4.9 The Greater London Archaeology Advisory Service
City of Westminster
Over the past year, numerous archaeological interventions within the modern administrative boundary of Westminster have contributed significantly to our understanding of the multiperiod occupation of this historic urban settlement. Although the prehistory of Westminster continues to be obscure, the information gleaned from selective fieldwork is slowly contributing to the creation of a model of the evolving prehistoric landscape. There has been a marked increase in the use made of the archaeological assessment of bore hole cores, often extracted primarily for geotechnical purposes, but designed to cater for the needs of environmental archaeologists. This technique has often been applied with some success where traditional archaeological excavation methods were not applicable (for example, for very deep alluvial sediments). Of particular interest was the analysis of sediments retrieved from the bore hole cores at 25-34 Cockspur Street, which allowed archaeologists to examine whether any human occupation could be identified within the well preserved organic material from the last Interglacial period (Ipswichian), as suggested by antiquarian observations during the construction of the Admiralty Building during the late nineteenth century.
At 10-12 Belgrave Road, where the redevelopment scheme had been designed to preserve the anticipated archaeological remains in situ, the drilling of a number of bore holes also provided the opportunity to monitor the impact of construction upon the fragile organic remains of a possible Mesolithic Neolithic landscape. Although not conclusive, the results of this monitoring exercise have raised a number of questions that require further consideration and research.
The nature and extent of the Saxon settlement of Lundenwic continues to be refined through archaeological interventions. Following on from the remarkably informative excavations at the Royal Opera House, where the first road of the settlement was recorded, two further roads have been identified at 36 King Street and underneath Covent Garden Piazza, thereby providing valuable information about the pattern of settlement. The location of the western boundary of the settlement has also been clarified following excavations at the National Portrait Gallery, where a significant density of both artefactual and environmental Saxon material was found within possible quarry pits, and at 5 Excel Court, where similar quarry pits were found to contain very little archaeological material.
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Perhaps the most significant archaeological discovery over the past year has been that of the river embankment walls of the post-medieval palaces to the south of the Strand. Exploratory excavations at both Somerset House South Terrace and Arundel House have exposed long sections of these walls, which survive almost intact, apart from some robbing of the stone render. In both instances, it has been possible to make a detailed record of these monuments while ensuring their proper preservation for future generations. The excavations at Somerset House are also recovering important architectural debris from the demolition rubble of the palace of Lord Protector Somerset, which was destroyed during the eighteenth century to facilitate the construction of the present Somerset House. At Arundel House, excavations have identified the preserved remains of the medieval revetment. Both of these investigations will contribute significantly to our limited understanding of the archaeology of this important area.
City of Westminster
Inner London
South London
North and West London
East London