeal for three dwellings it had refused.

There was no requirement to carry out archaeological investigations until construction work started.

Mr Wilkinson said if important discoveries were made as a result of the carbon-dating or topsoil removal and the site had potential to become nationally significant, then English Heritage could step in.

Any planning consent could be overridden by such a discovery, he said.

English Heritage were called in when a Roman wall on the former Minster School site on Church Street was unearthed during a similar study.

The site, close to the minster, contains the remains of what is believed to be a Roman villa, which, linked to Platts Orchard, could provide evidence of continual burials through the ages to modern times.

Nottinghamshire County Council was accused of not keeping the people of Southwell informed of what was happening with regard to the archaeological investigations at Platts Orchard.

A Southwell district councillor, Mr Julian Hamilton, described the non-publication of the evaluation report as an inordinate delay and said the county council should give timely reports on this, and other similar evaluations in Nottinghamshire.

Sally Gill, the county council’s planning manager, said: “The owner of the piece of land formerly known as Platts Orchard in Southwell commissioned Pre-Construct Archaeology to carry out an archaeological investigation of the site last June.

“The vast majority of archaeological work that takes place in the UK is carried out by commercial archaeological companies commissioned by developers.

“The role of the county council’s archaeological team has been to monitor the investigation at Platts Orchard on behalf of Newark and Sherwood District Council and ensure that it has been carried out to the best possible standard.

“We look forward to seeing the final report which is expected shortly.”

A spokesman for Gascoines Group said: “Gascoines Group took the best possible archaeological advice which it followed to the letter to the complete satisfaction of the district and county councils.

“We then commenced development and as it progresses we shall continue with the advice of our archaeologists.”

 

From: http://www.newarkadvertiser.co.uk/articles/news/Medieval-remains-revealed

Save Roman Southwell - Housing next to Southwell Roman settlement site rejected

Proposals to build houses next to a Roman settlement site in Nottinghamshire have been rejected by councillors.

Caunton Properties Ltd submitted plans to build 29 properties on Church Street in Southwell.

Officers had recommended that Newark and Sherwood District Council should approve the application.

More than 3,000 people, including several high-profile academics, signed a petition against the development.

Southwell Town Council also objected to the plans.

'Rare remains'

The district council planning committee voted to refuse the application on 8 November on the grounds of design and density of houses proposed.

The site is next to what could be one of the largest Roman villas in the UK, according to Dr Will Bowden, an expert in Roman archaeology.

The University of Nottingham lecturer said the discovery of "rare" remains dating back to the 7th or 8th Century made the site "wholly inappropriate" for development.

Campaigner Peter Kent said he was "highly delighted" with the outcome of the planning meeting.

"We want to develop the entire area as a heritage park, tying in Southwell Minster and the Archbishop's Palace which already has lottery funding to develop as an area of outstanding heritage," he said.

Caunton Properties Ltd was unavailable for comment.

From: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-nottinghamshire-15655165

Save Roman Southwell - Protesters celebrate as school site homes scheme is blocked

THE rejection of plans to build 29 homes on a former school site has been hailed as a victory for "the will of the people".

A construction firm wanted to build the homes on Southwell Minster School's old Church Street site.

The site is considered to be of huge historic significance as it is home to the remains of one of the largest Roman villas in the UK.

Councillors on Newark and Sherwood District Council's planning committee last night turned down the proposals, to the relief of protesters.

After the meeting, Southwell resident Brendan Haigh expressed his delight, though admitted he is concerned more plans could be submitted. "I'm absolutely delighted with the result," he said. "It represents the will of the people.

"It would have been absolutely awful if the application had gone through, but this may not be the end of the story."

The authority had been expected to approve the proposals ahead of the meeting.

But Councillor Paul Handley, who represents Southwell North, told the meeting it was very important the plans were rejected because they didn't follow the authority's planning guidelines.

He said: "Also important to mention is that there are a lot of listed buildings in the immediate area.

"Of all the buildings surrounding it, only two have been built in the last 50 years."

Councillor Roger Dobson, of Southwell Town Council, also spoke out against the plans.

He said: "I've spoken on numerous occasions for the council, but I've never felt as passionately as on this occasion.

"There are a substantial number of people in the community who oppose it.

"The site is not only of local importance, but of national importance."

