Surrey Archaeological Society

Excavation by J McKinley of Wessex, for MEPC UK Ltd, in advance of redevelopment. At the front of the site a few features of Late Iron Age date were revealed, sealed below a ploughsoil. Above this soil a series of floor levels associated with hearths, pits and post holes was identified, all of early Romano-British date. Further back from the street frontage, a quantity of intercutting pits of early Romano-British date were revealed, which contained a quantity of domestic rubbish.

Excavation of pile cap positions by J Grove of Wessex, for MEPC UK Ltd, in advance of redevelopment, provided a sample transect to complement the archaeology revealed by excavations to the east (see below). Similar stratigraphy to that revealed in the main excavations was recorded.

A watching brief was maintained by J Stevenson of SCAU, for SCC, on the groundworks associated with a pedestrianisation scheme. A large degree of modern disturbance was revealed, indicating that archaeological features which almost certainly formerly existed in this area of the town had been destroyed.

Evaluation by G Hayman of SCAU, for Dusco Asset Management, of land proposed for an extension to the Elmsleigh Centre. A trench immediately west of the existing building found that beneath the levels of modern disturbance only 18th to 19th century deposits survived above natural silts. At the northern end of this trench the edge of the 1974-5 Elmsleigh House excavation was revealed. An auger survey was carried out to determine the depth at which gravel underlay the silts.

Excavation by J McKinley of Wessex, for MEPC UK Ltd, in advance of redevelopment. The largest feature revealed was a substantial channel at the northern end of the area, presumably originally water-filled, that went out of use before the Roman period and was then infilled with rubbish. A fragment of prehistoric pottery recovered adjacent to this channel hints at earlier occupation on, or in the vicinity of the site. A variety of features of mostly Roman date, but some likely to be medieval, were recorded on the site.

Evaluation by K Ritchie of Wessex, for MEPC UK Ltd, revealed approximately two metres of garden soil sealing the truncated remains of three intercutting ditches running parallel to and 30 metres north of the High Street. Finds recovered from the ditch fills date the features to the first or second centuries AD. The ditches are thought to represent boundaries separating the street frontage settlement and near backland activity on the south of the gravel island, from the less intensively occupied far backland margins to the north.

Analysis of a borehole survey by Wessex in order to assist with the mitigation strategy for excavation of the Tilly’s Lane West site. This provided information on the depths of archaeological and natural deposits, and reaffirmed the existing model for the disposition of natural gravel in the vicinity.

Watching brief by P Jones and J Robertson of SCAU, for Wizard Inns, during work on an extension and improvements to the Blue Anchor. The nature of the foundation trenches, 3m deep and 0.85m wide, meant that they were unsuitable for proper archaeological recording to take place. Pottery of Roman (late 1st - 2nd century) date and a small, possibly, Roman coin, as well as late medieval (15th century) pottery, animal bone and tile, were recovered from the spoil heap.

A watching brief was maintained by G Pattison and J Stevenson of SCAU, for SCC, during the construction of a temporary bridge. No finds or features of archaeological interest were revealed, although the works were considered to be too limited to have reached possibly meaningful archaeological levels

Evaluation and watching brief by J Stevenson of SCAU, on behalf of the church, of part of the site for a proposed extension. The trenches were restricted to the area outside the churchyard; they revealed considerable disturbance, presumed to represent landscaping in the 19th century. The watching brief on remedial works on the east end of the Chancel revealed the foundations to be constructed from mortared chalk rubble, sitting on the natural gravel, with no obvious signs of earlier structural remains. A number of both articulated and disarticulated human remains were also revealed.