The archaeological watching brief comprised the monitoring of a geotechnical trial pit for the structural engineer, general ground reduction and the excavation for strip footings at the rear of the property. All work was carried out according to the Chartered Institute for Archaeologists (CIfA) standards, and according to the agreed Written Scheme of Investigation. A digital colour photographic record was maintained, some of which is reproduced in the report as plates 1 - 4, Appendix 1. The fieldwork was undertaken by Michael Blake. The geotechnical trial pit measured approximately 0.5m x 0.5m x 0.6m deep and revealed corbelled foundations of the extant nursery building in three steps. The groundworks phase comprised of general ground reduction of approximately 0.16m covering an area 3.8m x 3.0m. The strip footings were excavated by hand and measured 0.75m wide x 0.75m deep where they abutted to the existing building and 0.5m wide x 0.5m deep elsewhere. The stratigraphy across the excavated area consisted of a recycled rubber mat play surface (101) that was 0.05m thick overlying a tarmac layer that was 0.09m thick. This in turn overlay a geo-textile that sealed (103), a layer of mixed building rubble and crush including occasional salt-glazed water pipe and 18th and 19th century glass and pottery that was deeper than 0.65m (full extent unseen). The watching brief revealed a single deposit (103) underlying the modern yard surfaces (101) and (102). This deposit contained 19th and 20th century material throughout and no earlier deposits were encountered. The project objectives were met in full with a high confidence rating for the results.
Michael Blake (Thu,) studied this question.