Surrey Archaeological Society

Evaluation by C Douglas of ASE. A probable tree-throw hollow containing two pieces of undiagnostic struck flint was revealed. An undated linear feature was possibly geological in origin.

Strip, map and sample by H Nicholls of ASE. A small assemblage of unstratified/residual Mesolithic to Early Neolithic flintwork, a single pit of Late Bronze Age/Early Iron Age date, and a medieval ditch were revealed. The pit contained three, possibly four, partially complete pottery vessels, which may have been deposited in semi-complete states.

Test pitting by C Hayward of SyAS. Nineteen test pits were excavated in a central band of the parish with two located in Little Bookham. Evidence of early medieval activity was recorded in Church Street with finds of medieval pottery clustered around the church. Sherds of Roman pottery were found in two areas to the east and north-east of the church and Bronze Age pottery and struck flint were recorded from a Little Bookham pit.

Historic building survey by J Morris of CgMs in 2008, unreported until 2013/14, revealed a complex of 17th–19th century farm buildings.

A small excavation by L Spencer of SyAS on the posited site of Bookham Courte revealed a flint and tile demolition layer overlaid by medieval pottery and chalk and greensand blocks, the latter with worked examples. (Bulletin 448)

Geophysical survey by T Desalle and A Bateman of Stratascan revealed several widely spaced curving parallel linear anomalies interpreted as medieval/post-medieval furrows and a linear anomaly that could indicate the presence of a ditch.

Programme of photographic historic building recording by H Green of ASE. The hotel is situated on land that was occupied by a building from 1842. The present building retains elements of this structure, which has been substantially altered. The extensive alterations include the addition of a mock Tudor frontage to the east between 1914 and 1934 and the construction of a large function suite with guest rooms above to the west in the later 20th century. The two outbuildings built between 1842 and 1869 have been converted for domestic use.

Excavations by D Bird for the Roman Studies Group of SyAS. More evidence for structural phasing was encountered providing evidence for the plan of the late (northern) wing and confirming the southern corridor. At the western end of the wing, it was found that the north-west corner of the later building bonded into an earlier structure that was at a slightly different alignment and probably part of an earlier building.

Detailed fluxgate gradiometer survey by J Cook of ASE revealed evidence for archaeological features within the magnetic survey. The results were sparse, but the survey did detect several linear and discrete anomalies of possible archaeological origin.

Evaluation by S Stevens of ASE revealed a Roman gully and two further undated gullies at the northern end of the site, possibly part of a field boundary or enclosure. The presence of a humic garden soil in the north-western part of the site correlates with the area of a small enclosure depicted on late 19th and 20th century maps and suggests that this may have been used for domestic cultivation. A small assemblage of artefacts including prehistoric flintwork, medieval and post-medieval pottery and ceramic building material was recovered from the overburden.