‘Hole lot of digging’ (article in Contract Journal)

Clients: Countryside Properties and Copthorn Homes

Author: Derek Seeley

Merton Abbey Mills is a large site earmarked some years ago for future redevelopment although from the start the likelihood of surviving important medieval remains needed to be taken into account. The whole site lies within the precinct of Merton Priory, although only a part of it is designated as a Scheduled Ancient Monument, within which structural remains were definitely known to survive (see also here).

In July 2004 MoLAS was commissioned to prepare a two-page special feature in Contract Journal (a weekly newspaper ‘written specifically for management in the UK construction industry’) about the site and how heritage issues were being handled. This focused on how the developers, Countryside Properties, and their design team involved archaeologists from the earliest stages in the planning process to gather new evidence, using both intrusive and non-intrusive means, to assess the survival of archaeological remains at the site. This information was then used to facilitate the design of a scheme that would both satisfy the requirements of the developer and safeguard the heritage of the site.

The piece also demonstrated how, with good communication, both main contractor and archaeological team can work together effectively to allow construction to progress whilst taking into account archaeological requirements.

See also this report for how the local community has been involved in this project; and this report on continuing fieldwork.

This site report is extracted from MoLAS 2004: annual review