Surrey Archaeological Society

Evaluation and watching brief by A Taylor for TVAS revealed evidence of modern activity in the form of brick walls and associated cellars contemporary with the early 20th century construction of the demolished building. No find or features of archaeological significance were revealed.

Excavations by M Cook and A Johnson of the Wey & Arun Canal Trust took place to the west of the east parapet wall of Gosden aqueduct. The single trench revealed the counterfort design of the parapet wall, the clay puddling layer that formed the original canal channel lining and remains of the tow path. The shallow depth of the puddling, relative to the parapet wall, indicates that the wall was lowered after the canal went out of use. No removal of deposits associated with the canal construction appeared to have taken place although some degree of truncation is likely.

Evaluation by A Chapman of AAL (Allen Archaeology Ltd) revealed a series of walls and pits probably related to former late 19th to later 20th century terraced housing on the site. No significant archaeological features or finds were recorded.

Historic building survey by Dr E Oakley for AAL (Allen Archaeology Ltd) revealed an L-shaped block of one- and two-storey brick buildings, with four broad phases of development identified. The earliest component represented buildings established c 1868 as part of the Filmer and Mason Ironworks. By 1881 the site was known as Church Acre ironworks and a number of small extensions were added in the period 1881–96. The ironworks ceased operation in the 1920s and the site was later occupied by the army.

Evaluation and excavation by V Hughes and B Atfield of OA revealed an east–west orientated ditch, from which struck flints of probable Mesolithic or early Neolithic date were recovered, and a north–south orientated ditch. As a result of the evaluation, an area measuring 50 x 30m was investigated. The anticipated ditches proved to date from the Late Iron Age, but a substantial scatter of worked flint, not encountered in the evaluation, was revealed close to the south-east edge of the site.

A watching brief by G Pattison of SCAU recorded an exposure of part of a wall that was formerly part of Guildford Castle. The wall is interpreted as being the top of the north wall of a first-floor solar erected in 1256 over the gatehouse.

Evaluation by D Platt of TVAS. No finds or features of archaeological interest were revealed.

Evaluation by J Murphy of HA (Headland Archaeology) recorded only a series of deposits associated with modern development.

Watching brief by A Taylor of TVAS during soil stripping did not reveal any deposits or finds of any archaeological interest.

Strip, map and record excavation by A Simmonds of OA revealed a pit and gully dating from the Early Bronze Age and 94 pits that were attributed to the Middle Bronze Age/Early Iron Age. The remains were dominated by shallow pits, arranged into a northern group of fairly widely scattered, discrete pits and a more densely concentrated group of features cut into a chalk outcrop at the southern end of the site. Some of the pits had clearly defined, deliberately cut edges but others were amorphous and are likely to have been natural in origin, probably representing tree-throw holes.