Archaeological Evaluation of the North-West Field at Manor Farm Wetland Habitat, Garford

Eight evaluation trenches 30m long by 1.65m wide were excavated across the eastern field of the proposal site, targeting the location of two proposed ponds. Excavation of features was undertaken where possible, however most features were consequently recorded only in plan due to rapid rising ground water resulting from the low-lying nature of the land and the high water table. A further seven trenches measuring 30m by 1.65m were planned across the 'western area' of the site, located to the west of the A338, south of Chadwick Farm. Five of the planned trenches were located in the field to the south of Childrey Brook, with the remaining two located to the north of the brook. One additional trench (Trench 16), located further north within the latter field, was requested by the client. The field to the south of Childrey Brook was completely flooded, preventing the excavation of the five planned trenches located within this area; additionally, Trench 7 in the north field could not be excavated due to the extremely high water level. Of the originally planned eight trenches, only Trenches 6 and 16 were excavated; both measured approximately 25m in length and 1.65m in width. Archaeological features were observed in both trenches, but due to the rapid rising ground water resulting from the low-lying nature of the land and the high water table, no hand-sampling of the features could be carried out. All features were recorded in plan and the full extent of the trenches was additionally recorded via photogrammetry. Subsequently, archaeological monitoring of the mechanical excavation of five new scrapes was carried out. The location of some of the scrapes was targeted to further examine the areas investigated during the previous evaluation stage of works, where archaeological features were revealed. Scape A was located in the area of Trench 16 and Scrape C was located in the area of Trench 6. The depth of the scrapes varied between a minimum of c.420mm and a maximum of c.550mm; in some areas, this level did not reach the level of the archaeological horizon as recorded during the evaluation stage of works. The scrapes were excavated with a 360� excavator with a toothless bucket under the supervision of an archaeologist. During the first day of the archaeological monitoring and recording, the adverse weather conditions negatively impacted the ability to clearly interpret the horizon revealed within Scrapes A & B, additionally, the known high water table in the area also caused the exposed areas to quickly flood. Each scrape was graded outwards from the central, deepest part, therefore preventing the exposure and recording of representative sections. Levels for each deposit were taken via GPS to determine the depth of each scrape. Excavation of trenches in the eastern field identified three ditches alongside a possible pit or natural feature. These features appeared to be limited to the east and north-east side of the field and are likely to represent drainage ditches, likely contemporary with ditches identified during a previous stage of evaluation in 2022. No dating material was identified during the excavations and therefore no accurate dating can be provided for the features, but they are possibly of fairly modern date. Excavation of Trenches 6 and 16 in the western field identified a series of undated linear features alongside a series of undated furrows. The undated furrows were limited to the north-eastern-most corner of the site area and were only observed within Trench 16. Due to their alignment, it is possible that these furrows may continue on to the south and could be observed within the later excavation of Trench 7. Trench 6 contained a pair of narrow ditches, 6/07 and 6/09, as well as a third, wider ditch, 6/11, to the east. These ditches could have served as a pair of drainage ditches and an interior field boundary ditch.