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Pre-Construct Archaeology Ltd
Office 8, Roewood Courtyard
Winkburn
Newark
Nottinghamshire
NG22 8PG
England
Pre-Construct Archaeology were commissioned by CgMs Consulting Ltd. to undertake an archaeological excavation on land at Foxlow Farm, Harpur Hill, Buxton, Derbyshire. The investigation was carried out between the 22nd January to the 8th February 2018. A previous archaeological evaluation carried out on the site had recovered ditches, a probable limestone wall footing and a gravel surface directly below an extant drystone field boundary wall. Although no dating evidence was recovered, these were likely to be a series of field boundaries dating from the post-Medieval period with the gravel surface beneath the extant wall probably being relatively recent. A targeted excavation was requested in an attempt to further characterise and clarify the dating of these discoveries.
The excavation further characterized the features uncovered during the evaluation, although no further evidence of settlement activity of any date was revealed. No dateable artefacts or organic remains were recovered. However, samples were taken of targeted deposits and fills in order to provide material for scientific (Optical Stimulated Luminescence) testing. This dating indicated that one of the ditches was medieval, probably 11th-12th century in origin and largely infilled by the later 13th century, and others were late medieval to early post-medieval, 15th-16th century.
Further evidence of probable post-medieval activity was identified in the form of two linear ditches or gullies and a post-hole.