Surrey Archaeological Society

Dendrochronological dating by M Bridge of EH to assist the ongoing work on the building and contribute to a reconsideration of its listed grading. The building contains a room with post-Dissolution paintings (317, 321), and a single timber in that room gave a likely felling period of AD1485--1517, slightly earlier than had been previously assumed for the wall on stylistic grounds.

Evaluation by S Deeves of PCA did not any finds or features of archaeological interest.

Evaluation by J Robertson of SCAU in advance of the creation of a new mooring basin revealed evidence of some levelling, and no finds or features of archaeological interest.

Watching brief by N Shaikhley of SCAU during excavation of two soakaways did not identify any features, but a number of stray human bones and a few complete burials were recovered and later reburied.

Ongoing evaluation of this site by PCA consisted of the excavation of eight trenches, excavated in three stages. Several of the trenches were truncated by modern walls and basements, but some trenches showed the survival of a thin band of silt over natural gravel. No archaeological features were found but several pieces of residual burnt flint were recovered from the silt layer.

Evaluation by T Carew of PCA, involving the excavation of nine trenches, revealed extensive truncation, a very small quantity of undatable and probably residual burnt flint, but no features of archaeological interest.

Continuing monitoring work by J Stevenson of SCAU in an area located immediately to the south of previous work undertaken in 1999 and 2000. The more securely dated features include: a Neolithic pit containing a complete Ebbsfleet bowl; several mid--Late Bronze Age pits; a small Iron Age pit containing nothing but a complete triangular loomweight; three sides of an enclosure of prehistoric date; the right-angled corner of a Roman enclosure, leading towards an area of concentrated Roman activity identified previously, and some middle Saxon pits.

Evaluation and subsequent excavation by T Carew of PCA in advance of the construction of a new prison. A palaeochannel, probably dating to the late glacial to early post-glacial period, cut through the centre of the excavated area. A probable early Mesolithic flint blade was recovered from near the channel, although it was found in a later context. The earliest of the cut features was a pit with a probable placed deposit of early Neolithic flintwork. This was adjacent to a middle to Late Neolithic ring ditch, interpreted as either a hengiform monument or a barrow.

Evaluation by J Robertson of SCAU in advance of redevelopment revealed no features, but the discovery of an unstratified Bronze Age flint thumbnail scraper points to evidence of prehistoric activity in the vicinity

Watching brief by J Stevenson of SCAU carried out during office redevelopment revealed that the site had been subject to extensive disturbance by previous development, which would have destroyed any archaeology present.