EDO6556 - Land South of St John's Church, Spetisbury; evaluation 2018

An evaluation in relation to an application for residential redevelopment of the site. A geophysical survey had previously been carried out and a number of anomalies of archaeological potential had been identified. Six trench locations were defined according to the anomalies and were excavated by mechanical excavator measuring apx between 10m and 22m in length and 1m and 2m width. The topsoil and sub-soil was consistent across the site. 54 archaeological features, layers and deposits were recorded and 45 artefacts recovered. Trench 1, running N-S, was situated to the northern end of the site where a number of linear anomalies had been identified. These were a ditch and four probable cultivation furrows or gullies. One sherd of 12th to 14th century pottery was found in the ditch fill. Trench 2, running E-W, towards the northern end of the site contained the remains of a wall or wall foundation to the western end and a shallow pit-like feature to the eastern end. There were further cultivation furrows or gullies. Pottery recovered from the wall suggested a late post medieval or modern date for the wall. The pit fill contained two flint artefacts being a Neolithic to Bronze Age scraper and a Neolithic wedge-shaped scraper and an abraded oyster shell. The topsoil at the western edge of the trench contained a small assemblage of flint. Trench 3 running E-W towards the central part of the site contained no features of archaeological interest. Trench 4 running N-S in the same area contained probable cultivation furrows or gullies and a sub-circular or linear feature and a probable pit. Trench 5 running E-W towards the southern end of the site represented a similar sequence of features as Trench 4. A series of large pits to the eastern end and an E/W linear ditch feature were recorded as well as remains of the same wall as found in Trench 2. A layer of probable demolition material sealed many of the features. Three sherds of 12th to 14th century pottery were found in the fill of one pit cut. At least two of the other pits were probable rubbish or cess pits. Trench 6 running E/W towards the eastern end of the site where ferrous anomalies had been identified. A series of made-ground deposits were recorded and appeared to be an attempt to level the ground.