Aggregate Landscape of Gloucestershire:

Predicting the archaeological resource

Gloucestershire County Council Archaeology Service completed work on this project, funded by the Aggregates Levy Sustainability Fund (ALSF) through English Heritage, in 2008. Gloucestershire produces around 2 million tonnes of crushed rock aggregate and 800,000 tonnes of sand and gravel per year, mainly from the Upper Thames Valley, the Cotswolds and the Forest of Dean. All of these are areas that contain important archaeological sites and monuments. The project has helped us to understand the impact aggregates extraction has had on archaeology in the past and will help inform future planning decisions. The project was deemed so successful in meeting the aims of the ALSF that similar county surveys have been commissioned in many aggregate producing areas of England.

The project was in three parts: first, all of the aggregate producing areas in the county were identified and areas of past, present and future potential aggregate production mapped. The nature of the archaeology of these areas were then assessed and this information used to identify any gaps in our knowledge and understanding of the archaeological resource. The final result of the project was the production of a draft archaeological research agenda for the aggregate producing areas of the county, which will help to protect sites for the future and find ways in which to enhance our understanding of these sites.

The into the project is available as a download (below). Minor changes were made to the report in 2008 to produce a final version, which is also available via the Archaeology Data Service website. Summaries of the results and methodology can be found using the links to the left.

NB Since the report was drafted, the planning system has undergone a number of significant changes following the introduction of the Planning & Compulsory Purchase Act 2004. As a result, some of the information included in Section 1.3 of the report is now out of date.

For further information on the new Act, please use the link to the planning portal. For how it affects Gloucestershire, please use the link to our Minerals and waste pages.

	Predicting the Archaeological Resource: Outline Methodology The Aggregate Landscape of Gloucestershire. Predicting the Archaeological Resource. Aggregates Levy Sustainability Fund: English Heritage Project Number 3346
	Predicting the Archaeological Resource: Summary of Results The Aggregate Landscape of Gloucestershire Predicting the Archaeological Resource. Aggregates Levy Sustainability Fund: English Heritage Project Number 3346