Sunny, fine weather welcomed the final day of digging in Trench 4.

 

 

 

Work on Trench 4 was continued in order to ascertain the nature of the possible road surface. Context 3 was excavated in the north-west of the trench.  This area of the trench was excavated firstly by light mattocking, then by trowel. The dark brown soil of Context 3 was removed to a layer of pink clay. There were a variety of finds (see below).

 

A further sondage in the south-east of the trench showed the edge of the possible road, found just before time had been reached to back-fill the trench. Part of the road edge seems to have been damaged, possibly by ploughing. The surface was made of compacted pink clay with 5% stone inclusion (Context 4). Any ditch relating to the road was not identified due to time constraints.

 

 

 

It would seem that the edge of the possible road feature identified by the magnetometry survey has been found. Since the finds in Context 3 above the road surface seem to be 19^th century in origin, the road is earlier than this date.

 

Further excavation and survey will be required to

• find any relating ditches
• determine the width of the possible road
• find dating evidence for the road
• identify the relationship between the road, bank feature, cobbled surface between the banks and possible early settlement.