Surrey Archaeological Society

Report by P Wakefield on a rapid survey of this complex, which includes the water works and electricity generating station for the hospitals of the former Horton Manor estate. The buildings date from 1901 and were designed by W Clifford Smith, engineer to the London County Council Asylums Committee. The boiler house has suffered a change of use that involved the loss of its chimney, but the water works and generator hall survive relatively intact, albeit derelict. A disused reservoir probably served the original steam boilers.

Evaluation by J Saunders of TVAS, for the South Thames Regional Health Authority, in advance of redevelopment. No sign of the expected moat around the manor was revealed, but two hollows containing late Bronze Age/early Iron Age pottery were identified. A subsequent small scale excavation revealed a further pit also containing pottery of that date, but no other related features. (310) see report in SyAC 87, 175-178.

Evaluation by S Weaver of TVAS for Fairclough Homes Ltd, in advance of redevelopment. The recovery of a few pieces of grass-tempered Saxon pottery led to further evaluation by S Ford of TVAS, however no associated features were identified. It is likely that the Saxon and later medieval pottery recovered are the result of activities such as manuring. (310)

A watching brief was maintained by M Dover of SCAU on the groundworks for extensions to the school, for SCC’s Property Services Dept. No features or finds of archaeological interest were noted. (321)

Evaluation by R Poulton of SCAU, for Orbit Housing Association and Hunting Gate Partnership, in advance of residential redevelopment. No features or finds of archaeological interest were revealed. Part of the site was found to have been badly disturbed and the remainder to be covered by alluvial deposits - suggesting the site was too low lying, and therefore wet, to have been attractive to ancient settlement. (321)

Evaluation by G Hayman of SCAU, for Balfour Beatty, in advance of works relating to the widening of the M25. No features or finds of archaeological interest were noted. (314)

Evaluation by C Cowan and S Jones of MoLAS, for Antler Homes, in advance of construction of a replacement house within the hillfort. The trial trenching revealed late post-medieval remains including a brick and tile drain and a small area of sunken brick flooring, but no evidence for earlier activity.

Historic landscape survey by C Currie, for SCC’s Planning Dept, as part of the process for considering designation as an Area of Historic Landscape Value. The most frequent earthwork features on the commons are the large number of substantial parallel ridges, some up to 3m high and extending for over 100m. Most of the identified groupings surround former quarries, lending support to the theory that these features are related to mineral extraction. The remains of conventional quarrying are also highly visible, both as quarry pits and spoil mounds.

Watching brief by N Shaikhley of SCAU, for The Conservation Practice on behalf of St Mary’s Church, on the site of a new extension to the church. A number of graves of indeterminate date were disturbed.

Evaluation and watching brief by J Robertson and S Hind of SCAU, for TAG McLaren Holdings Ltd, of a further area of this development site - adjacent to the former farm buildings. In one trench a possible pit and a gulley were identified, both of which contained early Saxon pottery. Other features revealed in the trenching produced no dating evidence or were post-medieval or modern. A watching brief on the first phase of the development, the construction of the access road, revealed four shallow features.