LancewadPlan

Nigel BrownEssex County CouncilHistoric Environment Branch

LancewadPlan Final Conference

Wilhelmshaven19th June 2007

Introduction

Part 1: Cultural Resource Management at Essex County Council

Part 2: The Wadden Sea Cultural Entities and Characterisation of the Cultural Heritage

Part 3: Future directions

The County of Essex

• North-east of London, north of the Thames

estuary.

• Over 400 miles of coastline.

• Growing population and housing stock

• Major port and road links to Europe.

• Stansted – London’s third international Airport

• First Roman capital of Britannia at Colchester AD 43

Over 480 km of coastline

Re-structuring of agriculturalIndustry and rural diversification

Growing population andhousing stock

Major port and road links to EuropeStansted – London’s 3rd Airport

In the East of England region,North-east of London

C H ELM SFO R D

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East of England region and Essex Districts

Historic Environment Management Team

Provision of a specialist archaeological development control service toDistrict and Borough councils in Essex, providing advice in respect of the archaeological implications of proposed development

Provision of specialist advice to farmers, conservation bodies and otherlandowners on the management of the rural historic environment

Historic environment input into regional, Essex County Council, and District Council policies

Promotion of the county’s historic environment through publications,displays, exhibitions, seminars, lectures, field courses and workshops

Initiation of research projects designed to provide a better knowledgebase for future policies

Research: knowledge based policy

Archaeology Built Heritage

Characterisation represents a holistic approach to the historic environment

defines distinctiveness and dominant features

operates at a variety of scales

goes beyond designation

GIS-based

Historic Environment Character

Landscape

Characterisation of the Historic Environment in Essex

Overview

Geology and Geography

Landscape and settlement history

Modern development and planning

Legal and spatial planning aspects

Vulnerabilities

Potentials

Editing of use of English Enhancement to overview, concentrating on relationships Enhancement of potentials and vulnerabilities Preparation of synthesis.

Cultural Entities of the Wadden Sea: Format

Cultural Entities of the Wadden Sea: Editing

Cultural entities of the Wadden Sea: Vulnerabilities

The cultural heritage is sensitive to change. In the Wadden Sea Region it is under pressure from structural changes, often driven by issues at national, European or even global level.

Farming in the EU has evolved into a high-tech industry employing less than 5% of the population. This threatens the diversity of cultural landscapes, the accessibility to valuable landscapes and the conservation of unique elements of the heritage.

Modern life requires new building, in and around towns and villages, leading to potentially adverse impacts on particular sites and locations there may also be cumulative affects.

Demography unemployment rates, housing market and mobility and patterns of commuting have effects on the landscape and its maintenance. Declining population level in the region could threaten the local quality of life (livability) awareness of cultural heritage.

Global warming could lead to increased floodrisk. Identification of the region as a renewable energy hub may lead to potentially adverse impacts on particular sites and locations there may also be cumulative affects.

Characterisation of the Wadden Sea: Potentials

The fundamental and most valuable potential is the variety of the cultural landscape The individual monuments, sites and other cultural elements are each intrinsically significant, but added value is provided by their interrelationships and context in space and time.

Nature conservation the maintenance of a high biodiversity value will often require the maintenance of a rich diversity in the cultural landscape. Conservation and enhancement of the natural and cultural landscape can be a symbiotic process.

Awareness and understanding is a precondition for managing development in a sustainable fashion which values the heritage and which will create a strong sense of place for local people and visitors.

Physical accessibility to the cultural landscape and an understanding of heritage values is important in developing sustainability, in raising awareness and in appropriate development of cultural tourism.

Tourism contributes to the economic development of the region and thus to the wealth of its people and a healthy social environment.

