The sixth main season of excavation on Ashtead Common was undertaken by the Society’s Roman Studies Group between 24 August and 11 September this year, with extremely good results. In the absence of the writer and Alan Hall for much of the time through illness, the site was managed by a core team. Particular thanks are due to Nikki Cowlard and Margaret Broomfield; the latter kindly took on Alan’s recording duties with the aid of the supervisors (although he was able to

The Society’s Roman Studies Group has carried out another two-week excavation as part of the current programme of work at Abinger coordinated by Nikki Cowlard (for last year, including the results of magnetometer survey, see Bulletin 422). Although the weather proved challenging, with constant changes between wet and dry making interpretation of features more difficult on the sandy soil, all aims were more than achieved, with important results. It is probable that almost all the evidence is for Roman-period activity.

First discovered in 1880 and subsequently excavated over a number of years by the Rev T S Cooper, High Biddings Field in Whitebeech, about a mile east of Chiddingfold, is the

A  Magnetometry survey of the surrounds of the villa and associated test-pitting in the winter of 2009-10 informed excavation strategy in the 2010 season.
Excavation included the successful identification of the site of work by Charles Darwin in 1877.

1:  Magnetometry Project around Cock’s Farm Roman villa, Abinger 2008-10

The Ewell Hinterland Project was set up by Surrey Archaeological Society in conjunction with Epsom and Ewell History and Archaeology Society to examine and investigate the archaeological evidence for Iron Age and Romano-British sites around Ewell, a known Romano-British settlement.  Over the last two years members have participated in a number of field walking days to ascertain evidence for past occupation.  It was decided to include in the project all fields that became

As part of the five year plan to reappraise the work carried out on the Ashtead Roman Villa site, we have recently undertaken a project to maximise the information we can obtain from the artefacts using digital photography. All artefacts have a story to tell and it is important to extract as much information as we can from our photographic images.

Equipment

The fifth main season of excavation on Ashtead Common was undertaken by the Society’s Roman Studies Group between 25 August and 13 September this year. There were four new trenches and extensions to two from previous years, together with the re-opening of Trench 9.

The following is the text of an article which was published in the Proceedings of the Hampshire Field Club, by whose kind permission it is published here. It outlines the search for a road by our member David Weston and subsequent excavations under our auspices led by David Calow.