Surrey Archaeological Society

Test pit by P Harp and S Hill of Plateau (a group of SyAS) on the site of a 1st century pottery and building material scatter, produced Romano-British and imported Roman fine wares of the same date within a mixed chalk matrix that may have been imported from elsewhere.

Watching brief by W Weller of SCAU did not reveal any finds or features of archaeological interest.

Watching brief by W Weller of SCAU revealed evidence of settlement activity from the Late Bronze Age to the Late Roman period, including a storage pit of a 1st century AD date and possible boundary ditches that may relate to the Romano-British settlement sites excavated in the 1930s to the south of the school.

Evaluation by J Aaronson of CA revealed two previously unidentified phases of castle development including part of a substantial footing within a deep-sided cut of 13th century date and a second phase represented by wall bases constructed from rough Reigate stone and chalk blocks. The presence of a brick hearth within the body of one of these walls suggests a later 14th or 15th century date, pre-dating the standing remains and lying to the south of the previously understood limits of the castle.

Evaluation by D Platt of TVAS did not reveal any finds or features of archaeological interest.

Evaluation by G Dawkes of ASE revealed evidence of water management features associated with the lake. The dating of these features was uncertain but map evidence suggests that they are no earlier than late 18th century in origin.

Strip, map and sample by J Wright of COT revealed two pits and two linear features, and recovered a small quantity of probable Mesolithic flint from the top of the natural substrate. One of the pits was similar to examples investigated in an adjoining area in 2011 thought likely to be tree-throw hollows resulting from tree clearance in the Late Bronze Age or Early Iron Age. The second pit is also likely to be the remains of a tree-throw hollow but probably of recent origin.

Evaluation and excavation by I Hogg of ASE following evaluation and a geophysical survey undertaken by WA in 2011 and 2012. Intense activity in the Late Bronze Age was recorded in two isolated pockets of the site. The corner of a rectilinear enclosure was recorded close to an area of pitting, probably the remains of quarrying and grain storage, although the main focus of the Bronze Age activity was in the east of the site where 147 postholes provided evidence for seven or eight post-built structures.

Evaluation by D Hopkinson of ASE revealed a number of features of modern origin, and two undated features, the nature of which suggests they represent tree-throw hollows or evidence of animal burrowing.

Excavation by D Bird for the Roman Studies Group of SyAS. Excavations were aimed at completing work on the area of the ‘new’ building discovered in 2010, the villa excavated by A W G Lowther and the two-period tile kiln. A trench across the latter revealed further detail of the construction of the back walls of both kilns, the side walls of the later kiln and a possibly uniquely surviving vent associated with the first period kiln. Tiled surfaces found in the corners were probably used as post pads for a cover structure, as none were found except at the corners.