Bramford to Twinstead Reinforcement Phase 1, Areas G1 and G6, Land to the East of the River Stour, Bures St. Mary and Little Cornard, Suffolk

The evaluation fieldwork was to comprise the excavation of twenty-three trenches in Area G1 and a further fifteen trenches in Area G6: " 1 x 10m x 10 box trench (Trench G1.29); " 22 x 30m x 1.8m trenches (Trenches G1.30 to G1.51) " 15 x 30m x 1.8m trenches (trenches G6.14 to G6.28) The south-eastern field could not be accessed at the time of the initial fieldwork in November 2021 and consequently it was only possible to excavate the seventeen trenches (G1.35 to G1.51) located in the northwest field. The final trenches (G1.29 to G1.34) in the southwestern field was subsequently completed in March 2022. The trenches were generally located to provide a representative sample of the site, although a number of cropmarks running close to the northern boundary of the evaluation area were targeted. The 10m x 10m box (Trench G1.29) was positioned to target a potential pit scatter. An existing set of high-voltage overhead cables ran east-west across the site necessitating a 30m wide buffer zone. Trenches were set out and overburden was stripped from the trenches, by a mechanical excavator fitted to the top of a colluvium layer. This was then carefully removed down to the level of the natural substrate, the level at which archaeological features were generally identified, unless any archaeological features or deposits were noted within the colluvium itself. All machining was conducted under archaeological supervision. After the completion of the first stage of the evaluation in December 2021 discussions between National Grid and EPS agreed that the safest and most expedient way of progressing with the evaluation in the second stage was to open and backfill trenches in a single day, leaving no excavations open overnight. EPS was provided with the opportunity to monitor and sign-off trenches prior to backfill. On three separate occasions in November/December 2021, March 2022 and August 2022, Cotswold Archaeology carried out archaeological evaluation of land to the east of the River Stour, in the parishes of Bures St. Mary and Little Cornard, Suffolk (identified as Areas G1 and G6). A total thirty-three trenches were excavated. The trenches in Area G1, in the parish of Little Cornard and closest to the Stour, produced fragments of Late Bronze Age/Early Iron Age pottery within a colluvium layer and an undated ditch, of possible prehistoric date, was recorded in a trench to the east. Other features identified comprised a post-medieval field boundary ditch and a brick kiln of probable 19th century date. A small number of late post-medieval/modern disturbances were also noted, of which one particularly large example probably comprised the source of clay for the kiln. Further up slope from the river, an area of dense archaeological activity was recorded at the summit of the hill. It comprised a possible occupational layer that produced extensive Roman pottery and Ceramic Building Material. Extensions to the trench revealed numerous, potentially structural, features including postholes, a possible post-pad and ditches. A further two ditches, potentially of similar date, were recorded in a nearby trench. Area G6 lay immediately to the east, in the parish of Bures St. Mary. Here, ten trenches were excavated revealing two ditches, probably marking post-medieval field boundaries, and an area of possible quarrying of an unknown date.