Prehistoric

Ewell Grove School, West Street, Ewell

Watching brief by W Weller of SCAU showed the site to have been severely disturbed. However, a large ditch of probable Roman date was observed close to the main school building and is possibly a continuation of ditches excavated by S S Frere in 1939 and 1940 (SyAC 48, 45–60). A compacted chalk layer, which may represent a courtyard area between buildings noted on the Ewell Enclosure Map of 1803, was also recorded. A quantity of worked flint of Mesolithic, Neolithic and later Bronze Age date was recovered, indicating activity during these periods within the vicinity.

North Park Quarry

Watching brief and subsequent detailed archaeological excavation by G Santamaria of WA to the north and east of previous phases of work (figs 6 and 7) and an exploratory machine slot excavated through a possible palaeochannel revealed but not investigated during the 2015 season. The possible palaeochannel measured c 40m in width but was relatively shallow, at a maximum of 2m to the underlying sand (fig 8).

Mercers Farm, Nutfield

Excavations by J Payne of SCAU ahead of planned mineral extraction revealed evidence of archaeological activity dating from the Mesolithic through to the post-medieval period. The more important finds included a pit that contained Beaker-type ceramics, diagnostic flint tools of Neolithic and Early Bronze Age date and the remnants of a Middle/Late Bronze Age field system, which was in part truncated by a Middle/Late Iron Age settlement. The Iron Age settlement comprised a series of ring-ditches and numerous discrete cut features set within a substantial enclosure ditch.

Land at the rear of 268–269 Fir Tree Road, Banstead

Excavation by Dr K Harrison on behalf of Surrey Police after the discovery of human remains during construction work, revealed the presence of a single burial. Sufficient skeletal material remained in situ to suggest the individual was buried in a crouched position, on its side and oriented north--south. There were no grave goods, associated finds or datable material in the grave fill but the burial position was consistent with a Bronze Age or Iron Age inhumation.

Former Guildford Fire Station, Ladymead, Guildford

Test pit evaluation by C Morris of AOC. The site is adjacent to the site that revealed a substantial scatter of worked flint, thought to represent the in-situ remains of a Late Upper Palaeolithic campsite (SyAC 99, 221), but it produced no Palaeolithic material. A small residual quantity of worked Mesolithic flint artefacts was recovered. A shallow ditch on the western side of the site produced Late Iron Age pottery and Roman pottery and flue tile; a further ditch produced slag and Roman tile fragments.

Cocks Farm villa, Abinger

Further excavation by the Roman Studies Group of SyAS, directed by D Bird and E Corke, in the field to the north-east of the Scheduled villa, exposed the north-east corner of a Roman enclosure. Its east–west oriented boundary consisted of substantial ditches, while there were seven successive parallel north–south boundaries, spaced 1–2m apart. They included palisades, a beamslot and posthole arrangement, ditches and probable hedges.

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