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

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 - Homes turned down...

Just had an e-mail stating the planning application for 29 homes on the site have been turned down, more news as I get it....

News - Notts Palace step nearer renovation dream (Southwell)

THE medieval palace of the archbishops of York in Southwell is a step nearer being restored to its former glory.

The former home of Cardinal Wolsey, next to Southwell Minster, has got through the first round of the Heritage Lottery Fund's (HLF) restoration application process.

It will now receive £155,000 from HLF and be able to apply for a further £1m to support its restoration plans.

The palace rests on part of one of the largest Roman villas in the country, and was where the surrender of King Charles I was organised by his Scottish captors.

The building is now partly in ruins.

The Great Hall within the palace is in regular use by the Minster's young choristers, visiting school parties and community groups from across Notts.

A proposed wide-ranging revamp of the Great Hall will include the tackling of structural problems and decorative decay while improving public access. The ruins will be stabilised and the whole palace, once renovated, would be more widely available as an education and community resource.

The Dean of Southwell, The Very Reverend John Guille, said: "These initial funds are a fantastic boost and will enable us to begin planning for the work to preserve and restore this hidden historical gem for future generations and for the wider benefit of the community now. I am deeply grateful to the Heritage Lottery Fund for this development award."

From: http://www.thisisnottingham.co.uk/news/Notts-Palace-step-nearer-renovation-dream/article-3377978-detail/article.html