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Disabled Access, Cardiff Castle, Cardiff

Archaeological watching brief


March 2009
GGAT report no. 2009/008
Project no.P1323
A report for The City and County of Cardiff National Grid Reference:
by Rowena Hart BSc MA ST 18098 76504

GG GI
ST E R
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The Glamorgan-Gwent Archaeological Trust Ltd


Heathfield House Heathfield Swansea SA1 6EL
Disabled Access, Cardiff Castle, Cardiff: archaeological watching brief

Contents Page
Summary.............................................................................................................................. 2
Acknowledgements .............................................................................................................. 2
Copyright notice.................................................................................................................. 2
1. Introduction ........................................................................................................................ 3
1.1 Project background and commission............................................................................ 3
1.2 Location and geology ................................................................................................... 3
1.3 Archaeological background.......................................................................................... 3
2. Methodology ....................................................................................................................... 6
3. Results ................................................................................................................................. 8
4. Conclusions ....................................................................................................................... 12
Bibliography ..................................................................................................................... 13
Appendix I: Inventory of contexts ............................................................................... 14

Figures
Figure 1. Development area (shown in red)................................................................................. 5
Figure 2: Trench location ............................................................................................................. 7

Plates
Plate 1: View to the north over blocked surface 003. Cobbled surface 001 to each side of
the excavation............................................................................................................................ 9
Plate 2: View of the south facing section showing cobbles 001, sub-base 002 and block
surface 003 ................................................................................................................................ 9
Plate 3: View to the north showing service trench 004 and concrete fill 005............................ 10
Plate 4: View to the south over mid-section of trench. Showing blocked surface 003 and
cobbles 001 to the sides........................................................................................................... 10
Plate 5: View to the north over the southern section of the trench. Blocked surface 003 and
cobbles 001 visible. New stone surface visible in the top half of the photograph. ................. 11

Front cover: Showing the early 20th century blocked paving underlying modern cobbled surface. The new
disabled access path is visible behind the ranging rods. View to north with the North Gate in the top centre of the
photograph. GGAT

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Disabled Access Cardiff Castle, Cardiff: archaeological watching brief

Summary
Cadw have granted conditional Scheduled Monument Consent (A-CAM001-02-0938-47) for
disabled access works at Cardiff Castle, Cardiff (Gm 171). One of the conditions stated that a
suitably qualified archaeologist must be present for all intrusive ground works. All of the
works are located within the confines of the castle and therefore in areas where it is possible
that archaeological remains relating to the post-medieval, medieval and Roman settlement of
the area may survive. Therefore, the City and County of Cardiff have commissioned an
archaeological watching brief during the ground works, the findings of which form the subject
of this report.
The development works revealed a block surface laid in c1920. The depth of the excavation
was sufficiently shallow to ensure that the stratigraphy encountered was of early twentieth
century date. No archaeological finds were encountered.

Acknowledgements
The project was managed by Richard Lewis BA MIfA and the fieldwork was undertaken by
Rowena Hart BSc MA of GGAT Projects. The report was written by Rowena Hart and the
illustrations prepared by Paul Jones (Senior Illustrator).

Copyright notice
The copyright of this report is held by the Glamorgan-Gwent Archaeological Trust Ltd, which
has granted an exclusive licence to the City and County of Cardiff and their agents to use and
reproduce material it contains. Ordnance Survey maps are reproduced under licence (AL
10005976). Annotations are GGAT copyright.

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Disabled Access Cardiff Castle, Cardiff: archaeological watching brief

1. Introduction
1.1 Project background and commission
Cadw have granted conditional Scheduled Monument Consent (A-CAM001-02-0938-47) for
disabled access works at Cardiff Castle, Cardiff (Gm 171) comprising the partial removal of
the existing cobbles and replacement with a level sandstone path. One of the conditions stated
that a suitably qualified archaeologist will be present during all intrusive groundworks. The
works are located within the confines of the castle and therefore in areas where it is possible
that archaeological remains relating to the post-medieval, medieval and Roman settlement of
the area may survive.
The City and County of Cardiff have commissioned Glamorgan Gwent Archaeological Trust
(GGAT Projects) to undertake the archaeological watching brief, the findings of which form
the subject of this report. The watching brief was undertaken during January and February
2009.

