Oxford Archaeology (OA) was commissioned by St Mowden Development Limited to undertake a watching brief during engineering works to create a drainage channel, including a head wall and pipe beneath the A338. The work was undertaken as a condition of planning permission (Planning Ref. P24/V0709/FUL). A specification was set by the Oxford City Council Archaeologist advising the Vale of the White Horse District Council and a written scheme of investigation was produced by OA detailing the Local Authority's requirements for work necessary to discharge the planning condition (OA 2024). The watching brief was maintained during all significant groundworks. Record photographs were taken, and the trench locations were surveyed. The watching brief was undertaken to identify the presence or absence of archaeological deposits and features within the areas impacted by the works, including the possible early medieval park boundary ditch. No archaeological deposits or features were uncovered, and no deposits appropriate for environmental sampling were present. On discussion with the representative of Oxfordshire Council Archaeology Services it was agreed that the need for watching brief on new tree planting (OA 2024) would not be required. No Archaeological features were identified during the works. Natural geology, present in the east of the site was a grey clay, and any cut features would have been easily identifiable if present. To the west of the site alluvium associated with the Letcombe Brook was present, but no features were noted either cutting or within this deposit. Other areas of impact contained deep deposits of made ground associated with services either side of the A338. The only find of any note, a railway sleeper recovered from within made ground, appears much shorter than those in images of the tramway (De Courtais 2017), but may still be associated.
Will Baker (Wed,) studied this question.