Sawston Growth Scheme, Cambridgeshire: Report on a geoarchaeological evaluation

25 boreholes were carried out within an area of the pipeline route on the western edge of Sawston, east of the A1301. Previous archaeological trench evaluation along the scheme had identified the presence of Holocene peat and alluvium of palaeoenvironmental potential in this area. Geoarchaeological boreholes were required in this area by the Cambridgeshire Historic Environment Team (CHET 2025), with the purpose of characterising and sampling deposits associated with a palaeochannel identified in LiDAR imagery. Early Holocene topography was undulating between 20.7m and 19.2m AOD, with four channel areas identified corresponding to the meandering course of a palaeochannel previously identified from LiDAR imagery. Overlying Holocene floodplain deposits consisted of peat overlain by alluvial silty clay, with some potential marl deposits. The Holocene deposits were 0.6m thick on average. Samples of the Holocene floodplain sequence were retained due to their high palaeoenvironmental potential.