The evaluation fieldwork comprised the excavation of 6 trenches: " 1no. 15m long x 1.5m wide trench and 1no. 5m long x 1.5m wide trench in the eastern land parcel; " 1no. 10m long x 1.5m wide trench in west land parcel, in the tarmacked carpark area to the north of the existing shop; and " 1no 14.5m long x 1.5m trench, 1no. 5m long x 1.5m trench, and 1no 25m long x 1.5m trench in the western part of the west land parcel. The trenches were located to provide a representative sample of the remainder of the site, while avoiding the existing buildings and associated underground services (service searches identified the presence of gas, water and telecom service within the site and surrounding areas). With the approval of PS the trench layout was altered from that shown in the WSI, to take account of previously unrecorded services and below-ground obstructions. Due to services, in the western part of the site Trench 1 was lengthened by 4.5m to compensate for a shorter Trench 3. Trench 2 was started in the western part of site but abandoned once it became clear a modern service was running down its length; Trench 5 was excavated as a replacement. To the east of St Andrews Road, trench 4 was moved to the northeast to enable the JCB room to manoeuvre, while Trench 6 was an extra trench excavated in the south part of the eastern land parcel to test the area outside of the now demolished garages. In April 2025, Cotswold Archaeology carried out an archaeological evaluation of land at Elm Hatch, Harlow, Essex. Six trenches of varying lengths were excavated across the site, comprising two parcels of land located either side of St Andrew's Road. However, despite the close proximity of the propose development area to the medieval Netteswellbury manorial complex and the Grade I Listed Church of St Andrew, immediately to the north of the site, no artefactual material or deposits were observed predating the 20th century. Trenches 1 and 5, in the western half of the western land parcel exposed extensive remains of the recently demolished mid-20th century Hummingbird public house immediately beneath the present hardcore surface. Walls and concrete floors were exposed, with a machine excavated sondage showing one of the walls extended to a depth of 2.4m below the present ground level. Trenches 2 and 3, in the east part of the western parcel were devoid of archaeology but revealed modern services running though both trenches. Trenches 4 and 6, to the east of St Andrew's Road, were again devoid of any archaeological remains and encountered natural geology at a depth of 0.6m. The natural substrate here showed signs of contamination, likely from the recently demolished garages that previously occupied the site.
R Brown (Wed,) studied this question.