Level 2 Historic Building Recording and Archaeological Watching Brief, 9 Bury Hall, Wolverley, Kidderminster, DY11 5TH

Historic Building Recording All work was carried out in accordance with Historic England specifications in Understanding historic buildings: a guide to good recording practice (Historic England 2016), the Chartered Institutes for Archaeologists Standard and guidance for archaeological investigation of standing buildings or structures (CIfA 2014). A site visit was made on the 28th July 2025, when the principal exterior elevations were photographed. The interiors were also photographically recorded to include significant structural details. A selection of these photographs are presented in appendix 1 and are referenced in the report. The location of these photographs is shown on figures 6 and 7, which are based on architect's plans supplied by the client and subsequently annotated. Handwritten descriptive notes were produced on-site to record the findings of the physical investigation. The notes recorded details such as the fabric, form and function of the structure, along with evidence of any alterations and development over time. The written account comprises the building's construction, present and former use, and where appropriate, the building's past and present relationship to its setting in the wider landscape. Documentary research was undertaken in order to enable the overallresearch aims to be realised, but these were not extensive and were limited to easily accessible sources including those held at the Worcestershire archive. A photographic record of the building was made during the investigation. Photographs were taken using a Nikon D3200 (24 megapixels) with an 18-105mm and wide angle 10-24mm lens, a selection of which have been used in this report for illustrative purposes. Groundworks Archaeology was supplied with measured survey drawings of floor plans and elevations of the building. These drawings were annotated on site with information relating to the historical significance of features and are reproduced as part of this report. Watching Brief The archaeological watching brief was undertaken on the 8th September 2025 and comprised the mechanical excavation under archaeological supervision of strip footings for an extension. Where necessary, surfaces were hand cleaned for examination and recording, deposits observed were recorded on standard pro-forma recording sheets. A digital colour photographic record was maintained, some of which is reproduced in the report). All work was carried out according to the agreed Written Scheme of Investigation and in accordance with the Chartered Institute for Archaeologists (CIfA) standards and guidance for archaeological monitoring. The project has established that the extant structures within the site all post date 1838 and indicate that the earlier building were demolished prior to redevelopment. The historic building recording demonstrated that there are three distinct phases to the site. The original cottage built between 1838 and 1883; the second phase was the construction of the garage 1883-1902, and the final phase an extension to the cottage dated to between 1955-1965. The watching brief demonstrated that the site has been entirely truncated and that there are no archaeological features within the monitored area.