Earlier this year, the Reverend Professor Martin Henig of Oxford University said the site could be "a five-star educational and tourist resource for the town".

The proposals were submitted by Caunton Properties Ltd. They immediately found opposition from people living in the area.

A petition calling for the site to be protected from development was signed by more than 3,499 people. Campaigners said they wanted the site to remain clear and for information boards to be put up.

Southwell Town Council also objected to the proposals.

Roman remains were discovered under parts of Southwell in the 1790s. Baths which formed part of a villa were uncovered when a site in Church Street was cleared for the building of the original Southwell Minster School in 1959. The site closed down and was later destroyed by a large fire in October 2007.

No one from Caunton Properties Ltd was available for comment last night.

From: http://www.thisisnottingham.co.uk/Protesters-celebrate-school-site-homes-scheme/story-13797388-detail/story.html

Save Roman Southwell - Roman art rediscovered

Ornate Roman plaster, which is more than 1,000 years-old, has been rediscovered in Southwell Minster.

THE Dean of Southwell Minster, the Very Rev John Guille, and Dr Will Bowden, of Nottingham University, with the rediscovered plaster artwork. (051011MW1-2)

The painted plaster from the former Church Street site of the Minster School was excavated by Charles Daniels in 1959 when the first archaeological investigation of the site took place.

It was stored in the minster but forgotten about for decades until being rediscovered by Caroline Butler, the daughter of the Bishop of Southwell and Nottingham, the Right Rev Paul Butler, in the minster’s triforium — the arches surrounding the nave and quire.

The plasterwork, which is assembled on three boards, is believed to be part of the ceiling of a cold bath house.

Another part of the ceiling, including a depiction of Cupid, has hung in the minster for many years.

The rediscovered plasterwork shows marine life such as fish and seaweed, and two figures believed to be the Greek hero, Hercules, and his lover, Hebe.

It is hoped the plasterwork will form part of an exhibition of Roman archaeology found in Southwell which will be held in the minster.

Dr Will Bowden, of Nottingham University’s archaeology department, said he knew of the existence of the lost plasterwork and was excited that it had been rediscovered.

He said: “The piece with the figures is of particular interest because it was believed to be two men but looking at it now it looks more like a man and a woman, which are likely to be Hercules and Hebe.

“It’s a very high-quality painting, which suggests it was a very high-status building so clearly emphasises the importance of the villa site itself.”

Dr Bowden said it was likely that more high-quality remains lay undiscovered.

He said there were still boxes of plaster found in the minster that needed reassembling, and other pieces.

It is believed the plasterwork was originally stored in the cellar of the Dean’s residence in the minster grounds before later being moved to the cathedral.

The Dean of Southwell Minster, the Very Rev John Guille, said: “I’m delighted to see that they have been rediscovered and I look forward to making them more available for public view.”

A member of Southwell Community Archaeology Group, Mr Peter Kent, said it was astonishing how good the plasterwork was.

He said: “If we’d known we’d have been up there to find them a long time ago.”

From:http://www.newarkadvertiser.co.uk/articles/news/Roman-art-rediscovered

Save Roman Southwell - Once-in-a-lifetime chance for heritage

Roman remains in Southwell could be used for education and tourism if they are preserved, a group campaigning against development has claimed.

The Save Roman Southwell campaign wants to see the former Church Street site of the Minster School protected.

It is appealing for the site to be made a heritage area incorporating Southwell Minster, the Archbishop’s Palace and the prebendal houses on Church Street and Westgate.

Experts believe the remains site, later used as an Anglo Saxon cemetery, could provide the link between the Roman occupation of Southwell, the origins of Christianity in the town, and the building of the minster.

Mr Trevor Wight, of Save Roman Southwell, told the town council that the Roman remains were of significant archaeological importance and formed part of the historic core of the town.

He said: “We feel the historic core should be extended to create a tourist destination of local and national importance.

“What we envisage is a Roman heritage park including the archaeological remains linking with the other parts of the historic core.

“The building blocks are there because you have got the minster nearby with its own marketing and visitor guides.”

Mr Wight said they wanted the land returned to the community, which could preserve the remains and make the site usable before providing interpretation boards and a visual representation of the remains.

He said they then hoped to open the site up for archaeological investigation from experts and the community and finally create an educational facility and expose some of the remains, although this was likely to be very expensive.

