The attending archaeologist monitored all mechanical excavations within trench cut sections of the western and northern limits of the pipeline; close to the scheduled Melbourne Castle, the medieval deer park and the World War II military depot. As specified in the WSI, archaeological monitoring was not undertaken in the area that had been subject to geophysical survey. A small amount of remains were encountered in the northern section of the monitored area. Features comprised a single ditch and five structures formed of red brick and concrete. All remains were found to be of a modern date, either matching the location of a track depicted on historic mapping, or relating to the former World War II military depot that the course of the monitored area passes through. No finds were recovered and no deposits suitable for environmental sampling were encountered during the course of the watching brief. The stratigraphic narrative was simple and well understood. Features either truncated the natural or subsoil and were covered by the topsoil. The remains are of a local significance, as they confirm that the foundations of buildings associated with the military depot survive in the area, as do features such as footpaths/tracks depicted on historic mapping. Both remains are previously known about and well documented. The watching brief has met its archaeological aims and objectives to a certain extent as it has been possible to determine that modern remains survive in the northern part of the monitored area.
Kate Fitzpatrick (Wed,) studied this question.