Trial Trench Evaluation at Hay Green Lane, Birdwell

The work involved the excavation of seventeen trenches, all of which measured 20m by 2m. The trenches were positioned to target potential archaeological anomalies identified during the previous geophysical survey (Brunning 2020), as well as to provide a wide sample across the remaining areas of the site. All work was undertaken in accordance with accepted professional standards and guidelines (Historic England 2008; CIfA 2020), in accordance with the ASWYAS site recording manual (ASWYAS 2020) and in compliance with the WSI. All trenches were set out and the limits resurveyed using a Trimble VRS differential GPS accurate to +/-0.01m. The trenches were opened in a controlled manner using a 360 excavator using a flat-bladed ditching bucket under direct archaeological supervision. All topsoil deposits were removed in level spits (not more than 0.20m) with the topsoil and subsoil being separated to allow for re-instating in reverse order. Machining stopped at the first archaeological horizon or natural deposits, whichever was encountered first. All excavations of archaeological deposits were undertaken manually with the stripped surface being cleaned and investigated for archaeological remains. An appropriate sample was excavated through all archaeological features with at least a 20% sample through linear features (with a minimum sample of 1m) and a 50% sample through discrete features. These were undertaken to investigate the full depth, profile and fills, where possible, and to recover dating evidence from the fills. All excavated sections were, where possible, located adjacent to the trench edge in order to provide a full stratigraphic sequence. A soil sampling programme was in place for the identification of plant macro-fossils, small animal bones and other small artefacts in accordance with the WSI and Historic England guidelines, however no appropriate deposits were encountered. All archaeological features were accurately recorded in plan at a scale of 1:20 or 1:50. Feature sections were drawn at a scale of 1:10 or 1:20. All plans and sections include spot heights that relate to Ordnance Datum in metres. A full written, drawn and photographic record was made of all archaeological work undertaken. The trial trench evaluation at Hay Green Lane has produced no evidence of archaeological remains, apart from plough furrows of a likely post-medieval or modern origin in three trenches. These correspond well with the results of a geophysical survey and are of minimal archaeological significance. Field boundaries recorded on historic mapping and identified on the geophysical survey were not present within the trenches, further suggesting that presence of archaeological activity on the site is very low.