1.2 Location and geology


The development area was located within the castle grounds, leading northward from the South
Gate (see Figure 1). The ground is currently cobbled having been laid c1927. The castle is
listed as ‘unsurveyed’ on the Soil Survey of England and Wales (SSEW 1983), although the
underlying geology is known to be Triassic mudstones (including Keuper Marl, Dolomitic
Conglomerate and Rhaetic) (Blockley 2002).

1.3 Archaeological background


Excavations conducted at Cardiff Castle between 1974 and 1981 by Dr Peter Webster have
suggested a sequence of four overlapping Roman forts. A large Neronian fort first occupied
the area in the mid 1st century AD, extending beyond the limits of the current castle. It has
been suggested that on the basis of the presumed principia in the northeast quarter of the castle,
the fort covered an area of 12ha. The second fort (occupied in the late 1st century AD) covered
an area roughly one-fifth of this size, but retaining elements of its north-south axial road and
northern defensive line. The third fort was aligned on very similar lines, although located
slightly to the south. The late Roman stone fort is the last of the quartet with its lines dictating
the alignment of the medieval castle (RCAHMW 1991, 163).
Despite suggestions of a Roman origin for the castle as early as 1862, it was not until 1889 that
a Roman wall was identified within an earthen bank on the east side of the castle perimeter.
Between 1889 and 1923, intermittent excavations eventually revealed the entire circuit of the
Roman walls. Indeed, five separate observations noted that the medieval curtain wall followed
and incorporated Roman fabric at lower levels (RCAHMW 1991, 163). A limited excavation
by Dr Michael Jarrett in 1960 to the west of the south gate indicated that the Roman ditch had
been completely removed by the larger medieval ditch (RCAHMW 1991, 210).
A series of unpublished excavations were conducted in the late 19th century for the 3rd
Marquis of Bute, details are scarce although the piles of a timber bridge were recorded in the
motte ditch and fragments of a drawbridge were recovered from the adjacent Middle Gate.
Excavations in the Outer Ward by Dr Peter Webster revealed late medieval buildings, with the
most notable being the Shire Hall. Evidence of occupation dating to the early medieval period
was limited to rubbish pits, suggesting that any buildings dating to this period were timber
constructions (RCAHMW 1991, 211).

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Disabled Access Cardiff Castle, Cardiff: archaeological watching brief

An archaeological desk-based assessment has been undertaken (Blockley 2002) which


provided a detailed and site specific archaeological background in advance of an excavation
conducted by GGAT Projects in 2006, prior to the construction of a new Interpretation Centre.
Numerous features and structures were uncovered during the course of the investigation,
including a lime mortar preparation area and post-medieval and medieval cess pits. Two
Roman banks were excavated, as well as a Roman road and a large timber building.
Prehistoric activity was also noted, in the form of small pits and post-holes. In addition, a line
of stakeholes at least 15m long was discovered, and probably forms the remains of a prehistoric
fenceline or boundary. This discovery provides some of the earliest evidence for the
occupation of the area that is now Cardiff city centre. (Dunning 2008)
Excavation was an archaeological watching brief was conducted within the castle grounds by
GGAT Projects in 2008 in advance of the installation of a viewing platform and external signs.
These works revealed significant archaeological remains including Roman deposits, elements
of the Inner Bailey wall and post-medieval deposits (Dunning 2008).

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Disabled Access, Cardiff Castle: archaeological watching brief

North Gate

Motte
Moat

Line of Inner
Bailey
Castle Green
Castle Lawn

Western
Apartments
Area shown in Figure 2

South Gate

Castle Street Duke Street

GRID

0 50 100metres

Figure 1. Development area (shown in red)

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Disabled Access Cardiff Castle, Cardiff: archaeological watching brief

2. Methodology
A single trench was excavated through the cobbled surface having a length of 27m and a width
of 1.6m, except at two junction areas where the width was 3.15m (Figure 2). The average
depth excavated was 0.18m and the maximum being 0.2m. The excavation took place in three
stages. The first excavation was undertaken at the north of the area, this was recorded and then
the path laid, followed by the mid-section and lastly the southern section.
A written and photographic record was made of all archaeological features and deposits in
accordance with the GGAT Manual of Excavation Recording Techniques. Contexts were
recorded using a continuous numbering system, and are summarised in Appendix I. All
significant contexts were photographed using a digital camera (with a minimum resolution of
8mp). The excavated area was located in relation to standing buildings and/or published
boundaries. All context depths were measured from the present ground surface.
The project archive will be deposited with an appropriate receiving organisation, in accordance
with the UKIC and IFA Guidelines (Archaeological Archives: a guide to best practice in
creation, compilation, transfer and curation (2007). A copy of the report and archive index
will be deposited with the regional Historic Environment Record, curated by the Glamorgan-
Gwent Archaeological Trust, Swansea and a further copy of the archive index will be deposited
with the National Monuments Record, Royal Commission on the Archaeological and Historical
Monuments of Wales (RCAHMW), Aberystwyth.

