NHER 69563 (Monument record) - Potentially Roman pit and post-medieval ditches

October 2023. Desk-based Assessment.
Archaeological assessment of proposed development site.
A walkover survey of the site undertaken as part of this study recorded only remains associated with the known Royal Observer Corp post adjacent to the north-west corner of the site (NHER 21511).
See report (S1) for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 21 October 2025.

January 2024. Geophysical Survey.
Magnetometer survey of proposed development site.
This survey identified nothing of definite archaeological interest.
A north-west to south-east aligned linear anomaly in the north-east corner of the site corresponds with a former field boundary shown on the Ordnance Survey First Edition Six-inch map (S2). Two other weak positive linear anomalies were also recorded, although these are regarded as being of undetermined origin and don’t necessarily represent sub-surface remains.
A large area of strong magnetic disturbance in the south-west corner of the site corresponds with a former quarry pit shown at this location on (S2).
See report (S3) for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 23 October 2025.

June 2025. Trial Trenching.
Evaluation of proposed development site.
The thirty trenches excavated revealed little in the way of archaeologically-significant remains, although there was some limited evidence for Late Iron Age to Roman activity. The most notable feature was a pit close to the southern edge of the site that contained a small amount of Roman pottery and fragments of animal bone. A single Roman pottery sherd was also recovered from a linear feature to the north, although this was potentially a natural feature.
Two ditches were recorded, the first of which was a north-north-east to south-south-west feature that produced single sherds of Late Iron Age and post-medieval pottery. The second ditch was a north-west to south-east aligned feature that corresponds with a former field boundary shown on the Ordnance Survey First Edition Six-inch map (S2).
As expected, the trenches excavated in the southernmost part of the site encountered disturbance associated with late post-medieval quarrying (which proved to be more extensive than suggested by the preceding geophysical survey).
Unstratified finds were limited to two worked flints of probable Bronze Age to Iron Age date.
See report (S4).
P. Watkins (HES), 23 October 2025.