Kingsbury Quarry, Whateley, Kingsbury, Warwickshire: Archaeological Evaluation

An archaeological evaluation, comprising 57 trial trenches, was commissioned by Andrew Josephs Associates on behalf of Wienerberger UK, on land adjacent to Kingsbury Brickworks. A geophysical survey carried out in August 2016 revealed a complex of anomalies of potential archaeological interest spread across the site. The evaluation has demonstrated that a significant proportion of these were of geological origin or naturally occurring features. However, it did identify a series of ditched enclosures on a northeast-southwest ridge. Pottery recovered from some of the ditches dates from the late Iron Age, but none of the enclosures contained significant remains suggesting occupation, although only small parts of the interiors were exposed within the trenches. Two of the enclosures were typical of the later Iron Age as they were subrectangular, but one of them was so much larger than other enclosures that have been excavated in the region it may have been a field (or fields). This could be significant because there are currently no proven Iron Age field systems in Warwickshire. Although the original uses of the enclosures were not established with any certainty the evaluation has established that the likely extents of the enclosures as shown on the geophysical survey are accurate. Two large sub-rectangular features with heavy burning around the edges that were clearly shown on the geophysical survey are possible post-medieval brick clamps.