Centred, Woking Park and former Westfield Tip, Woking

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. Evidence for a 1963 flood was identified in two of the trenches, with a layer of alluvium sealing late 19th to 20th century made ground. Evidence of prehistoric activity was revealed towards the central area of the site, with a likely palaeochannel containing worked and burnt flints of probable Neolithic date located close to three postholes containing, possible in situ, wooden posts. Alluvial layers within in a handful of areas around these features recorded accumulations of burnt flint which may be the result of natural or deliberate deposition. A further ditch close to these features contained fragments of post-medieval/modern leather, most likely from the sole of a shoe. A number of ditches were also revealed in trenches close by. The majority could not be dated, but two recorded within one trench were cut into the same layer of alluvium and then, later, covered by another alluvial deposit, with pottery dated from the Early to Mid Iron Age recovered from one. The results of the evaluation indicate the potential of the central area for containing a number of different phases of activity, with earlier phases sealed by alluvial layers caused by the various flooding episodes, and further work is proposed.
Year: 
2010
ID: 
2145
NGR: 
TQ006577
Borough: 
Organisation: