Series: Mike Napthan Archaeology unpublished report series

This report represents the findings of a watching brief undertaken during groundworks The site proved to have been deeply disturbed during construction of City Walls Road, and there was only extremely limited exposure of potentially archaeologically significant deposits in the form of probably post-Roman cultivation soil exposed more than 1.2m below current pavement level. Most of the area of the new extension had been disturbed by numerous service trenches and a substantial modern cast concrete foundation of unknown purpose. Nothing was seen in the groundworks that would suggest the presence of surviving archaeologically significant deposits or structural remains within 1.5m of current surface levels in the immediate area. Previous excavations prior to the construction of City Walls Road demonstrated the survival of archaeologically significant deposits of Roman date overlain by post-Roman cultivation soils; these deposits seem to have been subsequently truncated, though it is possible that some archaeologically significant remains may survive at greater depth than the present observations.

A desk based assessment was undertaken to determine the history of a mono-pitched agricultural building in the foldyard at Sidnall. Sidnall Farm first appears in documentary sources as the place name

Fieldwork for the archaeological evaluation was undertaken by 110 Archaeology during 1st-3rd June 2020. The planned two trenches were in the event split into three due to the presence of a live service run. These trenches (1 & 2) each measuring approx. 7.50m long and 1.60m wide were excavated on the southern, more elevated area of the site. The third trench 15m long and 1.60m wide was excavated on the lower eastern side of the site. Trenches were excavated using a mini-digger with toothless ditching bucket. Sections and the trench base were then hand cleaned prior to recording in plan and section ). The trench locations were surveyed in relation to the site boundaries and existing building on the site. The natural substrate, comprising a light brown clay (104, 203 & 303) was exposed at varying degrees within all three trenches. The surface of this clay was recorded throughout both trenches 1 and 2 at a level height of 21.66m and 21.39m (AOD) respectively. The fire station building was recorded photographically internally and externally prior to proposed demolition – the building had very few features of specialist interest. No archaeologically significant artefacts were observed or recovered during the evaluation trenching, and therefore it is unlikely that archaeologically significant deposits survive in any quantity in the immediate vicinity of the development.

An archaeological evaluation was undertaken at land to the west of Pershore Road, Upton Snodsbury, Worcestershire in September 2012 by Mike Napthan Archaeology. The project was intended to provide an indication of the presence or absence of archaeologically significant buried deposits prior to the proposed construction of housing.The project produced no finds of note, only a small number of sherds of later post-medieval to modern pottery being recovered.