Surrey Archaeological Society

Photographic survey and watching brief by K Bower of PCA on a section of the Railway Straight prior to overlay resurfacing revealed details of the track construction and repair to the Scheduled racetrack.

Second season of a community excavation by SyAS and SCAU, under the direction of R Poulton, of the Scheduled moated site. Two of the principal foci of the excavations were in areas where the 2009 excavations had revealed kitchen refuse dumping and 16th century brick walls. Within the former of these areas, substantial amounts of animal bone and pottery dated to the late 13th or early 14th century were sealed and preserved beneath the floors of a new range of stone buildings, erected around 1300, which seem likely to have been part of the privy lodgings.

Evaluation trenches dug by SyAS under the direction of R Savage proved the existence of substantial brick clamps as indicated by magnetometry survey in 2009; the clamps remain undated but are probably medieval. Test pits confirmed a scattered presence of Roman tiles to the east of St Peter’s church, but only one sherd of domestic Roman pottery was found (and that well-rolled and close to the surface of the field). A test pit at an adjoining property produced large stratified sherds of early 12th century pottery, co-incident with the building or rebuilding of St Peter’s church c AD 1100–20.

Two phases of evaluation by S Mounce of WA 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 course 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 flood plain.

Watching brief by W Weller of SCAU. No features of archaeological significance were revealed. Small quantities of modern pottery and ceramic building material suggested 20th century disturbance across the area.

Watching brief by D and A Graham of SyAS on tree clearance work. No finds or features of archaeological significance were revealed.

Evaluation by L Capon of AOC. Only post-medieval features, including a former tree pit, a shallow gully and the burial of a small dog, were revealed.

Evaluation by N Shurety of BA, continuing from work undertaken in 2009, revealed a series of walls, drainage and pit features of post-medieval and modern date.

Evaluation by J McNicoll-Norbury of TVAS. A single pit containing medieval pottery and a modern wall were revealed.

Excavation by G Dawkes of ASE. A small quantity of Mesolithic flint was recovered, mostly from later features. The earliest datable features were four pits containing Early Neolithic pottery and flintwork. A scalene point recovered from one of the pits may represent the continued use of Mesolithic technology into the Early Neolithic. Three ditches containing Neolithic flintwork were revealed, although it was considered that these may be residual finds in later prehistoric features.