Mr Wight said: “We have here a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and if we don’t take it now it will be gone.

“We have the opportunity to create a unique, attractive tourist centre on the site.

“We want to create a more complete package of tourism attractions and this has the potential not just to enhance tourism in Southwell, but tourism in Nottinghamshire.”

Caunton Properties Ltd has submitted plans for 29 homes on the site.

The plans have been delayed from going before Newark and Sherwood District Council’s planning committee several times but it is believed they will be decided by Christmas.

The Save Roman Southwell campaign and Southwell Town Council are against the application.

A member of the campaign group, Mr Peter Kent, said English Heritage was still against making the site a Scheduled Ancient Monument, which would protect it from development.

He said the group believed the site had more surprises to reveal and, if development was allowed, the remains would be lost forever.

Caunton Properties Ltd has told the town council it is considering selling the land to an Irish syndicate regardless of the outcome of the planning application.

 

From: http://www.newarkadvertiser.co.uk/articles/news/Once-in-a-lifetime-chance-for-heritage

News - Bygones: Arthur Mee (Stapleford)

FUNDED by the Stapleford and District Local History Society, the plaque at the Arthur Mee Centre in Stapleford reminds us of the extraordinary man who wrote the Children's Encyclopedia and founded and edited the Children's Newspaper.

Arthur Mee was born in Stapleford on July 21, 1875, at a house now demolished on Church Street. He was the second of ten children of Henry Mee, a railway fireman, and his wife Mary.

Subsequently they lived at a house on Orchard Street, and also at 7 Pinfold Lane where, in the 1881 census, Arthur Mee was described as a scholar.

All these sites have subsequently been re-developed.

Young Arthur attended the local school, now the Arthur Mee Centre. When he was 14, in 1889, the family moved to 237 Woodborough Road, Nottingham, and at the time of the 1891 census they were living at 126 Manning Street.

By then Arthur had left school and become a copy-holder on the Nottingham Evening Post. In 1891 he became an apprentice reporter on the Nottingham Daily Express, and in 1895, aged just 20, he was appointed editor of the Nottingham Evening News.

Arthur's journalism star was rising rapidly. By now he was already contributing articles to magazines, and Nottingham was no longer big enough for his expectations.

Arthur moved from Nottingham to London in 1896 when he was 21, and the following year he married 19-year-old Amelia (Amy) Fratson.

By 1901 they were living at 27 Lanercost Road, Tulse Hill, Lambeth, where their daughter, Marjorie, was born that same year. It was a substantial house and must have been relatively new when the Mees lived there. Surprisingly for the time, they had no servants, but they did have a boarder. Arthur was obviously stretching himself!

Mee moved to London because he had contacts. The Nottingham Daily's Express's Evening News was owned by John Hammerton who encouraged Mee's career, including his regular contributions to Tit-Bits. Mee worked for the magazine when he moved to London.

In 1898 he joined the staff of the Daily Mail for which he became literary editor in 1903.

Mee seems to have grown tired of journalism. In 1903 he began working for Alfred Harmsworth's Amalgamated Press, and he was appointed joint general editor in 1905 with John Hammerton, of The Harmsworth Self-Educator. This took him away from newspaper work towards more general writing.

As a result, London was no longer so important to Mee and in 1905 he and his wife and daughter moved to a house in Hextable, Kent, where they lived until 1914.

Financially secure, Arthur Mee was now able to devote himself to full-time writing, and in conjunction with Hammerton he produced The History of the World (1907-9), Natural History (1909-11) and The World's Great Books.

In 1908 he began work on The Children's Encyclopaedia (1908-10) which came out as a fortnightly magazine, and was later published and bound in eight volumes, subsequently increased to ten.

Mee was now skilled at popularising general knowledge and assembling vast quantities of documentation from which to write his material.

He wrote extraordinarily fast – something in the region of 3,000 words a day, every day, for 50 years!

His My Magazine appeared from 1910 until 1935, and he edited the weekly Children's Newspaper from its beginning in 1919 edited until his death in 1943.

The Children's Newspaper continued publication until 1964.

The British Library has well over 400 items, including second and later editions, of works attributed to Mee.

How he found time for his only other interests of gardening and DIY, is remarkable.

In 1914 Mee commissioned a house at Eynsford, near Sevenoaks, in Kent.

The designs were depicted in later editions of The Children's Encyclopaedia. He lived there for the rest of his life.