Future Directions:

Agriculture

Spatial Planning

Nature Conservation

Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM)

Tourism

‘Agriculture takes variety and identity of the cultural landscape into account’ - Lancewad strategy

Information and advice to farmers for beneficial management of historic landscapes and archaeological sites under agri-environment schemes

Information and advice for woodland planting grant applications, applications for hedgerow removal and intensification of land use on semi-natural areas

Conservation Management Planning for conservation groups such as RSPB and owners of Scheduled Monuments

Farmer awareness: training and advice literature

Arable reversion over the SaxonShore Fort of Othona, Bradwell-on-Sea

Future Directions: Agriculture

‘By dividing the landscape into different zones, we could take the landscape and cultural history into consideration in the entire Wadden Sea Region’- Lancewad Strategy

Future Directions: Spatial Planning

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‘By dividing the landscape into different zones, we could take the landscape and cultural history into consideration in the entire Wadden Sea Region’- Lancewad Strategy

Future Directions: Spatial Planning

Rochford Characterisation

• Paglesham• Summary: This zone encompasses two of the chief focal points, Church End and East End, of the dispersed settlement pattern of

Paglesham, located on brickearth and loam covered gravel terraces. The archaeological evidence is limited due to the lack of excavations in the area however, aerial photographic evidence and chance finds indicates occupation from the Bronze Age. It has been suggested that the remains of the Beagle on which Darwin sailed, lie preserved but deeply buried beneath existing salt marsh.

• Historic Landscape: Paglesham is an example of a medieval dispersed polyfocal settlement, with foci at Church End next to the church/hall complex and at East End close to the coast; the remainder of the settlement comprises farms and cottages strung out along the roads linking the foci. The cartographic evidence shows that Pagelsham grew very slowly throughout the post-medieval period, the principal change being the building of cottages along Church Rd. In agriculture the emphasis switched from stock-rearing to arable cultivation in the years around the First World War. The historic settlement assessment of Paglesham (Medlycott 2003) shows that there were approximately 250 people in Pagelsham between 1841-1881, trades including oystermen, agricultural workers, cobblers, blacksmiths, bakers, builders, thatchers, carpenters and a range of professions associated with its coastal location including boat builders, ships, carpenters, sail maker and marine store dealers. This probably provides a valuable insight into the range of economic activity carried out n Paglesham from at least the medieval period.

• Archaeological Character: The upstanding archaeological evidence comprises the standing buildings, including the church, Church Hall, East Hall, West Hall and South Hall, and a number of medieval moated sites and oyster pits along the coastal marsh. However, the majority of the evidence for the origins and development of Paglesham is belowground archaeological features and layers. Although, only limited fieldwork has taken place within the historic settlement area it is evident that archaeological remains do survive. Prehistoric and Roman settlement is attested by a Bronze Age burial and a range of cropmark evidence together with a number of Red Hills largely along the landward edge of the old coastal marsh to the northeast of the village. The earliest evidence for Saxon occupation in the area is a sixth century brooch.

• This is one of the few areas within Rochford that contains good aerial photographic evidence. Areas to both the north and south of Paglesham show complex archaeological deposits. It is likely that the creeks and inter tidal zone which have not been subject to archaeological survey will contain a range of sites and deposits. It has been suggested that the remains of the Beagle on which Darwin sailed, lie preserved but deeply buried beneath existing salt marsh.

Zone 11Diversity of historic environment assets

Wide range of Historic Environment assets including those associated with the coast and the historic settlement of Paglesham.

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Survival Good survival 3

Documentation Historic Settlement survey, aerial photographic and HER data

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Group Value Association

Coastal deposits and associated settlements

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Potential High potential particularly within the settlement and in coastal and estuary areas

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Sensitivity to change Settlement and coastal area highly sensitive to change

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Amenity Value The historical environment of Paglesham, particularly with regard to the exploitation of coastal areas has considerable potential for promotion

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Zone 4

Diversity of historic environment assets

Largely destroyed by agricultural improvement apart from in the inter tidal area, some deeply buried deposits and limited remains elsewhere.

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Survival Very limited except in inter tidal and some deeply buried deposits and limited remains elsewhere.

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Documentation Detailed research largely by ECC

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Group Value Association

Mostly destroyed 1

Potential Very limited except in inter tidal and some deeply buried deposits and limited remains elsewhere.

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Sensitivity to change Only coastal areas will be particularly sensitive

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Amenity Value Despite high level of destruction thorough understanding of the Islands history could facilitate appreciation of the areas character particularly in context of habitat recreation/managed realignment.

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‘Enhancing awareness and understanding of the historically developed man/nature interrelations’ – Lancewad strategy

Future Directions: Nature Conservation

Future Directions: Nature Conservation

Future Direction: Tourism ‘Labelling of points of interests under a common brand, e.g. development of theme routes and development of transnational projects’ – Lancewad Srategy