Archaeological Trial Trenching. 127 50m x 1.8m trenches acorss multiple land parcels targeting geophysical anomalies and blank areas. Phase 2 of an archaeological evaluation was undertaken by CFA Archaeology on land to the south and south-east of Tiln Farm, Retford, Nottinghamshire during January 2022 in order to inform a planning application for a solar panel installation. The evaluation followed a geophysical survey of the site which identified anomalies of undetermined and natural origin and a previous phase of archaeological trial trenching. Phase 1 of trenching was carried out in early 2021, with one evaluation trench excavated during the work containing a ditch, possibly related to a former enclosure, which contained pottery dated from c.350BC to c.50BC. Evidence for former field boundaries and furrows were identified throughout the remaining excavation area along with the remains of ridge and furrow. Phase 2 of the trenching revealed two defined areas of archaeological activity. One, located to the south-east of Tiln Farm and relating to cropmarks seen on aerial photography of the site, contained large linear ditches of considerable width and depth, and appeared to be the possible remains of a large Romano-British enclosure. Pottery dating to the 2nd century AD was recovered from some of these ditches. The second area, located to the south of Tiln Farm on an elevated platform surrounded by trees, was identified in the previous geophysical survey carried out on the site. Features recorded here included ditches and pits containing pottery dated from late Iron Age to early-Roman, with these features part of a small defined rectilinear enclosure.
Howard et al. (Sat,) studied this question.