Apart from the Children's Encyclopaedia and the Children's Newspaper, Mee wrote The Children's Bible, The Children's Shakespeare, an edition of The Pilgrim's Progress, and A Children's Life of Jesus, and numerous other books.

Mostly they were moral, pious and, especially in the 1930s, patriotic, reflecting the values of the day.

In 1936 Mee started a new venture, called The King's England, a series of county studies designed to be "a new Domesday Book of 10,000 Towns and Villages".

Mee and his researchers set out to record the ancient, beautiful and curious historic possessions of England since the motor car made it possible.

The researchers were to include the obvious glories, the strange, the odd and the unusual, and they were expected to pick up a good anecdote along the way.

Mee wrote of Stapleford that "Fifty years ago it was a quiet village", but now it has "given away its rural charm and accepted its place in industry".

Many of the county volumes are still available, and The King's England Press was founded in 1989 to reprint them as classic guides to 1930s countryside as well as historical documents in their own right.

Mee died in 1943 but his legacy lives on and he is now officially commemorated in his home town.

From:http://www.thisisnottingham.co.uk/Bygones-Arthur-Mee/story-13010560-detail/story.html

News - Stepping up campaign to save Roman heritage (Southwell)

A toga-clad campaigner helped to inspire about 400 people to sign a petition to protect Roman remains in Southwell, where home-owners are being asked to let archaeologists dig in their gardens.

 

The Save Roman Southwell campaign wants to see the former Church Street site of The Minster School, which is earmarked for 29 homes, protected against development and transformed into a heritage area.

Campaign member Mr John Lock dressed in a toga to encourage people to sign the petition in the Market Square on Saturday.

Mr Lock said he bought the material for his costume from Boyes of Newark and Roman-style jewellery from Primark to complete the look.

Residents are also being asked to consider letting archaeologists excavate their gardens to look for Roman remains.

Nottingham University’s archaeology department is hoping to find out more about the nature of the Roman settlement in Southwell by undertaking the excavations.

They believe the town was a thriving centre of Roman activity and was possibly one of the most important locations of its age.

From Saturday, June 4, to Saturday, June 18, archaeologists from the university will be working in the area, carrying out surveys and small-scale excavations.

They are looking for volunteers to have test-pits dug in their gardens.

In a location agreed with the home-owner the team will excavate a one-metre by one-metre pit that will be completed in a day unless something interesting is found and the home-owner is happy for work to continue.

After the excavation, the area will be returned to its previous state.

In return for allowing access to their garden residents will be invited to participate in the excavation and learn more about what the archaeologists find.

They will also be invited to the end-of-excavation party.

Anyone wishing to be involved should contact Dr Naomi Sykes on 01636 813460 or email Naomi.sykes@nottingham.ac.uk with their contact details and possible dates when the excavation could take place.

To sign the petition or find out more about the Save Roman Southwell campaign visit www.facebook.com/SaveRomanSouthwell

 

From: http://www.newarkadvertiser.co.uk/articles/news/Stepping-up-campaign-to-save-Roman-heritage

News - Excavation calls for homes site (Southwell)

Calls have been made for an archaeological investigation on a site earmarked for housing in case it contains Roman remains. 

A planning application has been submitted for three houses at Platts Orchard, Southwell. It is near the former Church Street site of the Minster School, which contains the remains of a Roman villa.

The plans were approved on appeal by the Planning Inspectorate about three years ago but permission must be renewed because work has not started within the allotted time.

Mr Roger Dobson, of the town council’s planning committee, said Roman remains had been found in the area.

He said: “It is very close to the Roman villa across the road and in 2002 Severn Trent were working on the road just outside Normanton Prebend and discovered the north wing of the villa so we do know the villa buildings go across the road.

“We should insist that if development goes ahead we must have a preliminary investigation because of the proximity to the villa.”

The council will object to the application on the grounds that the site originally had one house and so should be replaced with only one, the increase in traffic on Church Street, and the impact on views.

A letter will also be sent to the district council asking for an archaeological assessment to take place before development starts and for a mitigation strategy to be implemented if remains were discovered.

The district council will decide the application.

For more on this and other stories buy the Southwell Advertiser every Thursday.

 

From: http://www.newarkadvertiser.co.uk/articles/news/Excavation-calls-for-homes-site