NHER 57979 (Monument record) - Undated ditches, gullies, pits and trackway, and unstratified Middle-Late Saxon to Medieval finds

December 2011. Trial Trenching.
Evaluation of proposed development site.
A number of features were recovered, including fourteen undated ditches and gullies, seven pits, two ponds and a possible trackway.
Evidence for prehistoric activity at the site was limited to two unstratified prehistoric flint flakes.
The majority of the features were undated.
Of the seven pit features, one produced early 20th century dating material, and another was recorded as obviously modern. The remaining five undated pits were considered likely to be small waste disposal pits of unknown date, although thought likely to date between the Middle to Late Saxon period and the 14th century, in concordance with the majority of the finds assemblage.
No dating evidence was recovered from the fourteen ditches and gullies, which may have formed rectangular enclosures or drainage ditches.
The high level of the water table at the site has resulted in a marshy environment that has prevailed at the site since Saxon times and possibly earlier. Therefore the ditches recorded at the site may represent several phases of attempts to drain the site. Given the proximity to the Late Saxon and medieval centre of the village of Hillington, seasonal grazing of animals may have been a past use of the site.
A short linear feature which contained a single sherd of Thetford type ware was considered to be a possible beam slot, although this may also be a natural feature.
Two ponds were recorded, one of which produced 12th to 14th century finds and has been dated to the Medieval period, a second produced Middle to Late Saxon and Medieval finds, along with two sherds of 18th to 20th century earthenware which may be intrusive.
Two chalk and gravel-filled features, which appear to be two parts of a single trackway, which may have been constructed to facilitate the crossing of an area which appears likely to have been marshy for some time.
See report (S1) for further details.
E. Bales (HES), 27 August 2012.

October 2018. Watching Brief.
Maintained during excavation of foundation trenches for detached garage at TF 7212 2530.
These trenches revealed a large feature thought to be an infilled pond, the uppermost fill of which contain much modern brick and other recent debris. This feature corresponds with a pond shown at this location on the Ordnance Survey First Edition Six-Inch map (S2).
This work was the first stage of a planned development comprising a number of new dwellings and associated garages. It is intended that any groundworks associated with the construction of these other structures will also be subject to archaeological monitoring, although at the time of writing it appears that work on these buildings has yet to commence.
Information from report uploaded to OASIS. HER copy awaited.
P. Watkins (HES), 13 September 2025.