Former Gloucester Prison, Barrack Square, Gloucester, Gloucestershire
1 - Pre-determination assessment/evaluation identified significant new heritage assets
Pre-determination assessment/evaluation identified significant archaeology on the development site (i.e. the results created significant new knowledge), especially where none was previously known in the HER.
4 - Pre-determination assessment/evaluation led to a modified development proposal
Pre-determination assessment/evaluation results led to a change in the extent or design of development.
7 - Pre-commencement archaeological conditions were attached to a planning permission
Pre-commencement archaeological conditions were attached to a planning permission and were necessary in order to enable the development to be permitted.
Designated heritage assets with archaeological and historic interest Undesignated heritage assets with archaeological and historic interest of national importance Undesignated heritage assets with archaeological and historic interest
Redevelopment of the former HMP Gloucester site comprising the partial demolition and conversion of Grade II* and Grade II listed buildings to provide 38 residential dwellings, demolition of non-listed structures and the construction of seven new buildings up to six storeys to accommodate 164 residential dwellings, with associated other works.
The application site lies just outside the western boundary of the Roman town of Glevum and was known to include the location of the second of Gloucester’s two medieval castles, constructed in the 12th century and used as a prison from the 15th century onwards. The buildings were demolished in the 18th century for the construction of a new prison. Further redevelopment took place in the 19th and 20th centuries.
The prison buildings are redundant and have been sold for redevelopment. Very little archaeological investigation had been undertaken within the site, so the extent of the survival of archaeological remains was poorly understood.
A programme of assessment was undertaken to inform a planning application for redevelopment, including a desk-based assessment, a geo-archaeological borehole survey, a watching brief during geotechnical site investigation, and evaluation trenches, followed by the preparation of an archaeological impact and mitigation statement.
Despite the difficulties of evaluating this complex site with standing buildings the above programme identified:
- Roman deposits at depth including palaeo-environmental remains
- The 12th century castle keep survives as a buried standing ruin at about 0.6m below current ground level (0.2m in some places). An associated building, part of one of the inner bailey walls, and part of the inner defensive castle ditches, were also identified.
- Other castle structures survive across the site but were more badly damaged with remains more isolated and deeper.
- Prison buildings from 18th century onwards with associated human burials.
The archaeological adviser to the LPA advised the developer that the remains of the keep, being of national importance, would need to be preserved in situ as part of any redevelopment scheme (citing paragraph 139 of the NPPF 2012).
The above advice has led to the redesign of the redevelopment scheme to take account of the unexpected and exceptional survival of the castle keep and the presence of other deposits and structures of archaeological and historic interest, including:
- The preservation in situ of the castle keep – there will be no impact at all on the keep structure.
- Low impact from piled foundations, ground beams and pile caps.
- Reduction of impact through reuse of existing piles where possible.
- Reuse where possible of existing drain and utility runs.
- Archaeological observation and recording during groundworks to increase understanding of the site.
- Recording of historic buildings affected by the redevelopment.
This scheme now has planning permission, with appropriate pre- commencement planning conditions to control impact, and to facilitate archaeological recording, and interpretation.
A public viewing chamber will be constructed over part of the medieval keep, with further interpretation of its layout in the landscaping of the site. A programme of public engagement during and after redevelopment is proposed.
- Cotswold Archaeology 2013, HMP Gloucester, Gloucester, Gloucestershire: Archaeological Desk-based Assessment. Unpublished report, CA Report 13162.
- Cotswold Archaeology 2016, Former HMP prison, Gloucester, Gloucestershire, Archaeological evaluation. Unpublished report, CA report 15811.
