Surrey Archaeological Society

Evaluation by A Thorne of ASE prior to the construction of a reservoir revealed no finds or features of archaeological interest.

Dendrochronology assessment by M Bridge of ODL, undertaken as part of an historic buildings assessment prior to conservation and redevelopment. Seven roof timbers were sampled and analysed, six of which cross-matched with two coming from the same tree. The resulting site master chronology suggested a likely felling date for the timbers as 1580–97, with the supposition being that the probable date of construction was towards the lower end of the sequence, probably in the early 1580s.

Evaluation by P Jones of SCAU prior to works to the car park undertaken as part of the Priory Park regeneration project revealed a substantial robbed wall foundation of uncertain date, together with a medieval feature.

Historic building recording and watching brief by P Copeland and I Froneman of CgMs prior to and during conversion works. The Town Hall is thought to have been constructed in 1708 on the site of an earlier chapel, although no evidence for this structure now visibly survives. Subsequent alterations to the interior have obscured much of the original fabric, little of which was revealed during the refurbishment. A written, drawn and photographic record of the structure was compiled, together with further observations made during alterations.

Watching brief by D Williams of SCAU during the excavation of service trenches associated with the Priory Park regeneration project. Stone-built foundations, which were probably the remains of a former wing of the house, were revealed. A somewhat larger foundation that may have once formed part of the original Augustinian priory buildings was revealed, although dating evidence was not found. Four inhumation burials were also uncovered. All the archaeological remains have been preserved in situ.

Watching brief by N Shaikhley of SCAU revealed no finds or features of archaeological interest.

Evaluation by D Eddisford of AOC revealed no finds or features pre-dating the 19th century. Extensive evidence of horizontal truncation was noted across the site, probably as a result of sand extraction.

Final season of the ongoing research excavation by P Harp of Plateau continued to recover later prehistoric material

Evaluation by D Swift of ASE revealed a number of linear features, probably drainage and/or boundary ditches of post-17th century date, although they rarely produced datable material. Two of the ditches produced small quantities of Late Bronze Age and Late Iron Age pottery, although there was no conclusive evidence to suggest that this material was not residual in later features. Some small pits/postholes were also found, although none contained dating evidence. Most of the datable material was recovered from the topsoil, and was predominantly post-medieval in date.

Ground penetrating radar survey by T Archer of Arrow Geophysics as part of the park regeneration project. The area of the former tennis courts was examined during the trial trench evaluation to examine the extent of the structural archaeological remains that work had revealed. Despite the apparent suitability of the technique for this purpose and the known shallow depth of the remains, the results were disappointingly inconclusive, probably due to a number of factors including the uneven nature of parts of the area and buried building debris.