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Cardiff Castle Disabled Access: archaeological watching brief

Castle GRID
003
Green N

Service
Trench
005
004

003

Area of new
disabled access

Black Barbican
Tower Tower

South Gate

0 5 10metres

Figure 2. Trench location (shown in red)


Disabled Access Cardiff Castle, Cardiff: archaeological watching brief

3. Results
The basal context encountered was a concrete block laid surface (003) (Plates 1-5). These
blocks were cube in shape with equal dimensions of 0.23m. They were made of a dark grey
concrete, which contained fragments of broken brick within the fabric. Cut through this
surface was a service trench (004) with a width of 1.34m, which runs at right angles to the line
of the trench. The upper fill of 004 was a concrete deposit (005) (Plate 3). This was not
excavated. Overlying 005 was the concrete sub-base (002) (Plate 2) for the overlying cobbles
(001) (Plate 1-5). The sub-base varied in depth between 0.1 – 0.14m in depth with the cobbled
surface having a depth of between 0.09m and 0.15m.

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Disabled Access Cardiff Castle, Cardiff: archaeological watching brief

Plate 1: View to the north over blocked surface 003. Cobbled surface 001 and
sub-base 002 to each side of the excavation

Plate 2: View of the south facing section showing cobbles 001, sub-base 002
and block surface 003

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Disabled Access Cardiff Castle, Cardiff: archaeological watching brief

Plate 3: View to the north showing service trench 004 and concrete fill 005

Plate 4: View to the south over mid-section of trench.


Showing blocked surface 003, sub-base 002 and cobbles 001

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Disabled Access Cardiff Castle, Cardiff: archaeological watching brief

Plate 5: View to the north over the southern section of


the trench. Blocked surface 003, sub-base 002 and
cobbles 001 visible. New stone surface visible in the top
half of the photograph

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Disabled Access Cardiff Castle, Cardiff: archaeological watching brief

4. Conclusions
The results of the watching brief were conclusive in showing that no archaeologically
significant remains were found beneath the cobbled surface. The concrete moulded blocks
were laid in c1920 and the overlying cobbles laid in c1927 (Matthew Williams – Cardiff Castle
Curator pers.comm.).
This work revealed no archaeological remains or finds. The shallow depth to which the
excavation reached ensured that the archaeology was not disturbed

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Disabled Access Cardiff Castle, Cardiff: archaeological watching brief

Bibliography

Dunning, R, 2008, External Signs and Viewing Platform, Cardiff Castle, Cardiff:
archaeological excavation and watching brief. GGAT Unpublished Report 2008/040

Blockley K, 2002, Cardiff Castle, Cardiff: archaeological desk-based assessment, Cambrian


Archaeological Projects Report no. 203

RCAHMW, 1991, Inventory of Ancient Monuments in Glamorgan Volume III Part 1a: The
Early Castles From the Norman Conquest to 1217, HMSO

SSEW, 1983, 1:250,000 Soil Map of England and Wales and Legend, Soil Survey of England
and Wales, Harpenden

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Disabled Access Cardiff Castle, Cardiff: archaeological watching brief

Appendix I: Inventory of contexts

Context Type Average Depth Description Period


below ground level
001 Structure 0m-0.12m A cobbled surface comprising river washed Modern
cobbles varying in size from 0.11m –
0.34m.
002 Deposit 0.12-0.19m n.b. A dark grey mortar containing coal dust Modern
and fragment up to 10mm. The mortar also
contain small rounded pebbles up to 20mm.
003 Structure 0.19-n.b. A laid surface comprising solely of cubic Modern
mortar/concrete blocks. The blocks had a
common dimension of 0.23m. Not mortared
together. This surface was not removed.
004 Cut 0.19m-n.b. A trench cut through 003 to contain Modern
services. Runs at right angles to the trench.
005 Deposit 0.19m-n.b. Fill of trench 004. The deposit revealed Modern
was a sandy concrete fill. Not excavated.

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