A metal detector survey was conducted, in conjunction with Derby Artefacts recovery Metal Detecting Club, over 10 days between 22nd July and 2nd August 2024. The subsequent trial trench evaluation was carried out over 14 days between 12th and 30th August 2024. The trial trench evaluation consisted of the excavation of 67 trenches, targeting anomalies and 'blank areas' identified by the previous geophysical survey. There was only one feature of obvious archaeological interest -an undated but stone filled pit in trench 47. Four other trenches contained undated linear or discrete features - likely to drainage related or associated with post-Medieval/Modern land division. Colluvial deposits were identified in trenches in the central part of Field 2 and the northern part of Field 3, two discrete features were identified in two of the trenches which contained colluvium. One of the discrete features produced charcoal, which was submitted for radiocarbon dating, the dates returned were consistent with activity falling in the fifteenth to seventeenth centuries cal AD. The remaining trenches were blank, the additional trench positioned to target the possible earthwork mound was also blank, suggesting that the feature was a natural rise. As such, the site is of low significance archaeologically.
Helen Stocks-Morgan (Wed,) studied this question.