Data copyright © Wessex Archaeology unless otherwise stated
This work is licensed under the ADS Terms of Use and Access.
Wessex Archaeology
Portway House
Old Sarum Park
Salisbury
SP4 6EB
UK
Tel: 01722 326867
Fax: 01722 337562
The Environment Agency, in partnership with the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust (who will manage the scheme on completion), have initiated the Steart Peninsula Project, a 477ha habitat creation scheme at Steart near Bridgwater in Somerset. The scheme will create one of the UK's largest areas of new intertidal and freshwater wildlife habitat, whilst in the process improving both flood defences and the access track network around the peninsula, for the benefit of both residents of, and visitors to, Steart Peninsula.
Team Van Oord, a Joint Venture between Van Oord, May Gurney, Mackley Construction and Royal HaskoningDHV, has been appointed to co-ordinate the design and construction of the scheme. Thus, in 2011 Wessex Archaeology was commissioned by Team Van Oord (via May Gurney) to carry out the archaeological works in advance of the construction of the Steart Peninsula habitat creation scheme. This appointment follows on from Wessex Archaeology's successful delivery of archaeological design and mitigation works associated with the associated Bristol Port Company habitat creation scheme on the Severn Channel side of the Steart Peninsula.
The main phase of fieldwork, comprising fieldwalking, geophysical survey,geoarchaeological assessment, trial trench evaluation and detailed excavation, was undertaken between December 2011 and August 2012, with a few short breaks in fieldwork due to weather conditions or ecological constraints.