Historic Environment Desk-Based Assessment, Kent

Historic Environment Desk-Based Assessment on the River Medway

Historic Environment Desk-Based Assessment (HEDBA)

To address these concerns and to understand the archaeological and heritage implications of the proposal, we undertook a Historic Environment Desk-Based Assessment. The purpose of this assessment was to evaluate the site’s archaeological potential, determine the potential level of impact of the proposed jetty’s construction on potential and known heritage assets. This included the impact of the loss of the existing jetty and the effects of the proposed jetty on the setting of heritage assets, including scheduled monuments and grade I listed buildings.

Findings of the Assessment

Our assessment confirmed that the existing jetty was constructed from parts of a Bailey bridge (widely used during WWII), and although of interest, its fabric was in poor condition and partial. As a result, although of heritage interest, this interest was deemed insufficient to justify its retention. Instead, it was proposed that the fabric be retained where possible and that the retained elements be deposited with the Museum of the Royal Engineers. The impact of the loss and replacement of the jetty on the setting of heritage assets was assessed and found to be negligible with mitigation through suitable finishes to the jetty. The assessment also concluded that from an archaeological perspective, the site’s location on the River Medway would have meant it would have experienced regular inundation and bed scoring during the prehistoric, Roman, Saxon, and Medieval periods. As a result, the potential for discovering archaeological finds from these periods at this specific site was considered low.

However, given the busy nature of river traffic along the Medway during these periods, the site was considered to have potential for archaeological finds associated with maritime activity from the Post-Medieval to Modern periods. These could include artifacts related to shipping, trade, and riverine activities that have occurred along the River Medway in more recent history.

Impact of the Proposed Jetty Construction

The construction of the proposed jetty involves the use of piled foundations. The design has been adapted to reduce the number of piles required, minimising potential impacts on any archaeological deposits. This careful design consideration was made to ensure that the impact on the site’s archaeological potential is kept to a minimum.

Conclusion and Recommendations

Based on the findings of the HEDBA, it was concluded that the construction of the new jetty is unlikely to have a significant impact on the area’s heritage assets, particularly given the low potential for early period finds. However, due to the site’s potential for Post-Medieval to Modern maritime artifacts, it was suggested that if further archaeological work were required, this could be effectively managed through a planning condition to ensure that any significant archaeological remains encountered during construction are appropriately recorded and preserved.

In summary, the HEDBA has provided the necessary heritage assessment to address Historic England’s concerns, demonstrating that the removal and replacement of the jetty would result in no harm to shore based heritage assets and that while the site has some potential for archaeological finds, the proposed jetty construction has been designed to minimise impact. Further archaeological investigation can be secured through planning conditions, ensuring the project’s compliance with heritage conservation requirements.

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Internal Project Reference: FL12364.