Land South of Southwick Road, Wickham, Hampshire: Post-Excavation Assessment and Updated Project Design

A total of approximately 1.65ha was excavated, including evaluation (Trenches 12- 17), open-area excavation (Area 2) and watching brief (Area 4, Area 5, District 6 electrical pylon, Trenches 18-19, 35-37). The work took place between 10 September 2018 and February 2020. The archaeologically observed areas were predominantly located within the southern field of the site (NGR: 457632 111075) (Figs. 2 and 3). Areas 1 and 3 were associated only with the 2018 evaluation stage, and during excavation these were subsumed into Area 2 and further watching brief trenches. They therefore do not feature in this report.Informed by the magnetometry survey and the earlier excavations outlined above (Section 2), the excavation area (Area 2) targeted an identified area of high archaeological potential (Figs. 2 and 3). The evaluation trenches identified areas of lower archaeological potential for spoil storage, and the watching brief followed areas of archaeologically sensitive, intrusive groundworks undertaken by other contractors. Due to the soft nature of the natural alluvium, particularly around the stream to the south, the watching brief ground-reduction works reached the level of the natural gravel, thus providing an opportunity to observe any features of archaeological interest within alluvial/fluvial deposits. Area 2 4.3 Area 2 comprised the principal excavation area, located within the northern twothirds of the southern field of the site (Figs. 1, 2 and 3). It was approximately rectangular in shape, measuring 149m by 104m, and enclosing an area of 1.5ha. The north-eastern corner sloped gently to the west and south, respectively towards the natural watercourses of the River Meon and its tributary brook. Area 4 and Trench 18 4.4 Area 4 represented the initial inroad area of the watching brief, which was intended to provide a link with School Road in the south-western corner of site within the southern margins of the southern field, adjacent to Trench 14. The excavated area extended across the existing stream, which was culverted by Trench 18, reducing this area down to the level of the natural gravel to enable road construction. Area 4 was roughly boot-shaped in plan, with the main axis aligned east/west, and occupied 0.18ha in area. It measured 99.19m in length and 34.4m in width, and where levels were reduced to that of the natural gravel it was as deep as 2.29m. Trench 18 comprised a 117m-long, sinuous linear culvert trench, which flanked the southern side of Area 4 before crossing it at its western end to re-join the watercourse. It measured 4.5m at its widest and bounded an area of 137 square metres. Both areas were excavated by civil engineering sub-contractor PP Construction, under archaeological supervision.Area 5 represented the cut of the new road around the site for that portion of it which linked the initial entrance road (Area 4) around the south-eastern corner of the site, to join the south-eastern corner of Area 2. It measured 150m in length and 8.5m in width and was 0.9m at its deepest. The overall extent of Area 5 was 0.1ha. District 6 represented the (approximately 6m x 8m) area of topsoil and colluvium retained around the post of the overhead electrical line during the excavation of Area 2, but this was subsequently reduced during the watching brief after the electrical service had been redirected along Area 5. Both areas were excavated by sub-contractor Blanchard Wells, under archaeological supervision. Trenches 12-17 comprised six rectangular evaluation trenches, which measured approximately 20m in length by 1.82m in width across the southern half of the southern field, between Areas 4 and 2. They cumulatively totalled an area of 214 square metres. These four rectangular geotechnical pits, each measuring approximately 2m by 0.6m, were situated around the periphery of Area 2, and cumulatively covered an area of 2.19 square metres.