Surrey Archaeological Society

Observation by S Dyer, for SyAS, of disturbance caused by the excavation of a series of trenches for an irrigation system on the golf course, adjacent to the Roman villa. North of the villa site a concentration of Romano-British tile was observed but these may have been redeposited previously, to infill a hollow of some kind. Elsewhere a few sherds of greyware pottery were recovered. The disturbance was also observed by the BHRG who collected a quantity of Roman pottery, mainly 3rd century greywares, and also noted the concentration of tegula and imbrex tiles. (313)

Historic landscape survey of the heath by N Bannister for Reigate & Banstead Borough Council and the Reigate & Banstead Archaeological Co-ordination Committee. Apart from the remains of the known barrows, another possible barrow was identified, as well as two former tree clumps, which might originally have been sited on mounds (possibly barrows). The remainder of the earthworks identified largely consist of holloways, quarries and former ponds. Areas formerly wet heath were found to have dried out, leading to a potential loss of palaeo-environmental evidence.

Evaluation by J Robertson of SCAU for SCC’s Property Services Dept, of land to the north east of a known Anglo-Saxon cemetery, produced no evidence for burials. A few features, mainly ditches and gullies, were recorded, only one of which produced dating evidence - a sherd of late 12th/early 13th pottery. A number of stray finds were also recovered, including a sherd of Bronze Age pottery, pieces of struck and burnt flint and a sherd of Late Saxon pottery.

Evaluation by R Poulton of SCAU, for Wimpey Homes, in advance of residential development revealed no features or finds of archaeological interest. (314)

A watching brief by R Poulton & J Stevenson of SCAU, was maintained on works to this 15th century building, for Bass Taverns. No historic fabric was revealed during alterations and the groundworks were so limited that little disturbance sufficient to reveal archaeological remains occurred. (321)

Evaluation by SutAS, for Scammell Properties Ltd, of an area proposed for residential redevelopment in the vicinity of the scheduled Bronze Age barrow on Earlswood Common. The site was found to have been partially disturbed by earlier building works. No archaeological features or finds earlier than the 19th or 20th century were found, except for a couple of struck flints.

A watching brief by D W Williams of SyAS on works to underpin a toilet block recorded part of a substantial structure constructed of chalk blocks with brick facings; the floor of the structure was of clay with parallel timbers at short distances apart. The structure had been infilled with brick rubble and silty clay. No dating evidence was recovered but the structure is probably early 19th century in date and presumably relates to water management in the landscaped gardens around the Priory. (302)

A rapid survey of the quarries was undertaken by J Robertson of SCAU for SCC’s Planning Dept, as part of an ongoing project on Areas of Historic Landscape Value. A small quarry at TQ 203 512 may equate with one shown on Rocque’s map c.1768. The tracks ‘White Road’ and ‘Red Road’ that run past the quarries are holloways and may, therefore, have early origins. (314, 321)

Excavation by D W Williams, for SyAS and SCC’s Planning Dept, continued. The full extent of the prehistoric pit concentration was confirmed, with no sign of an encircling ditch or other defining boundary. A preliminary examination of the pottery recovered from these features indicates that conjoining pieces of Grooved Ware were deposited in different pits, although no vessel appears to be completely reconstructable. Examination of the pottery associated with the later enclosure to the south suggests usage from the very Late Iron Age through to the early 2nd century AD. (307)