| Abstract: |
Wessex Archaeology was commissioned by Galloper Wind Farm Limited (‘the client’) to undertake a programme of archaeological investigation comprising of evaluation, strip, map and sample excavation and watching brief on land at Sizewell Gap, Leiston, Suffolk (hereafter, the Site). The Site is centred on National Grid Reference (NGR) 646624 262742. The commissioning of the works followed the award of a development consent order (DCO) in May 2013 to construct an offshore wind farm and associated infrastructure, including new substation. The onshore substation was to be constructed on land adjacent to an existing substation constructed for the Greater Gabbard Offshore Wind Farm (GGOWF) at Sizewell Gap. The location of the proposed substation lay partly within arable land, partly within plantation woodland and partly within an area of grassland (Broom Covert).The cable route encompassed horizontal directional drilling (HDD) from the beach to the transition joint bay in the eastern field with localised cable trenching, with a further HDD to the western field. A 23m easement along the length of the western field for the cable duct was excavated, with a further HDD pit at the western end of the field excavated to carry the cable under Sizewell Gap and north towards the new substation through the northern field and subsequently though a man-made berm surrounding the new substation. The berm is on the location of the previous excavation area and the cable route only impacted on the made ground that the berm was constructed from.The Site has previously been subject to a desk-based assessment (Wessex Archaeology 2009), an evaluation in 2011 (Wessex Archaeology 2011a) which comprised the excavation of 35 trial trenches, a heritage statement (2011b), a watching brief in 2013 and an evaluation in 2014. Written Schemes of Investigations (Wessex Archaeology 2012, 2014a and b) were prepared for evaluation; strip, map and sample excavation and archaeological watching brief and approved by Jess Tipper, Suffolk County Council’s (SCC) Archaeological Officer. These investigations were undertaken between 14th July and 28th August 2014.The earliest evidence of activity at the Site is of Bronze Age date and is attested to by pottery sherds located in ditch 1675. However, a Romano-British pottery sherd was also recovered from this small feature. It may be that further activity of this date exists beyond the limits of excavation to the north. The Early Iron Age saw low level activity confined to the north eastern region of the Site, suggesting a pattern of rural open settlement. There is little evidence of enclosure or landscape division at the time. The remains of possible roundhouse/four post structures may indicate a more settled way of life; if so these features have been severely truncated.Most evidence of settlement at the Site is of Romano-British date with several phases of enclosures and land divisions in evidence. Phases of rectilinear enclosures and ditches were recorded across the Site but were particularly dense towards the north of the Site. Land divisions, as evidenced by ditch groups 1882 and possibly 1881, suggest a re-organisation of the land albeit along similar alignments.The density of features in the northern region of the Site hint at further intense activity beyond the limits of excavation. Paddocks/enclosures, as recorded by enclosure groups 1857, 1860 (incorporating 1861, 1888 and 1871), possibly groups 1858 and 1865, along with groups 1878 and 1877, suggest the first real attempt at organising the landscape occurred during the Romano-British period.Works on the cable route were carried out in several intermittent stages from 5th April to 16th September 2016. Despite the extensive archaeological resource within the substation area, the cable route did not contain any archaeological material. |
