NHER 68428 (Monument record) - Potentially prehistoric, medieval and undated remains

September 2022. Trial Trenching.
Evaluation of proposed development site.
The 18 trenches excavated revealed a number of scattered pits and ditches. These produced only limited dating evidence, although the finds that were recovered suggest that multiple phases of activity were represented.
There was clear evidence for at least some limited prehistoric activity on the site with worked flints of probable Neolithic/Early Bronze Age recovered in small quantities from several possible pits and natural features. Another pit produced three sherds of Late Bronze Age/Early Iron Age pottery and single sherds of similar pottery were also recovered from a natural feature and two adjacent north-north-east to south-south-west aligned ditches (both otherwise undated). It is suggested these ditches were potentially associated with a prehistoric trackway – a possible continuation of which was recorded in a trench to the south-west. Subsequent activity on the site was represented by a small group of Late Iron Age sherds found in a subsoil context (mostly from a single vessel) and a single Roman pottery sherd recovered from a pit that contained no later material. A single sherd of Late Saxon was also found, although this was residual within a probable natural solution feature that also produced a single sherd of post-medieval pottery. Medieval finds were slightly more numerous, with two pottery sherds of this date recovered from a pit in the southern central part of the site and fragments of medieval roof tile recovered from a nearby east-north-east to west-south-west aligned ditch. No other post-medieval finds were recovered.
The majority of the ditches recorded produced no finds, although the diversity of their alignments suggests they probably represented multiple distinct phases of activity.
See report (S1) for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 6 August 2024.