NHER 66806 (Monument record) - Undated ring-ditch, at least one enclosure and remains associated with World War Two airfield

November 2016. Desk-based Assessment.
Assessment of potential archaeological impact of large proposed development.
See report (S1) for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 7 March 2023.

October 2021. Geophysical Survey.
Magnetometer survey of part of large proposed development site (Area 13).
This survey identified a number of potentially archaeologically-significant responses. The most notable is a group of anomalies at TG 2936 1490 that appear to represent an interrupted ring-ditch with some form of potentially related central discrete feature. These correspond with a very similar group of cropmarks visible at this location on aerial photographs and recorded as an undated 'hengiform' ring-ditch that may represent the site of a medieval or post-medieval windmill (NHER 50718).
A group of linear anomalies to the north-west clearly represent ditches associated with a small rectilinear enclosure that is also visible as cropmarks on aerial photographs (NHER 29575). The cropmarks evidence suggests that that this enclosure may have been open on its eastern end and the geophysical survey also failed to identify an eastern side – although this was not necessarily conclusive, as its expected position coincides with a band of magnetic noise associated with a modern service.
Other potentially archaeologically significant responses include a pair of adjacent curvilinear anomalies at the far west end of the field (at TG 2891 1489) that may represents elements of a ring-ditch or sub-circular enclosure (the diameter of which would be approximately 43m). A small weak, 'U'-shaped anomaly in the north-east part of the field (at TG 2931 1512) is recorded as being of underdetermined origin and therefore potentially represents an archaeologically-significant feature.
The survey also identified a number of anomalies at the western end of the field that are likely to associated with the World War Two (NHER 8170). These include series of short, parallel linear anomalies that would have been adjacent and perpendicular to two taxiways that ran between the ends of the main runways. A strong north-north-west to south-south-east aligned linear anomaly cross this part of the field was probably caused by a modern service installed to serve the airfield and several amorphous areas of magnetic disturbance at the western end of the field are likely to represent debris deposited during the decommissioning of the airfield and the demolition of the associated structures.
There is no evidence for surviving sub-surface remains associated with a series of fragmentary linear cropmarks recorded at the eastern end of this field (all of which are part of an extensive group thought to potentially represent elements of an Iron Age to Roman field system recorded as NHER 50726). There was also no evidence for remains associated with a small possible enclosure visible as a cropmark at TG 2929 1507 (NHER 50723).
See report (S2) for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 8 November 2023.

March 2022. Desk-based Assessment.
Updated archaeological assessment of large proposed development.
See report (S3) for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 7 March 2023.