Archaeological Watching Brief at Land at Rectory Lane, Cromhall, South Gloucestershire Gl12 8an

The groundworks consisted of ground reduction in the footprint of the agricultural storage building, followed by ground reduction for an area of hardstanding and access, stretching from the front of the building to Rectory Lane (Fig. 1). At the eastern end of the access area, the ground reduction required did not exceed the depth of the subsoil, so the natural geology and archaeological horizon were not seen. The stripping was undertaken using a 360o mechanical excavator with a toothless ditching bucket. Where archaeological horizons were encountered, they were cleaned by hand and excavated appropriately. Standard John Moore Heritage Services techniques were employed throughout, involving the completion of a written record for each deposit encountered, with scale plans and section drawings compiled where appropriate. A photographic record was also produced. The resultant spoil from the works was visually scanned, especially for finds relating to the prehistoric, Roman, and medieval periods. A series of natural deposits were observed across the development area, demonstrating the geological processes which formed the landscape. A single feature of potential archaeological significance was revealed at the northwest edge of site, where NE-SW ditch 10 was uncovered. The function and date of the ditch could not be determined due to a lack of artefactual evidence and an absence of other features nearby to offer comparative insight. No other finds, features, or deposits were discovered.