Data from a Trial Trench Evaluation at Upper Bottom House Farm, Chalfont St Giles, Buckinghamshire, 2018-2019 (HS2 Phase One)
High Speed Two Ltd., INFRA Archaeology, 2024. https://doi.org/10.5284/1119346. How to cite using this DOI
Data copyright © High Speed Two Ltd. unless otherwise stated
This work is licensed under a The Open Government Licence (OGL).
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Resource identifiers
- ADS Collection: 4485
- DOI:https://doi.org/10.5284/1119346
- How to cite using this DOI
Introduction
This collection comprises site data (digital photographs, reports, GIS, spreadsheets, scanned trench and context sheets, registers and drawings) from a trial trench evaluation by INFRA Archaeology at Upper Bottom House Farm, Chalfont St Giles, Buckinghamshire. The evaluation was carried out in three phases, in December 2018, June 2019 and December 2019.
The evaluation forms part of Phase One of the High Speed 2 (HS2) rail project, which will involve the construction of a new railway approximately 230km (143 miles) in length between London and the West Midlands. Powers for the construction, operation and maintenance of Phase One are conferred by the High-Speed Rail (London - West Midlands) Act 2017.
Project Summary
The aims of the trial trenching were to:
- Confirm the presence/absence, extent, and depth of any surviving archaeological remains within the Sit;e
- Determine the nature, date, condition, state of preservation, complexity and significance of any archaeological remains;
- Determine the likely range, quality, and quantity of artefactual and environmental evidence present;
- Suggest measures, if appropriate and feasible, for further archaeological investigation to mitigate identified significant impacts.
The trial trenching also sought to contribute to the delivery of the following GWSI: HERDS Specific Objectives:
- KC5: Identifying settlement location and developing models for settlement patterns for the Mesolithic, Neolithic and Early Bronze Age.
- KC21: Assess the evidence for regional and cultural distinctiveness along the length of the route in the Romano-British period, with particular regard to the different settlement types encountered along the route.
- KC40: Identify patterns of change within medieval rural settlement from the 11th to mid-14th century.
Re-Use Value Statement
Of the 48 trenches excavated, three revealed archaeological features, including two ditches and a large quarry pit. Two further trenches revealed palaeochannels to the south of the current River Misbourne.
The sparsity of archaeological features, which furthermore appear to be isolated and mostly undated, hinders any overall characterisation of the Site. The large quarry pit is a single entity and is more than likely associated with the extraction of chalk for building material, probably for one of the buildings in the vicinity. The ditches are relatively shallow and of little potential other than as former field boundaries of probable post-medieval date. These remains are thus of low potential being of only local significance and offer almost no contribution to the knowledge creation objectives identified for this site, nor do they contribute to any other knowledge creation objectives detailed in the GWSI HERDS.
The Site has no potential to contribute to the research objectives set out in the GWSI HERDS and no further work is recommended.
