Surrey Archaeological Society

Evaluation by I Howell of MoLAS prior to residential development revealed no finds or features of archaeological interest.

Report by Babtie Brown & Root, on observation during modernisation works to the structure, recorded earlier phases of weir construction represented by timber and metal sheet piles

Continuing excavation by G Hayman of SCAU revealed further features of Bronze Age, Iron Age and Roman date, as well as some of early medieval origin. Most features dated to the Bronze Age, and included ditches, waterholes, and numerous small pits and postholes. An area of concentration of pits and postholes is likely to have once been a Middle Bronze Age settlement, although no dwellings were recognised, and only one four-posted structure was identified.

Watching brief by S Cass of TVAS during the excavation of cable trenches revealed no finds or features of archaeological interest.

Evaluation by J Butler of PCA in advance of the construction of a new parsonage discovered a well dated to between AD 1700 and 1800, and a further well or soakaway in the grounds of the St Nicholas Church Centre. No other finds or features were revealed, possibly due to the removal of archaeological horizons during the erection of a (now demolished) structure on the site in the early 19th century, and additional landscaping of the church and rectory grounds.

Historic building investigation by J Phimester of OA prior to modernisation of the weir structure revealed that parts dating from the original construction in 1887 still exist, although they have been subject to some modification.

Evaluation by H Clough of PCA in advance of the construction of a workshop extension revealed two ditches of probable Bronze Age origin, a palaeochannel which may be prehistoric, medieval agricultural features, a late 18th or early 19th century wall, and residual burnt and worked flint, abraded Roman pottery and a piece of unabraded Saxo-Norman pottery. Subsequent monitoring of two geotechnical test pits within the proposed footprint of the workshop revealed only modern deposits.

Evaluation by B Hennessy of WA prior to residential redevelopment. No features of archaeological interest were revealed, although a small assemblage of prehistoric flint flakes recovered from subsoil deposits is indicative of general activity in the area.

Evaluation by H Moore of TVAS prior to the construction of an extension revealed that the site had been extensively truncated down to the natural geology, apparently during the 19th century.

Evaluation and watching brief by D Jamieson of MoLAS prior to redevelopment. A limited number of late post-medieval (19th century) features were revealed, including what appeared to be the heavily truncated remains of a blacksmith’s workshop that formerly stood on the site. Most of the area had however been severely damaged by the construction of the supermarket, which had occupied the site until its recent demolition.