Surrey Archaeological Society

Town centre, Farnham

A second year of community test pitting directed by A Sassin and D Graham of SyAS. Fifteen 1m2 test pits excavated at Farnham Park, Garden Cottage and Lowndes End on Long Garden Walk, the Windsor Almshouses, 7A Castle Street, the Museum of Farnham, the Old Vicarage, and Bishops Meadow produced finds of post-medieval or Victorian date, attesting to the majority of pits being located outside the known medieval core of the town.

Lower Old Park, Farnham

Geophysical survey in 2014 by A Sassin and D and A Graham of SyAS on a site first noted by J Hampton on an aerial photograph. The survey confirmed the presence of a probable Late Iron Age/early Romano-British farmstead enclosure. Roman roof tile and pottery was noted during the survey and coins and other objects of Roman date from the same area have been recorded by the Portable Antiquities Scheme.

Margery Wood, Margery Lane, Reigate

Excavation by J Newell of SyAS of a narrow trench across the extensive bank and ditch earthwork previously surveyed in 2013 (SyAC 99, 228), suggested that the series of abutments to the north of the bank were contemporary with or added soon after the bank was formed. The broad ditch to the south proved to be shallow. No dating evidence was recovered from the excavation or a subsequent metal detector survey, suggesting the site may have been metal detected previously.

The Park, Great Bookham

A second season of excavation by L Spencer of SyAS on the postulated site of Bookham Courte revealed more of the demolition layer uncovered in 2014 (SyAC 99, 224) from which medieval pottery dated to 1250 to 1500 was recovered. Beneath the demolition rubble, a succession of largely sterile deposits overlay a chalk surface. A line of one or two courses of large flat-topped chalk blocks was revealed in the west of the site though, given its narrow width, it was unclear whether this constituted a wall foundation.

Cocks Farm villa, Abinger

Further excavation by the Roman Studies Group of SyAS led by D Bird in the field to the north-east of the Scheduled villa area revealed evidence for probably two consecutive later Iron Age enclosures on the hilltop together with eleven flat-bottomed pits to add to the three found in 2014. Quernstones and other finds confirmed the idea that these were probably for grain storage. Burnt clay, probably from wattle-and-daub oven domes and large quantities of burnt carrstone in pit fills, suggested Late Iron Age activity.

Effingham

Test pitting by C Hayward of SyAS recovered medieval pottery from several gardens, together with a small amount of Roman pottery, adding to evidence for settlement in the Roman period.

Flexford

The final season of excavation by D Calow for the Roman Studies Group of SyAS revealed a small pit filled with burnt flint, pot and charcoal radiocarbon dated to the Late Bronze Age. A north/south ditch 6m to the east contained a few small sherds of flint-tempered pottery and charcoal of very similar date. In total c 50 fragments of Late Bronze Age pottery were recovered, most of it redeposited in Roman features, suggesting there was Late Bronze Age activity in the vicinity.

Coldharbour Cottage, Lower Mousehill Lane, Milford

Excavation by D Graham of SyAS following the reporting of a number of sherds of greyware pottery and iron slag, made in 2012 by the house owner. Five small trenches confirmed that the site is likely to have been an ironworks, dated on pottery evidence to the 13th century. Evidence of working surfaces were recorded together with a few postholes and a possible structure consisting of an oval ring of inwardly angled stakeholes, although the bloomery or any other substantial structures were not encountered.

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