The Former John Gilpin, London Road, Ware, Hertfordshire Sg10 9lx

In April and May 2017 Archaeological Solutions Ltd carried out archaeological monitoring and recording on land at the former John Gilpin public house, London Road, Ware, Hertfordshire SG10 9LX (NGR TL 36141 13678). The monitoring was undertaken in compliance with a planning condition attached to planning approval for the demolition of existing buildings and the construction of 10 houses with associated landscaping and parking (East Herts District Council (EHDC) Planning Ref: 3/16/0315/FUL). The condition was required based on the advice of Hertfordshire County Council Historic Environment Advisory Team (HCC HEAT). A trial trench evaluation was undertaken (Blagg-Newsome 2017). On the north-western side of the site and at the western end of Trench 1 was a cluster of eight pits (F1005, F1007, F1015, F1017, F1019, F1021, F1023 and F1025). Pit F1025 contained 17th - 19th century CBM and was stratigraphically early within a sequence of intercutting pits (also including F1019, F1021 and F1023). Pits F1015 and F1017 contained sparse late Iron Age/ early Roman pottery (totalling just four sherds). The fill of Pit F1005 was cut by Pit F1017 and therefore was potentially late Iron Age/ early Roman or earlier in date; it was devoid of finds. Pit F1007 was undated. On the eastern side of the site a large ditch (F1011) contained post-medieval (17th century) pottery. Modern features related to the former public house were present in all four trenches, and undated features were recorded in Trenches 1 (Pit 1007) and 4 (Gully F1009). The monitoring revealed a pit of relatively recent (post-medieval) date.