Archaeological Evaluation at land west of Leamington Road, Broadway, Worcestershire

Between 10th and 19th November 2025, Worcestershire Archaeology (WA) undertook an archaeological evaluation at land west of Leamington Road, Broadway, Worcestershire (NGR SP 09789 38364; Figure 1). The works were commissioned by Pegasus Planning Group Ltd on behalf of Lone Star Land Ltd in support of a proposed residential development. The planning application was supported by a desk-based assessment (DBA) and a geophysical survey, which identified a small number of anomalies tentatively interpreted as possible archaeological features. In line with paragraph 207 of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), the Archaeology and Planning Advisor for Wychavon District Council (the Curator) requested an archaeological evaluation be undertaken to determine the date, degree of preservation and significance of any archaeological remains potentially preserved within the Site. A Written Scheme of Investigation (WSI) was prepared by Worcestershire Archaeology (2025) and approved by the Curator. A trench plan was prepared by Pegasus Group (2025) and agreed with the Curator. All works based on the trench plan were subsequently carried out in accordance with the Chartered Institute for Archaeologists' Standard for archaeological field evaluation (CIfA 2023a) and Universal guidance for archaeological field evaluation (CIfA 2023b). The archaeological evaluation comprised the excavation of 33no. 30m trenches, a 5% sample of the Site. The trenches partially targeted a series of linear and curvilinear anomalies identified during the geophysical survey and also tested seemingly 'blank' areas within the geophysical survey dataset. A Written Scheme of Investigation (WSI) was prepared by Worcestershire Archaeology (2025) and approved by the Curator. A trench plan was prepared by Pegasus Group (2025) and agreed with the Curator. All works based on the trench plan were subsequently carried out in accordance with the Chartered Institute for Archaeologists' Standard for archaeological field evaluation (CIfA 2023a) and Universal guidance for archaeological field evaluation (CIfA 2023b). The archaeological evaluation comprised the excavation of 33no. 30m trenches, a 5% sample of the Site. The trenches partially targeted a series of linear and curvilinear anomalies identified during the geophysical survey and also tested seemingly 'blank' areas within the geophysical survey dataset. The archaeological evaluation revealed features in Trenches 16 and 27 in addition to multiple furrow troughs. Overarchingly, the geophysical survey results did not correspond with the features identified within the trenches. Accordingly, the anomalies recorded during the geophysical survey were interpreted as likely to be agricultural or geological in origin. As noted above, both east-west and north-south aligned furrow troughs were recorded in nearly every trench, with faint earthworks visible in the eastern half of the field. No dating evidence was recovered from the trough fills, but the morphology of the furrows provides some indication of sequence. Earlier ridge and furrow cultivation terraces displayed spacing averaging c.6 m, consistent with a late medieval origin, while a later phase averaged c.4.5m, typical of post-medieval cultivation. Both forms were present on the Site and indicate that the land adjacent to Leamington Road formed a constituent part of a long-established agricultural hinterland to Broadway dating from at least the medieval period. A pair of curvilinear gullies and a single pit were revealed in Trench 16 which may be evidence of a small enclosure dated to the late prehistoric or Romano-British period. However, this interpretation should be considered tentative as no dating evidence was recovered from any of the features.