An archaeological watching brief was undertaken during geotechnical ground investigations in 2023 and 2025. All archaeological deposits and features were subjected to appropriate levels of investigation. Excavation of each context was carried out in such a way as to produce at least one representative cross-section of the deposit. 2023: Deposits possibly relating to the infilled ditch of the Scheduled Condicote henge monument were recorded in the other borehole and the trial pits. No artefacts pre-dating the modern period were recovered. 2025: The edge of a possible cut was noted in the northeast facing section of a footing pad trench adjacent to a current garage, in line with the known curve of the inner henge ditch. The single fill was dissimilar to those recorded in the previous phase of excavation to the west, but this may represent a different fill at the eastern edge of the feature. During foul drainage trenching to the west of the inner henge ditch, where prior geophysical survey had suggested potential settlement activity, a posthole and ditch were encountered. Very small fragments of unidentified pottery were recovered from the posthole, but the ditch contained the near complete remains of a Beaker domestic ware vessel, similar to late Neolithic pottery recovered from the earliest deposits of the inner henge ditch in previous excavation at the Site. Reopening of a previous waterpipe trench revealed a backfill of quarried limestone, but it was not clear whether this had been cut for the service trench or was a redeposited archaeological deposit disturbed by the original trench. Only Modern and Post-Medieval finds were recovered from the spoil, making the former more likely.
Issica Baron (Wed,) studied this question.