Representation by Historic England (Historic England)
- Date submitted
- 27 October 2020
- Submitted by
- Other statutory consultees
A1 Morpeth to Ellingham Scheme Section 56: Registration of Interest by the Historic Buildings and Monuments Commission for England (Historic England) Introduction Historic England (HE) is the Government’s statutory adviser on the historic environment. It is our duty under the National Heritage Act 1983 to secure the preservation and enhancement of the historic environment. Our objective is to ensure that the historic environment generally and, in particular, designated heritage assets, are fully taken into account in the determination of this DCO. The proposal is to upgrade the A1 between Morpeth and Ellingham, with two main sections of work: • Morpeth to Felton (Part A) • Alnwick to Ellingham (Part B) The scheme will run in very close proximity to a number of scheduled monuments, including: • North Charlton medieval village and open field system • Camp at West Linkhall We have had pre-application with Highways England on this project and in principle support the scheme. However, there note some issues which do not appear to be fully addressed within the DCO documents: the need for absolute clarity that the DCO boundary abuts these scheduled monuments and does not take in any land within them. 1) Nationally important designated archaeology: North Charlton medieval village and open field system Scheduled Monument The remains of the medieval township of North Charlton and its associated field system survive in good condition on both sides of the modern A1. The earthworks of the houses, farms and fields survive both as visible earthworks and as buried archaeological remains, with great potential to provide understanding settlement in Northumberland when this part of the world was at the front line of conflict between England and Scotland. The camp at West Linkhall is perhaps less well understood. It is likely to date to the Roman period, and to have been used as a temporary camp, perhaps to house troops in transit through the area, or as a fortlet, a more permanent defended installation. The proposed works to the A1 will, we are assured, abut the edge of these monuments, but will not intrude into them. This is welcomed, as are the measures outlined in the outline CEMP to protect these sites from accidental damage as part of the construction process. Our only concern at this stage is that we cannot find a plan within the supporting documents which shows the DCO boundary and the scheduled monuments at a scale sufficient to be clear that they abut but do not coincide. Although we accept, and welcome, the general approach discussed verbally in the CEMP, we would still seek clarity on this matter through an additional plan before we can be completely satisfied that this exclusion of the scheduled sites from the DCO area will be accomplished. 2) Grade II Listed milepost (NHL 1153544) This listed building may have to be removed as part of the work and replaced as close as possible to its current location after the works are complete. Historic England has no objection to this suggestion. However, in the CEMP for this structure it suggests a written, drawn, and photographic record of the milepost will be compiled in consultation with Historic England. We believe that this needs to be amended so that this consultation takes place with the conservation specialists at Northumberland County Council. Conclusion In view of the above comments, Historic England wish to ensure that the Examining Authority are aware of our position and have the necessary information in order to inform its decision on this application. For these reasons, Historic England wishes to register as an interested party for the DCO Examination. We would, of course, be happy to discuss this matter further with a view to addressing our concerns. 27th October 2020