Land East of the Churchyard of St Felicitas, Lethlean Lane, Hayle, Cornwall: Results of Archaeological Monitoring and Recording

This report presents the results of archaeological monitoring and recording that was carried out by South West Archaeology Ltd. (SWARCH) during the replacement of two telegraph poles and associated infrastructure on land east of the Churchyard of St Felicitas, Lethlean Lane, Hayle, Cornwall. The work was carried out in consultation with HEP (Arch), in accordance with a Written Scheme of Investigation (Boyd 2025), and in line with best practice and CIfA guidelines. The site lies within a tree-covered area to the east of the churchyard of St Felicitas. This area is considered to have a high archaeological potential, with a number of prehistoric, medieval, and post medieval assets and features having been recorded nearby. The archaeological monitoring and recording comprised the excavation of two holes that measured c.1.0m by c.0.7m in plan and c.2.0m in depth. The stratigraphy of the holes comprised: a c.0.26m deep grey-brown sandy-silt topsoil with common roots; which overlaid a c.0.25m deep mottled slightly grey-yellow sand; which overlaid a clean soft-to-firm yellow sand which continued to the limit of the excavations. There was the hint of a possible cut at the southern end of the east-facing section of the eastern hole. The cut was c.0.50m deep, it was sealed by the mottled sand, and it had an irregular concave profile and base. It appeared to be associated with a modern earthing cable, though this was potentially a fortuitous association. A trench that measured c.2.5m in width and c.0.6m in depth was excavated between the two telegraph poles, though this only exposed the former earthing cable. A further hole that measured c.0.65m by c.1.2m in plan and c.1.8m in depth was excavated for a ground anchor. It was located c.3.5m to the north of the two telegraph poles and it demonstrated the same stratigraphy as the rest of the site, though the topsoil and the upper sandy layer had been heavily disturbed by possible vegetation clearance.