Surrey Archaeological Society

Watching brief by D Graham of SyAS on the excavation of four test pits. One of the pits contained a cut feature, possibly a ditch, which contained no dateable material, although the lack of modern brick rubble suggested it was of some antiquity.

Monitoring of restoration works on the Church, and particularly the bell tower, by David Graham at the request of the Diocesan Archaeologist, David Bird. A number of re-used pieces of worked stone have been recovered from the inner face of the tower at the upper levels of the 16th century work. These all appear to be medieval and are presumably, though not certainly, re-used from an earlier phase of the church

Watching brief by D Graham of SyAS during the construction of an extension revealed a light scatter of Romano-British coarseware along the base of the topsoil. No features were present, and it is probable that the pottery has moved downhill from an occupation or kiln site (or both) at the top of the valley slope.

Watching brief by D Graham of SyAS during the redevelopment of the site revealed three square cut postholes. No finds were recovered but it is probable that the features were remains of hop postholes, as the area was extensively cultivated for this crop during the last century.

Detailed survey and recording programme by SyAS and SIHG on behalf of the Farnham (Building Preservation) Trust as part of a project to preserve and restore one of the best preserved examples of a working Victorian country pottery left in the country.

Evaluation by R Poulton of SCAU, on behalf of Tesco Stores PLC, in advance of the construction of a supermarket. All but one of the six trenches excavated revealed modern disturbance. A small late 19th or earlier 20th century dump of pottery and other rubbish was seen in one of the trenches, but no finds or features of significant archaeological interest were revealed.

Evaluation by R Poulton of SCAU, on behalf of Haslemere Sports Association, on the site of a proposed Sports Centre. Two ditches were revealed which were suggestive of field boundaries, although none are recorded in the historical record. A possible gully was also seen, in addition to three small pits or postholes.One of these produced a rimsherd of late Iron Age or early Roman pottery together with a smaller body sherd of similar or possibly medieval date. A resultant watching brief, conducted in unfavourable weather conditions, failed to find any further archaeological finds or features.

A watching brief was maintained by J Robertson of SCAU, for Mr. R Stilgoe, on an extension to an existing lake following an evaluation in 1997. The site lies on the projected line of the London-Lewes Roman road. As in the evaluation, remains of the road were not found on the predicted course, although evidence for a plough-damaged metalled surface 15m to the west was recorded. The quantity of finds recovered suggests occupation in the immediate vicinity in the Roman period.

Evaluation by R James and J Russell of ASE, for Persimmon Homes, in advance of residential development. No features or finds of archaeological interest were revealed. Two geological test-pits were excavated under the supervision of Dr Martin Bates. A similar sequence of events to that recorded at Wildshaw were recorded; downslope movement of gravels under periglacial conditions in the late Pleistocene, followed by an apparent period of stabilisation, followed by downslope movement of soils as a result of tree clearance in the later Holocene.