VIKING CCS PIPELINE Lincolnshire: Earthwork Survey Report

Wessex Archaeology was commissioned by Harbour Energy group, to undertake an archaeological earthwork survey of extant ridge and furrow earthworks across approximately 6.3 hectares of arable land within the cable route of the Viking Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) Scheme. The survey area was split across three different sites identified as Field 21, Field 44 and Fields 227-230 with the latter being a group of field systems located immediately adjacent to each other. The surveys were conducted by means of unmanned aerial vehicle photogrammetry which was supplemented or replaced by terrestrial survey where appropriate. Ground truthing photography was also captured, particularly at Field 21, where site conditions prevented the use of either survey method. The surveys successfully recorded extant ridge and furrow earthworks in Field 44 which displayed the characteristic s-curve of medieval ridge and furrow. In Fields 228-230 ridge and furrow earthworks were also identified in the digital elevation model but were not clearly visible at ground level. These earthworks were straighter and narrower by comparison and are likely to be of post-medieval origin. In both cases analysis of available LiDAR data would indicate that both sets of ridge and furrow exist within a wider landscape of past agricultural use with several ridge and furrow field systems being visible in the surrounding area.