Neolithic

St Giles’ church, Ashtead

Evaluation by G Hayman of SCAU to provide information to inform management decisions regarding the Scheduled earthworks in the church graveyard, specifically in relation to a proposal to extend the graveyard. The evaluation involved the excavation of a trench in the area immediately to the north of a substantial, partially infilled ditch. This was in use during the medieval period but follows, at least in part, the course of a smaller ditch of Roman or earlier origin which lies immediately to the north of the site of a Roman building.

Polesden Lacey, near Great Bookham

Evaluation by R Lambert of SCAU revealed no features of archaeological interest, but did recover a number of Neolithic/Bronze Age struck flints from the topsoil across the site, and a discrete flint scatter between the topsoil and natural in one of the trenches. A watching brief by J Robertson of SCAU during the excavation of a pipe trench in front of the main doorway of the house revealed the edge of a possible Victorian manhole.

Dorking Water Treatment Works to Tower Hill Water Main, Dorking

Watching brief maintained by N Shaikhley and S Hind of SCAU during the excavation of a pipeline trench and associated easement. This revealed the remains of a 19th century pathway, flints of Late Neolithic to Early Bronze Age date, a sherd of 13th/14th century coarse orange ware and post-medieval pottery sherds, all from the stripped topsoil. Metal detecting undertaken by P and A Vallis recovered a religious plaque dated to the late 15th/16th century, and a medieval copper-alloy key.

Clockhouse Brickworks, Capel

Monitoring of topsoil stripping by R Moore of NA in the area of two proposed haul roads did not reveal any features of archaeological significance, but did recover struck flint of Neolithic/Bronze Age date, a fragment of 17th century pot, and a small collection of modern ceramic building material.

Royal Horticultural Society, Wisley

Evaluation and subsequent excavation and watching brief by G Hayman of SCAU on the site of the proposed bicentenary glasshouse. A number of ditches were revealed during the evaluation. Dating evidence was slight, but the subsequent excavation and watching brief that followed established that the area was subject to two distinct periods of landscape management, with enclosure ditches and field systems dating to the Middle–Late Bronze Age and to the 11th–12th centuries. The flint assemblage was predominantly Bronze Age, with a small number of Mesolithic and Neolithic pieces also collected.

Whitehall Lane/Milton Park Farm, Egham

Ongoing evaluation, continuing from the work carried out in 2003, by A Taylor of TVAS in advance of possible mineral extraction on this site. Material recovered included stray and residual finds of Upper Palaeolithic date, as well as Mesolithic, Neolithic and Bronze Age flintwork. Prehistoric, Roman, Saxon and medieval pottery was also found as well as occupation evidence of Bronze Age, Iron Age, Saxon, medieval and post-medieval dates.

Land at Painsfield allotments, Eastworth Road, Chertsey

Evaluation and excavation by J Robertson of SCAU, prior to residential development. The evaluation revealed five pits at the centre of the site, containing pottery of largely a Middle Bronze Age date, while towards the south of the site a further pit was dated to the Iron Age. Residual Neolithic pottery was also recovered, suggesting that the area had been a focus for prehistoric activity for a considerable period. Further excavation at the centre of the site revealed additional Middle Bronze Age pits, ditches and a waterhole, but no indication of structures.

Hampton Court Station, Hampton Court

Geoarchaeological evaluation by ArchaeoScape consisting of recording lithostratigraphy from three geotechnical boreholes and twelve geotechnical probe holes to provide a profile of sediment sequence, and assess the potential of the site for environmental evidence. The lower part of the sequence comprises sand and gravel of the Shepperton Gravel, a deposit widely recognised in the Middle Thames Valley and laid down at the end of the last glacial episode between c 20,000 and 10,000 years ago.

Brooklands Race Track, Weybridge

Evaluation and watching brief by D Score of OA as part of a programme of investigation in advance of and during the proposed redevelopment of part of the interior of the Scheduled Monument. Most of the area evaluated had been previously truncated and levelled, but two late medieval or early post-medieval ditches and an associated pit and gully, two large undated linear features (either ditches or possible former channels of the nearby river Wey), and two possible prehistoric ditches, were recorded.

Ashford Hospital, Long Lane, Ashford

Watching brief by R Cowie of MoLAS following evaluation and excavation of part of the site last year. The excavation had been located in the area where the evaluation had revealed that features were concentrated. The work identified at least three pits of possible Neolithic date, three Bronze Age ditches representing part of a co-axial field system including the corner of an enclosure, two water-holes likely to be contemporaneous with the enclosure, and a Roman pit.

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