Data from an Archaeological Trial Trench Evaluation North of Moat Farm, Chetwode, Buckinghamshire, 2018 (HS2 Phase One)
Oxford Archaeology Ltd, COPA: Cotswold Oxford Pre-Construct Archaeology, High Speed Two Ltd., 2025. https://doi.org/10.5284/1126544. How to cite using this DOI
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- ADS Collection: 4279
- DOI:https://doi.org/10.5284/1126544
- How to cite using this DOI
Introduction
![Photograph of Trench 2 ditch [203] Section 2.1 view to North West 1x1x2 metre scale](images/1C17NMFTT_0012.jpg)
This collection comprises the reports, site drawings, flint recording data and animal bone recording data, as well as the photographic archive, for the trial trenching carried out on land north-east of Godington, Buckinghamshire (NGR SP 64611 28467). The documentary and finds archive will be deposited with Discover Bucks Museum.
Project Summary
COPA were commissioned by Fusion to undertake an archaeological evaluation at HS2 2017 Construction Land Requirement (084-M10W) Chetwode. 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 investigation. The fieldwork was undertaken between 8 and 12 January 2018.
The trial trenching addressed one area of land circa 500 metres north-east of Godington, Buckinghamshire (NGR SP 64611 28467), hereafter referred to as ‘the Site’. The Site encompasses an area of circa 2.46 hectares and is currently an arable field. The land parcel is required for the construction of three ecological mitigation ponds, a wet grassland seeding area, two reptile basking banks, two hibernacula and a reptile egg laying heap. The fieldwork comprised five 30 metre trenches (Tr1-Tr4 and Tr8) positioned in light of the geophysical survey to determine a baseline for the archaeological potential. Trenches 5-7 were not required as the scheme design was altered after the Project Plan was written.
Re-Use Value Statement
The results of the evaluation indicated the likely presence of a previously unknown late Roman rural settlement. This included several ditches, a pit and several spread deposits which contained late Roman pottery. The later fills and spreads show evidence of waterborne activity and the Site may have been flooded after it was abandoned. This potential settlement may have had one or more stone buildings as a large number of stones circa 0.20 metre diameter were found within a dump spread along with a piece of heat treated mortar. Animal bone was also found indicating the presence of cattle, sheep/goats and possibly dogs, as gnawing was found on several bones.
The late Roman archaeology on this Site appears to survive at a depth of circa 0.20 metre below present ground level (bpgl) and has survived modern ploughing on this Site. There may be more in situ late Roman remains on the Site, given the evaluation only sampled 0.97 percent of the Site. The focus of the activity may be to the west of the Site as no archaeological features were identified within Trenches 3, 4 and 8.
If further work was to be carried out on this Site evidence may be uncovered of additional features in the vicinity of Trenches 1 and 2. The curvilinear ditch in Trench 1 may be part of a small enclosure at least 8m in diameter and this feature may be of late Roman or earlier date. One of the features identified on the geophysical survey appeared to be two ditches 203 and 207 (203 truncating 207) and these ditches may define the north-eastern occupational extent of the farmstead. The presence of the organic occupation deposits and features in Trenches 1 and 2 containing late Roman pottery, animal bones, stones and mortar suggest that a stone building and a heated structure such as an oven were located in this western part of the Site.
