Surrey Archaeological Society

Watching brief by W Weller of SCAU revealed no finds or features of archaeological interest.

Evaluation by W Perkins of PCA. The recovery of brick and tile fragments from the subsoil suggest that the area had previously been ploughed agricultural land before becoming woodland, as shown on 20th century OS maps. A single posthole or small pit was revealed that contained fragments of burnt flint but no dating material.

Watching brief by N Bond of SyAS during extension works showed that the site had been largely truncated down to the natural geology. No finds or features of archaeological interested were revealed.

Historic building recording by S Angell of CBAS of a substantial, 20th century double-winged hut prior to its demolition. The structure had probably been relocated from elsewhere and may have been modified at that time to fit the available space between the adjacent railway line and Woodfield Road. Its original construction probably dates to the First World War and based on similar structures, its size and form suggest that it was built for use as a YMCA hut or for administrative operations within a troop training camp.

A test pit evaluation by W Weller of SCAU within the triangular earthwork known as ‘The Camp’, undertaken in response to an illegal metal detecting incident that uncovered three hammered bronze items, including a nearly intact bowl. A number of replaced ‘plugs’ resulting from the incident were identified and a 2m2 test pit was excavated around one of them, deemed the most plausible for the source of the items.

Evaluation by W Weller of SCAU revealed significant modern disturbance and truncation, indicative of a high level of landscaping works in recent years. Four small pits or postholes of post-medieval date were recorded, but there was no evidence that they were related to the former 18th century farmstead known from cartographic evidence.

A watching brief by W Weller of SCAU during levelling of a sports field, recovered a small assemblage of unstratified Neolithic and Bronze Age worked flints. However, owing to the shallow nature of the groundworks, no other finds or features of archaeological interest were recorded; the archaeological horizon was not encountered.

Evaluation by S Wallis of TVAS on land to the rear of the hotel revealed areas of considerable disturbance, some associated with the construction of the recently demolished hotel block, constructed in 1971 and the subject of a separate historic building record by G Elliott, also of TVAS. No finds or features of archaeological interest were recorded.

Watching brief by S Nelson of SyAS during minor works revealed no finds or features of archaeological interest.