Evaluation by J Martin of WA. A small quantity of Bronze Age pottery was recovered from a ditch, while two other ditches produced Early to Middle Iron Age material. Further ditches and a series of postholes were either undated or modern in origin. The sparse nature of the archaeology was not suggestive of concerted settlement. A subsequent metal detector survey of the area produced similarly low-key results, and appeared to confirm the lack of past activity on this large-scale and potentially well-situated site.

Magnetometry survey by D Calow of SyAS, following the discovery of Roman and Iron Age coins during metal detecting and the subsequent discovery of small sherds of pottery of Late Iron Age and Early Roman date during fieldwalking by D Williams of SCC, suggests the presence of buried archaeological features. (431)

Evaluation by N Randall of SCAU. Two ditches and a pit of Early Iron Age date were revealed, although the quantities of Late Bronze Age pottery within the features also suggested occupation of this date on the site. Some Late Iron Age pottery was also present, together with flintwork of possible Mesolithic/Neolithic–Iron Age date. Subsequent excavations on the site conducted by G Thacker of OAS revealed more of the ditches, together with an additional pit and a posthole of similar provenance.

Completion of watching brief begun in 2010 by N Randall of SCAU which revealed a series of broad ditches that may represent land boundaries predating the construction of Pendell Court on the site in c1624, and finds of Mesolithic, Neolithic or Bronze Age, Iron Age, Roman, medieval and post-medieval date.

Evaluation by N Randall of SCAU on the site of a proposed extension to the existing graveyard revealed two postholes, one of prehistoric origin, and three pits, two of Neolithic or earlier date. The dateable posthole contained two sherds of pottery, one of Bronze Age or earlier date, and the other of Iron Age date. Three small fragments of burnt clay, two of which bear the imprint of walling wattles, were also recovered and may suggest the presence of a former structure.

Two phases of evaluation by S Mounce of WA in in advance of flood protection, landscaping, tip remediation and redevelopment alongside the Hoe Stream. The first phase revealed a significant depth of alluvial deposits, late 19th and early 20th artefacts likely to have been washed up and deposited by the Hoe in a trench closest to the modern path of the stream, but no deposits of archaeological interest. The second phase revealed alluvial layers within all of the trenches, confirming that the site historically lay within the floodplain.

Evaluation by J Martin of WA revealed nothing of archaeological interest in the majority of trenches, but one trench within the north of the site and close to an area where previous fieldwalking had recovered a concentration of Bronze Age material revealed two ditches which it was not possible to date and a small pit that contained a sherd of pottery dated to the Iron Age. These features may represent the periphery of any potential archaeological focus present to the north.

Evaluation by N Randall of SCAU revealed a large tree throw hole containing Mesolithic flint, a substantial prehistoric ditch, Bronze Age and Iron Age gullies, a large medieval pit and a post-medieval stone capped culvert. The evaluation illustrated that archaeological deposits lie at a depth that will not be impacted on by the majority of groundworks involved in the development proposal, and they will be preserved in situ underneath it. Those parts of the site where the development had the potential to impact on deposits were subject to a watching brief by N Randall.

Watching brief by T Munnery of SCAU during construction of an artificial pitch on and adjoining the Scheduled Caesar’s Camp, following evaluation in 2008. The design of the pitch was changed after the evaluation to maximise the preservation in situ of deposits indicated to be present, with the majority of the impact of the development not extending below the subsoil.

Soil stripping, mapping and sampling by I Howell of MOLA. The work comprised Phase I of the mitigation programme necessitated by the results of the evaluation in 2008. The remains of 25 urned cremations of probable Late Iron Age/Early Roman date were revealed in a cluster, with an additional seven features interpreted as un-urned cremations of a similar period. A further four discrete features separated from the main cluster were thought to be un-urned cremations, and a single long bone within another feature was tentatively identified as a possible inhumation burial.