Data from a Trial Trenching at the M25 Access Slip Roads, Chalfont St. Peter, Buckinghamshire, 2017-2021 (HS2 Phase One)
COPA: Cotswold Oxford Pre-Construct Archaeology, Cotswold Archaeology, High Speed Two Ltd., 2025. https://doi.org/10.5284/1126708. How to cite using this DOI
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This work is licensed under a The Open Government Licence (OGL).
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Resource identifiers
- ADS Collection: 4594
- DOI:https://doi.org/10.5284/1126708
- How to cite using this DOI
Introduction
This collection comprises of images, site records and a spreadsheet from a trial trench evaluation carried out by COPA (Cotswold Oxford Pre-Construct Archaeology) at the M25 access slip roads near Chalfont St. Peter, Buckinghamshire between April and November 2017.
Project Summary
The test pit and trial trench evaluation was undertaken on land located either side of the M25, to the east of Chalfont St. Peter, to assess the archaeological potential of the Site to contain artefacts, deposits or features of archaeological significance, particularly those of hunter gatherer, Late Glacial or Mesolithic activity, for which the Colne Valley is nationally renowned.
The Site comprised three land parcels (Fields 1 – 3) measuring c. 5.1ha to the west of the M25 (Field 1) and 9.7ha to the east (Fields 2, 3). The land is required for the construction of access slip-roads and ‘bell-mouths’ which will allow access to the Chiltern Tunnel South Portal main construction compound and construction site located to the south. The Site is located in the vicinity of cropmark evidence for ditches and pits relating to prehistoric and/or Romano - British activity and the route of a possible Roman road and lies within the wider archaeological landscape of the Colne Valley. As such it has potential for the survival of archaeological remains of Mesolithic to Roman date. In addition to trial trenching, three test pits within the footprints of the evaluation trenches were sample dry-sieved, to the full depth of the ploughsoil, for retrieval of artefacts and identification of finds scatters, particularly lithics.
Re-Use Value Statement
The location, extent, survival and significance of any heritage assets of archaeological interest on this site have been captured in this dataset. This can inform future research into the archaeology and practices within the site and surrounding landscape, but also for the county as a whole.
