Series: Oxford Archaeology East unpublished report series

Field walking was carried out across the proposed development area of Chilton Leys, Stowmarket. The field walking aimed to identify areas of archaeological interest as an aid to evaluation trenching of the area at a later date. Material from the Late Neolithic to Early Bronze Age through to Medieval date was recovered including a Silver Irish long cross coin, dated to 1280 to 1307AD and a barbed and tanged arrowhead. Two areas were identified as having a higher concentration of finds than the rest of the field.

Two main phases of development were identified during the survey. The earliest phase comprised the construction of a large double pile house/villa during the mid 19th century followed soon after by the addition of shop units built up to the street frontage in the late 19th century and the conversion of the existing house into two separate first-floor flats. Some later single storey lean-to additions were created at the rear of the building in the early-mid 20th century. As part of the historical research, the earliest map consulted was the 1859 Plan of the Parish of Islington which shows Junction Road with very little residential development and no obvious depiction of the current building/s surveyed. The first cartographic depiction of the site appears in the 1871 Town Plan. However, additional research indicates the original house may have been constructed around 1850 when it was possibly called Cathcart Lodge. Further background research carried out at Islington's History Centre revealed a date of construction of the shops as around 1885 when they are first listed in the Post Office Directories. These directories, as well as a series of photographic images taken in the early 20th century, provide an interesting account of the changing uses of the commercial units the people who occupied them. When the site survey was undertaken, the buildings were found to be in a very poor state of repair having suffered from rain damage, vandalism and poor internal maintenance. There were some original 19th century features remaining including windows and elements of the shop frontages, however, most fixtures or fittings or architectural or historical value had been removed. A small number of interesting features were found to have been concealed behind 20th century shop fittings within 130b including ceiling cornices and a ceiling rose thought to be located within what would have been one of the formal reception rooms on the ground floor of the original Victorian villa.

An Evaluation was carried out at 15 White Hart Lane, Godmanchester on Monday 18th April by OA East, Grid ref TL 2523 7038. The evaluation consisted of one 10m long trench located within the footprint of a proposed dwelling. The trench contained no archaeologically significant features although a single worked flint object was recovered from the subsoil.

Oxford Archaeology East undertook an archaeological evaluation from the 22nd of May to the 23rd of May 2017 at land near 162 Coates Road, Whittlesey, Cambridgeshire (TL 3025 9741). A total of six trenches were excavated across the development area, two measuring 20m in length and four measuring 40m in length. Topsoil and subsoil were observed overlying a natural of sandy gravels. All trenches were devoid of archaeology.

The evaluation excavation of three trenches revealed evidence for the presence of archaeological activity on the site. Structural remains were uncovered, as well as a small number of pits and a ditch, all of which is highly likely to be contemporary with the current standing building, formerly known as the Swan Inn. The structural elements can be seen in cartographic evidence, and seem to result from the modifications and adaptations of the building over the course of time. Evidence for a quarry pit was also seen at the northern end of the development area.

Between 2nd and 3rd July 2013, Oxford Archaeology East carried out an archaeological evaluation at 2 Park Road, Yaxley, Cambridgeshire. This took the form of two 30m x 2m trenches and one 20m x 2m trench across the proposed development area. A total of two pits, probably dating to the Iron Age, and one undated pit were revealed across the site. Five flint artefacts were recovered from one of the Iron Age pits.

Between 1st September and 11th September 2015, Oxford Archaeology East (OA East) carried out an archaeological evaluation at 270 Cambridge Science Park, Milton, Cambridgeshire (TL 4636 6205). A total of seven trenches were excavated with an undated ditch, a possible furrow, a glacial feature and a modern footpath being found. The trenching indicated that the development area had seen significant truncation and landscaping in the recent past, possibly related to the activities on site during the Second World War. This activity and the impact of modern development on the area means that the majority of any undesignated heritage assets that may have been in the area have been significantly truncated.

Oxford Archaeology East was commissioned by Parkside Real Estate Ltd to undertake a desk-based assessment of land at 30 Parkside, Wimbledon. The aim of the assessment was to define the archaeological potential of the Site. The information will be used by the Greater London Archaeological Advisory Officer to Merton Council to determine the archaeological potential of the site and subsequently the scope of any further archaeological investigation. There is a low to moderate possibility of prehistoric remains surviving on the Site and a moderate possibility of Roman remains. In the Anglo-Saxon, medieval and post-medieval periods the Site is unlikely to have been anything other than marginal heathland and pasture until it was incorporated into the gardens of Wimbledon House sometime between 1800 and 1862. The current house is early 20th century in date and, while not Listed, there are several Listed Buildings within sight of the property. Its location within the North Wimbledon Conservation area may also impose certain constraints on any redevelopment.

The eight trenches excavated during this evaluation revealed no significant archaeological features with the exception of post medieval pits and stakeholes. A small assemblage of struck and burnt flint was recovered from the subsoil.

An archaeological evaluation was carried out at 64-68 Newmarket Road, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire to provide further information about the archaeological character of the site in support of a planning application for redevelopment for housing and commercial properties. The fieldwork took place between the 4th and 10th of May 2016. A total of seven trenches were excavated within the proposed development area. Evidence of medieval settlement activity was uncovered in the northern part of the site in the form of pits and low levels of finds. The remainder of the test pits showed that the site had been open fields until the mid or late 19th century, and that they had been subject to heavy manuring and/or rubbish disposal throughout the 18th and 19th centuries. Test Pit 5 at the rear of the site was located in a row of terraced houses shown on maps of 1830 and 1885. This test pit showed that quarrying had taken place followed by housing development.