Land off Wynchwood Lane, Shefford, Bedfordshire

Archaeological evaluation and preparation of a Heritage Statement for a 3200 m� parcel of land located of Wynchwood Lane, Shefford, Bedfordshire. The aims of this study were to assess the known and potential heritage resource within the site and the surrounding area and to assess the likely impacts of the development proposals on this resource and has established that there is an archaeological interest within the site. It has been determined that no designated heritage assets would be physically affected by the implementation of the proposed development. The archaeological evaluation, undertaken between the 16th and 18th October 2017, has however, identified activity of a high level of significance. Including the remains of two parallel stone walls, located to the south of the area, measuring 0.83m - 1m in width, aligned northwest to southeast. Those features appear to be associated with a Romano-British building recognised, according to location provided by BHER's map, within the southernmost portion of the site by Inskip in the 19th century believed to be a 'temple' (Inskip 1850). Any adverse impact by the proposed development to buried archaeological features would be permanent and irreversible in nature. The most destructive elements of the development proposals in terms of below ground archaeology would be associated with piling and/or excavation of foundations for the residential dwellings due to be constructed as part of the proposed development. While final drawings were not available at the time of writing this report, typical depths for strip foundations for two-storey residential houses range in between 1m to 1.5m in depth, normally to a width of 1m. Based on the evaluation results and depths of the identified features, which reach a depth of 1.20m or more below ground level (BGL) the archaeological remains are likely to be impacted and irreversibly destroyed by the development.