| Abstract: |
An archaeological watching brief was carried out by ISCA Archaeology Limited on 6 March 2023, on behalf of Mr Richard Glanville, during groundworks associated with the laying of an underground electrical cable linking a 14 panel, above ground solar array, to the western corner of Welltown Farm building. The location of the solar array is within a green field site to the north-east of Welltown Farm, Walkhampton (Fig. 1). The cable trench ran from the western extent of the main Grade II* Listed Welltown Farmhouse, to the location of the proposed solar array to the north-east.
The groundworks consisted of a single c. 140m long machine dug trench, measuring up to 1m deep by 0.3-0.4m wide. The groundworks consisted of a single c. 140m long machine dug trench, measuring up to 1m deep by 0.3-0.4m
wide. The northern extent of the trench was to the southern edge of a southerly sloping pasture field (Plate 1). The
soil sequence consisted of between 0.3-0.6m of a reddish-brown silty clay topsoil, sealing a yellowish-brown clayey
silt subsoil. The underlying natural substrate consisted of a blueish-grey silty clay, with frequent sub-angular
stones. To the western half of this northern field, the topsoil sealed a fine reddish-brown silty loam, interpreted as a
colluvial hill wash which butted up against the stone bank which formed the northern edge of an east/west aligned
sunken lane, located just to the north of the farmhouse (Plate 2). The cable trench cut southwards, through the
stone walling on the northern extent of the sunken lane, and through the compacted stones, up to 0.4m below the
lane, before passing through a gateway into the garden area to the north of Welltown Farm (Plate 3). In the garden
area, the cable trench was only dug to a depth of 0.4m by 0.3m wide. The overlying garden soils consisted of a
0.35-0.4m deep dark, humic rich silty topsoil, directly sealing the underlying stone rich subsoil. The garden soil
contained occasional roof slate fragments.
No archaeological features or deposits were observed, and no artefactual material was recovered. |
