Wessex Archaeology was commissioned by Drew Smith Group to undertake a programme of archaeological works including an archaeological trial trench evaluation, an archaeological excavation and watching brief within a 3.1 ha parcel of land located at the former Oaklands School, Fairisle Road, Southampton, centre on National Grid Reference 438524 116032. The archaeological works were carried out in a series of phases between the 21st October 2019 and the 12th January 2021. The archaeological works successfully identified and recorded archaeological features and deposits, predominantly in the east, south and south-west of the Site. The features recorded included five pits, three ditches, two gullies, a possible hearth and a possible posthole. The most important feature identified during the works was a small pit from which sherds from five different Beaker vessels were recovered. This pit is unique within the Southampton area, a pit containing a single Beaker vessel was recorded in Nursling in the late 1990s, and the Oaklands pit makes a valuable contribution to the understanding of pre-historic Southampton. The remaining features mainly dated to the late Iron Age/ early Romano-British period and comprised two curvilinear ditches, one recutting the other, with a gully feeding in to these and two pits dated to the same period. The spread of these features across the site and limited artefacts recovered from them suggest a rural, agricultural usage. The remaining pits, posthole, ditch and gully were undated. The possible hearth feature appeared pre-historic in character but no dating material was recovered.
Williams et al. (Sat,) studied this question.