Data from an Archaeological Trial Trench Evaluation at Fleet Marston Cottages, Bicester Road East, Buckinghamshire, 2017-2018 (HS2 Phase One)
COPA: Cotswold Oxford Pre-Construct Archaeology, Oxford Archaeology Ltd, High Speed Two Ltd., 2023. https://doi.org/10.5284/1126701. How to cite using this DOI
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Resource identifiers
- ADS Collection: 4273
- DOI:https://doi.org/10.5284/1126701
- How to cite using this DOI
Introduction
This collection comprises the reports, site drawings, animal bone recording data, and photographic archive from an archaeological trial trench evaluation at Fleet Marston Cottages (Bicester Road East) Buckinghamshire, undertaken by COPA between 17th December 2017 and 25th January 2018. The documentary and finds archives will be deposited with Discover Bucks Museum.
Project Summary
COPA were commissioned by Fusion to undertake an archaeological trial trench evaluation on land south of the A41, located 2.5km north-west of Aylesbury in Buckinghamshire. The trial trenching addressed one area of land located south of Fleet Marston Cottages directly south of the A41. The Project Plan established the scope, aims, contribution to the Generic Written Scheme of Investigation: Historic Environment Research and Delivery Strategy (GWSI: HERDS) objectives, techniques, deliverable and reporting mechanism for the trial trench investigation. The fieldwork was undertaken between 17 December 2017 and 25 January 2018.
The trial trench investigation, comprising 16 machine-excavated trenches 30m long, was undertaken on land south of Fleet Marston Cottages; hereafter referred to as the ‘Site’. The Site comprises one land parcel measuring c. 4.94ha and is centred at NGR 477073 216309. The Site comprises one east/west aligned arable field to the south of the A41 and the north-eastern corner of another arable field to the south. The Site is bounded to the north by the A41, to the east and north-east by a tributary of the River Thame, and to the north-west by a hedgerow. The two fields are separated by a hedgerow and the southern part of the Site is part of a much larger field. This evaluation was undertaken as stage 1 of a wider scheme with 16 trenches initially required in advance of the critical path construction of the ecological habitat site. The locations for the trial trench evaluation were selected to address construction programme risk to land required for the construction of the Bicester Road East ecological habitat mitigation site. The land parcel is required for the proposed construction of the Bicester Road East ecological habitat mitigation site comprising receptor ponds for Great Crested Newts, woodland planting and grassland habitat. This part of the scheme comprised 16 trenches (Tr 1, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, 12, 14, 17, 19, 20, 21,22 and 25). The majority of the trenches were 30m (l) by c. 1.5-1.6m wide apart from Trenches17 and 25 which were 50m (l) and Trench 17 was 2m wide.
Re-Use Value Statement
The results of the evaluation confirmed the presence of late Bronze Age to Iron Age activity on the Site. The archaeological remains from Trenches 17 and 25 indicate the presence of two possible late Bronze Age to Iron Age enclosures. In 2009 these enclosure ditches were found to contain late Iron Age and Roman pottery so may have gone out of use by this date. The 2009 and 2017 evaluation also encountered a number of other external boundary ditches and smaller linear ditches which may be related to this later prehistoric (most likely Iron Age) settlement. To the south of the Site one ditch was encountered indicating activity in this area, likely associated with early to middle Iron Age field system.
If the Site was to be further excavated, a new set of objectives should be drawn up in light of the presence of the possible Iron Age enclosures and ditches, as such remains could potentially contribute to HERDS objectives KC15 and KC16 relating to Bronze Age and Iron Age settlement and continuity. However, the need for further works at the Site has been assessed against the proposed HS2 impacts. In this case, it was agreed through risk review meetings with HS2 that the enclosures to the north of the Site would be preserved (and as such would not necessitate further investigation). It was also agreed that although remains of an Iron Age field system were recorded to the south of the Site, the proposed pond locations would not require further mitigation works.
