Library

A trench-based evaluation was carried out by the Cambridge Archaeological Unit on a plot of land at the junction of High Street and Union Lane, Chesterton. The area evaluated lies across the road from a recently-developed site (the Phase 1 site) on which previous excavations have revealed a sequence of settlement activity dating back to the 12th century. The evaluation revealed a number of ditches and quarry pits of medieval date, though the density of features does appear to be less than on the Phase 1 site. Although buildings (now demolished) were constructed on both the street frontages in the late 19th century, their foundations do not appear to have disturbed the archaeologically significant levels except on the High Street frontage, where a backfilled cellar was encountered.

This report has been commissioned by Hanson Aggregates Ltd. in advance of a proposed extension to their Earith Quarry. The area discussed here lies to the south of the current phase of gravel extraction. The report has collated all the available information concerning the known and potential archaeological remains within the study area.

A desk based assessment was carried out for the DETR Development Site on Station Road, Cambridge. The findings indicate that archaeology from the Roman period is most likely to be found on the site, particularly to the west and south. The Via Devana, the principal route into Roman Cambridge from the south runs just to the west, a possible Roman camp lies immediately to the east. The potential for significant contribution to studies of Roman Cambridge's hinterland is high.

The machining of foundation trenches for a small housing development behind 48 Church Street, Willingham (TL406 705) was monitored, and a number of possible archaeological features recorded in the sections of the trenches. None of these produced any datable material. Two were large pits which may be associated with a medieval pit recorded in the previous evaluation of the site, but may also be modern.

The proposed development site lies within the historic core of Burwell. The main focus of medieval settlement was Burwell Castle (SMR 1775, SAM 29382) and St Mary's Church (SMR 328) approximately 200m south east of the site. Within the Scheduled Ancient Monument of the castle, the earliest traces of occupation are of the Roman period, comprising structural remains discovered during excavations in the 1930s. During the mid-12th century, a motte and bailey were constructed on the site. According to documentary sources the castle was one link in a chain of defences built by King Stephen in 1143/4 to contain the forces of the Earl of Essex, Geoffrey de Mandeville, who had seized the Isle of Ely. The mid 13th century saw yet further changes to the function of the site with the construction of an oratory by the Abbott of Ramsey. The existence of further structures relating to this abbey precinct is likely, as are groundworks such as fishponds. The neighbouring St Mary's Church contains elements dating back to the 12th century with improvements to the south aisle during the 14th century and wholesale remodelling during the 15th. The site also lies close to the probable location of the medieval church of St Andrew (SMR 6721). The consensus of opinion suggests it was sited to the north of St Mary's, a position now occupied by a school; this point will be discussed further below. In addition, there is the potential for the survival of earlier remains on site associated with the possible Roman settlement and large Anglo-Saxon cemetery excavated 300m to the north (SMR 6764 & 6764A) by Lethbridge during the 1920s and 1930s . A total of 140 inhumations dating from the 7th century were excavated, as well as a large quarry pit backfilled with Roman building material and pottery.

This desktop assessment has been commissioned by Mott MacDonald Limited on behalf of the Imperial War Museum, before planning proposals are submitted for a third possible location for the relocated IWM film archive store (Site 3). This report follows on closely from a previous study, which examined the archaeological potential of Sites 1 and 2. Site 3 is located to the south of the village of Duxford, just west of the M11 (centred on TL 4760 4390). The site lies only 1 km north of Site 2; the fact that the two are so close results in the potential for archaeological remains at both sites being very similar. As with the previous report, the study includes a review of the Sites and Monuments record, as well as other published material pertaining to the immediate area. An assessment of the aerial photographic evidence is included.

An archaeological evaluation was undertaken in advance of the proposed development of one field covering 0.619 hectares at Mill Lane, Burwell, Cambridgeshire (centred TL 5910 6620). Two T-shaped trenches totalling 85m in length were excavated. No archaeological features were identified.

An archaeological evaluation, comprising a programme of fieldwalking and the machining of trenches and test pits, was carried out on a 5ha. area of former arable land north-west of Somersham at TL365 790, in advance of the expansion of a gravel quarry. The evaluation area lies approx. 500m to the south-west of the site of an Iron Age/Roman settlement at Knobbs Farm, recognised as a complex of cropmarks on aerial photographs. However, only insubstantial field boundary ditches were found, dating to the Roman period and representing the outlying fields of a settlement. Medieval ridge and furrow covers part of the site and was recognized in the evaluation trenches, following a different alignment to the Roman field systems.

Following a desk based assessment, field evaluation was carried out at the former Offley Garage site in Great Offley. Two trenches were dug, the westernmost of these in the centre of the site, revealed features on a similar alignment to those discovered previously in excavations at Westbury Farm on the opposite side of Luton Road. Pottery within the features indicated a date for the features in the 12th and early 13th centuries. The finds tended to confirm the proposition that the garage site had originally been part of the Westbury complex, separated only by the construction of Luton Road in the early 19th century. A possible building was suggested by beam slots. This was interpreted as a farm related ancillary building of the early medieval period. Twentieth century disturbance on the site had greatly impacted upon archaeological survival which was limited to the central part of the site.

Archaeological excavation has been completed at Swallowfields, Bloodmoor Hill, Carlton Colville on behalf of Wimpey homes (eastern region). The site is centred on TM 5198 9004 and forms part of the housing allocation area of the Lowestoft local Plan. The area of the current planning application covers c.2.80 hectares of set-aside, former arable land on the south-eastern edge of Carlton Colville. Within this, the main excavation area comprised 4000 square metres at the north-east edge of the site with further trenching to the south-west on the line of the future access roads. The excavations were conducted by a team from the Cambridge Archaeological Unit between the 5th and 23rd of June 2000, in respect to the brief and specification set out by Suffolk County Council. The archaeology revealed falls into three broad periods: prehistoric, Roman-British and medieval/post-Medieval. The prehistoric element consists of pottery and worked flint in subsoil or as residual material in later features, the Romano-British sees a continuation of a previously recorded trackway and field system and the medieval/post-Medieval comprises Enclosure ditches, finds scatters and a large quarry.

An evaluation trench was opened on the site of the former Pye Radio and Television Works, St Andrews Road, Chesterton, in advance of proposed re-development. The trench was centred on an area of carpark besides a recently demolished building, 'Pye building C�. The Trench revealed modern car park makeup above a dark soil that concealed linear features orientated north south. These features are of probable post-medieval date. An alluvial deposit was observed with indications of residual prehistoric archaeology.

A trench-based archaeological evaluation was carried out on a 7.82ha area of arable land near Rectory Farm, two kilometres south-west of Ickleton village, one of five proposed sites for the relocation of the Imperial War Museum (Duxford) nitrate film archive. Although Roman and possibly Iron Age settlements are known in its immediate environs, no archaeological evidence was encountered in the evaluation, with the exception of four small features which are undated and may be natural, and occasional pieces of worked flint which were present in the topsoil.