A second season of excavation by The Church Meadow Project, supported by SyAS and EEHAS and directed by N Cowlard, re-opened the 2012 trench and extended it by a further 30m. Plough damage had removed almost all features above Roman ground level although a previously encountered large pit was found to cut the remains of two Roman wells. The earlier well was roughly square with the shadow of a plank lining and a wooden cask incorporated into its construction, and was cut by the later well. An associated, substantial flint-lined pit or posthole may have supported a windlass.

Evaluation by T Munnery of SCAU. The earliest material was Late Upper Palaeolithic/Mesolithic and Mesolithic/Neolithic flintwork from later features and overburden although residual, may originate from an occupation site or sites nearby. The most concentrated phase of activity was of Bronze Age, especially Late Bronze Age, date. Pits and ditches and a buried subsoil indicate the utilisation of the site for settlement.

Evaluation trenches dug by SyAS under the direction of R Savage proved the existence of substantial brick clamps as indicated by magnetometry survey in 2009; the clamps remain undated but are probably medieval. Test pits confirmed a scattered presence of Roman tiles to the east of St Peter’s church, but only one sherd of domestic Roman pottery was found (and that well-rolled and close to the surface of the field). A test pit at an adjoining property produced large stratified sherds of early 12th century pottery, co-incident with the building or rebuilding of St Peter’s church c AD 1100–20.

Excavation by G Dawkes of ASE. A small quantity of Mesolithic flint was recovered, mostly from later features. The earliest datable features were four pits containing Early Neolithic pottery and flintwork. A scalene point recovered from one of the pits may represent the continued use of Mesolithic technology into the Early Neolithic. Three ditches containing Neolithic flintwork were revealed, although it was considered that these may be residual finds in later prehistoric features.

Evaluation by D Graham of SyAS to examine the D-shaped enclosure revealed by geophysical survey in 2008. The enclosure was found to be of a Late Iron Age date, with significant quantities of pottery recovered. A nearby rectangular enclosure was also investigated, and found to be later, of 2nd century date.

Evaluation by N Garland of ASE. A number of features ranging from the Middle Iron Age to post-medieval were revealed. The majority were either ditches suggestive of agricultural boundaries and/or drainage features and a few pits, although a palaeochannel was identified during a geoarchaeological investigation, and a single cremation burial was also revealed. Subsequent excavation by G Priestly-Bell of ASE revealed three phases of occupation representing probable small-scale settlement activity dating from the Early Iron Age to the Romano-British period.

Evaluation by D Graham of SyAS following the report of Roman pottery, perhaps related to the ‘missing’ villa that should be associated with the nearby bath-house structures known at Roman Way, having been found on the site. No features were revealed, with the supposition being that the pottery might have been imported to the site through manuring. (Bulletin 421)

Watching brief by P Harp of Plateau. No features were noted, but two Bronze Age scrapers and three sherds of Romano-British pottery were recovered.

Magnetometry survey by D Calow of SyAS, following the discovery of Roman and Iron Age coins during metal detecting and the subsequent discovery of small sherds of pottery of Late Iron Age and Early Roman date during fieldwalking by D Williams of SCC, suggests the presence of buried archaeological features. (431)

Further episodes of fieldwork co-ordinated by N Cowlard and directed by D Bird for the Roman Studies Group of SyAS to investigate the villa and its environs. Initial test-pitting was followed by excavation of features identified in a magnetometry survey carried out in 2008–9 and in a resistivity survey by D and A Graham of SyAS.