Land at Broad Alley, Hampton Lovett, Cutnall Green: A Programme of Historical Research, Starfish Decoy Site at Elmbridge

This assessment has been informed by a proportionate level of information sufficient to enable a good understanding of the site. The research undertaken to inform the project cannot be considered exhaustive insofar as other information or sources may come to light in the future that contribute further understanding or dispute the established narrative. At the time of issue, the research and previous site assessment (Parfitt 2025) that has informed the research project is considered a robust and comprehensive account of the Elmbridge Decoy Site. The data has been collected from a wide variety of sources, summarised in Table 2.1. Source Data National Heritage List for England (NHLE) Current information relating to designated heritage assets, and heritage assets considered to be 'at risk'. The National Archives No documents are identified that refer specifically to the site or works undertaken to establish the decoy. There is a large collection of documents mostly deposited by the Ministry of Works that discuss the development of the decoy concept and span the evolution of tactics and methods used to create particular types of bomb Decoy Site. Worcestershire Historic Environment Record (HER) Heritage sites and events records, Historic Landscape Characterisation (HLC) data, and other spatial data supplied in digital format (shapefiles) and hardcopy. Historic England Archive (HEA) Additional sites and events records, supplied in digital and hardcopy formats. Worcestershire Archives Historic mapping, historic documentation, and relevant published and grey literature. Historic England's Aerial Photograph Research Unit Vertical and oblique aerial photography ranging in date from the 1940s to present. RAF Museum Collections Additional publications, grey literature and other materials specific to the RAF. Imperial War Museum Collections Additional publications, grey literature and other materials specific to the history of British conflict. Defra Data Services Platform (environment.data.gov.uk) LiDAR imagery and point cloud data, available from the Defra Data Services Platform 8 Fibden Farm Decoy Site, Worcestershire, Research Project � Cotswold Archaeology Source Data Genealogist, Envirocheck, National Library of Scotland & other cartographic websites Historic (Ordnance Survey and Tithe) mapping in digital format. British Geological Survey (BGS) website UK geological mapping (bedrock & superficial deposits) & borehole data. Table 2.1 Key data sources Aerial photographs held at Historic England Archive Aerial photographs held at Historic England were examined as part of this assessment, ranging in date from 1946 to 2014. The aerial photographs show that the site has been utilised as arable and pastoral farmland and that no large developments have occurred on the site since 1946. No direct evidence of the Decoy Site was present in the photographs. LiDAR imagery Existing DEFRA data was analysed with the specific aim of clarifying the extent any potential archaeological remains. Lidar DTM (Digital Terrain Model) and DSM (Digital Surface Model) ASCII files were downloaded from the DEFRA portal (environment.data.gov.uk), under the Open Government Licence v3.0. The lidar data was surveyed in 2019 and available at 1m for DTM and DSM resolution for the extent of the site boundary and buffer. The lidar files contain British National Grid as the "native" coordinate reference system. Where necessary, individual lidar datasets were combined into a mosaic raster dataset using Esri ArcGIS Pro 3.4.2 and exported as a single raster (.tif). The lidar file was then processed using Relief Visualisation Toolbox (RVT) (Kokalj et al 2019 and Zakaek et al 2011) to create several single and blended visualisations. Visualisations were created following Historic England guidelines (HE 2018) and guidance in Airbourne Laser Scanning Raster Visualisation: A guide to good practice (Kokalj & Hesse 2017).