In December 2024, The Archaeological Practice Ltd. was commissioned by Gleeson Regeneration to conduct archaeological mitigation work, comprising of a 'Strip, Map and Record' exercise, followed by limited 'Watching Brief', to mitigate the impact of groundworks in advance of a proposed housing development on land to the south of Dean Road, Ferryhill. Previous assessment exercises (AD Archaeology, 2014 and 2021) identified that significant archaeological remains survived in a localised area in the north-east portion of the proposed development site. The loss of these archaeological features had to be mitigated by a programme of investigation and recording in advance of their destruction. This would ensure their 'preservation by record'. The works involved close archaeological supervision during the clearing of all vegetation and building debris over the footprints of identifiable building platforms within the specified area. The stripped areas then had to be archaeologically investigated, with all the surviving structural features exposed and recorded. This resulted in a total of 5 building platforms revealed. It established that regardless of the length for each building, the same basic formula has been applied to their constructional design. This broadly comprised of a preconstruction phase of landscaping, clearing of the turf and upper stratigraphic layers excavating down to natural clay, followed by making-up the ground with a hardcore bedding of re-purposed railway ballast mixed with colliery waste of approximately 0.30 m in depth, in preparation for building the level platforms above. All of these were constructed by 3-4 courses of single-skin brick outer walls sitting upon a 0.30 m concrete foundation. An internal concrete perimeter lip along the long axes was reinforced by regularly spaced concrete blocks, some with metal fixing rods, and beams to allow central poured concrete slabs. The perimeter walls were occasionally punctuated by doorway entrances, most with service inspection hatches beneath, whilst chimney bases were observed extending from the gable ends of two buildings. Large ceramic waste pipes were often seen set within the internal concrete lip, indicating W/C, shower and sink facilities. Management of waste water was an essential element in the construction of the buildings, evidenced by smooth straight drainage channels formed of poured concrete located either side of all the long axes, diverting roof water to parallel concrete storm drains with occasional manhole inspection chambers. Deeper external service pipes linked internal waste water pipes to a sewerage system, again with manhole inspection chambers evident. Simple pathways constructed in poured concrete, sometimes with brick curbs, often ran parallel to parts of the buildings, with several examples of pathways providing access between buildings. Following the demolition of the camp in the mid-1950s, the current platforms were left in situ and reused as bases for later sheds and allotment structures. These structures were cleared in advance of the strip, map and record exercise, but it was soon apparent that their construction had adapted the camp platforms, occasionally truncating the walls to accommodate new services, and laying/replacing footpaths, laying rubble hardcore extending space for yards etc and resurfacing portions of the building slabs. Overall, archaeological excavations and assessment of historic documents, including historic mapping, corroborates findings of the 2021 evaluation, concluding that the buildings constructed on the revealed platforms represent the main communal buildings of the camp, forming a defined cluster at its north-western end. Their dimensions and constructional design demonstrate a typical 'Nissen Hut' design - the building of choice for WWII camps throughout the country.
Marc Johnstone (Wed,) studied this question.
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