Surrey Archaeological Society

Excavation by P M G Jones for SCC and Courage in advance of redevelopment examined medieval river channels and an area adjacent to the Church Street frontage, where some deeper features survived destruction by recent activity. One deep linear feature had a fill of RB building debris, and a levelling layer over it contained early to mid Saxon pottery. A ditch filled in in the 1101/12th century and several 13th-14th century features were also found. (220)

Finds made in gravel digging, probably from a former watercourse, included a 10th century BC Wilburton type sword and a complete oval bronze IA shield, dated by a sample of the handle's wooden core to between 400 and 200 BC. (See this volume for a note on the shield)

Geophysical survey and observation by R J Poulton and M G O'Connell for SCC and the SW Thames Regional Health Authority located nothing of interest.

Clay pipe and glass bottle fragments discovered in quarry galleries suggest a mid 19th century date. (WIG 35)

Observation of redevelopment work by D W Williams showed that the petrol station had destroyed all archaeological features except the late medieval undercroft. Part of the east-west section along Slipshoe Street could be recorded, revealing at least three former surfaces of the road. The earliest contained small sherds of 16th/17th century pottery and leather including the end of a knife sheath and part of a shoe. (207)

Salvage excavation by S Nelson and S Kahn in building work recorded 42 shallow inhumation burials, aligned roughly east-west in nine rows. Grave goods were mostly typical Saxon iron knives, with two simple bronze belt fittings, a small biconical pot, a rock crystal amulet with a bronze strapwork holder and a decorative bone knife fitting. Probably late 6th to 7th centuries. (217) (SyAC 90, 117-145)

Excavation by D W Williams on the site of buildings shown on the 1634 map. One was located although nothing was found datable to before c1750; a shallow gully with Saxo-Norman pottery was also found. (213)

Excavation by D W Williams in the partly demolished 17th century barn adjacent to the parish church. In the northern half of the excavation was a deep feature over 5m wide, probably a former watercourse, with a fill of several layers: firstly 1m of silt with a few struck flakes, then the articulated but headless remains of an ox, then silt with 11th/12th century pottery and bone, then layers of debris including a 13th century roof tile dump. All were cut by a pit or ditch roughly revetted with flint, stone and tile and having roof tile in its fill.

Site watching by L Le Monde followed by excavation by R J Poulton for SCC and Esso Petroleum Ltd in advance of redevelopment. A Saxon cemetery was partially excavated, producing burials in two groups. The first was of 17 pagan Saxon inhumations of the 6tir--7th centuries with grave goods including two spearheads, a bone comb and a cowrie shell. The second group was a number of more careless burials with evidence suggesting a late Saxon execution site. (208)

Trial work in advance of development was continued by Vivien Ettlinger and J L Gower for SyAS and SRVSG. Only unstratified finds were made, of daub and a few RB and medieval sherds. (209)