Series: Archaeology, Excavation and Surveys unpublished report series

Archaeological, Excavation and Surveys (AES) completed an archaeological Watching Brief during the construction of extension to 51a Union Street. The work had not been required at the Planning Stage but during an evaluation by AES at 24 Stowupland Street site staff visited the site and after consultation with Abby Antrobus agreed to maintain a Watching Brief. The work involved examining four footing trenches for the extension and the site of a soak away. No archaeological features or artefacts. However, the work did reveal significant dark organic silts aullvial acculimation extending down to a depth of 1.2m below the turfline. Natural was not encountered The results of the watching brief enhance and support those found at 24 Stowupland Street suggesting frequent flood inundations of the River Gipping.

Heritage Statement for a proposed development of an extension to an existing garden store and new pavilion on existing raised patio at Coplowe Barn, Keysoe, Bedfordshire

This desk-based assessment to assess the likely impact of development of the 'Gonville Farm' site, located on land off Babraham Road, Cambridge (TL547897 254360), covering an area of approximately two acres. An evaluation of previous archaeological investigations and the historical, aerial and cartographic evidence shows the site to be situated in an area of known archaeology and high significance. Dating from the prehistoric to modern era is evident. Due to the substantial prehistoric activity within the study area and the wider environs, examples of which are the Late Neolithic to Middle Bronze age activity adjacent to the 'Gonville Farm' site, discovered prior to the building of the Babraham Road Park and Ride, an Iron Age Hill Fort at Sawston and the Scheduled Ancient Monument, Wandlebury Camp, Iron Age fort, there is a high probability of encountering further archaeological evidence within the proposed development area.

During March 2013 Archaeology Excavation and Surveys (AES) carried out an archaeological desk based assessment (DBA) of the site of a proposed solar farm at Markswood Farm, Little Bardfield (TL 6505 2996). The assessment was commissioned by Push Energy in support of a planning application for a new solar farm with access road and grid connection. The study area was 18.65 hectares situated in a rural agricultural landscape that is largely medieval in origin, but with elements of the Celtic field system surviving. The study was designed to gain a better understanding of the impacts, which would result from the solar farm, both within the limits of the application site, and in the surrounding historic landscape.

Keysoe International Limited, College Farm Church Lane Keysoe. A desk based assessment of the archaeology present on the farm prior to prospective development.

An archaeological evaluation of a 5400 square metre area on former gardens/farmland was undertaken between 21 May and 2 June 2014 in response to a planning requirement set by Andy Thomas, Senior Archaeologist, prior to the development of the site nineteen dwellings with associated services and access. Fifteen linear trenches, totaling 160m in length and representing a 5% sample of the total Proposed Development Area were opened using a 20 tonne 360 degree tracked excavator with toothless ditching bucket under archaeological supervision. A further 17 test-pits (1.8m x 1m) were opened across the site on a ten metre grid to characterize the artefact content of the topsoil. All exposed trench bases and spoil were scanned by an experienced metal detectorist. The trenches were cleaned and planned using a Leica 1200 GPS Smart Rover (GPS). The archaeological survey revealed 29 features in 7 of the trenches opened. Two areas of archaeological significance were recorded. Trenches 7 and 12 revealed linear features containing Mid Iron Age pottery and a largely complete 15th century transitional pot (figure 2, area A). Features in trenches 9, 10, 12 and 15 containing sherds of Ely and Hedingham wares were dated to the 10th - 12th century. The remainder of the trenches produced only those features relating to the sites history as gardens and allotments. A linear feature was recorded, aligned east west parallel to Church Street in trenches 1, 5 and 6. A small sherd of Ely ware from trench 1 dated the linear feature to the 12th century. It is suggested that this feature forms a Medieval boundary to Church Street. Additionally, metal detecting of the spoil above the linear feature recovered a late Medieval buckle, decorative bronze pendent and a possible Medieval lead fishing weight.

An archaeological evaluation prior to the construction of a single house and garage. The work comprised two trenches representing a 10 percent sample of the development area. Features were only found in trench one, and consisted of activity associated with a 20th century small holding, including pet burials. Prehistoric activity was identified in the form of two mesolithic microlithes and a single, broken neolithic scraper. These were identified as being residual.

An archaeological watching brief was completed at The Banyers Hotel, Royston (TL 35742 40738) prior to the construction of a conservatory to the rear of the structure and a two storey extension to the east of the building. The watching brief revealed a palimpsest of development by successive owners yielding information of the early history of The Banyers relating to its initial development as a timber framed 14th structure and later development of the building in the 18th and 19th centuries. In total four phases of development were identified during the work. The watching brief during the insertion of service trenches for the current development revealed no archaeological activity earlier than post medieval, other than made up ground.

An archaeological investigation was completed in the form of a site strip, map and record at the southern end of Fish Hill, Royston. The investigation discovered eight phases of activity on the Proposed Development Area (PDA) with the last phase being represented by the last use of the site, as a car-park. The investigation primarily revealed the PDA's historical use as a cattle market, dating it from the early 19th Century. Within this eight phases and fifteen groups were identified; phase one - a group of possible ploughmarks of an earlier date than the postholes; phase two - a group of postholes containing the rotted remains of wooden posts possibly dating from the early 19th Century; phase three - a group consisting of larger postholes possibly contemporary but relating to cattle pens dating from the early 20th Century; phase four - a group of postholes containing the remnants of concrete posts contemporary with the weighbridge; phase five - the services trenches; phase six - a group consisting of concrete posts with metal RSJ's probably part of a tinned roof structure covering the cattle market area during the mid 20th Century; phase seven - the tarmacked carpark and NPK Holdings bollards; phase eight - a group of postholes for which no apparent structure is evident, hence undated. The evidence for this activity was found within 273 postholes and 17 stakeholes and the foundations of a brick built weighbridge. The earliest phase represented by ploughmarks is evidence of the town's agrarian history. Although undated it is tentatively suggested that these related to the neighbouring 12th Century Priory.

Archaeology and Excavation Surveys Ltd (AES) were commissioned to produce a Heritage Statement for the Old Vicarage, Church Lane, Riseley, in order to provide supporting information for the development proposals for a rear extentsion. It must be noted that the Heritage Statement is not to be deemed as either a structural or archaeological report. 1.2 The Heritage Statement assesses the buildings known as the Old Vicarage in terms of historic and architectural interest in the context of the national and local planning policy background with a view to the application to convert, demolish or develop the buildings. The statement will provide a full understanding of the building and its significance as required by the National Planning Policy Framework and reiterated within English Heritage's Conservation Principles (English Heritage: Conservation Principles, Policies and Guidance, April 2008), and also as set out in Bedfordshire Borough Council's 'local plan (2002).