The evaluation fieldwork comprised the excavation of 194 trenches across 15 areas in Suffolk: " 1no 10m x 10 box trench " 193no 30m x 1.8m trench The trenches were positioned over cropmarks, anomalies recorded by an earlier geophysical survey, along with investigating known HER data and to provide a representative sample of the remainder of the site. The 10m x 10m box (Trench G1.29) was positioned to target a potential pit scatter. The trenches were set out and the overburden was stripped from the trenches by a mechanical excavator to the top of a colluvium layer. This was then carefully removed down to the level of the natural substrate, the level at which archaeological features were generally identified, unless archaeological features or deposits were noted within the colluvium itself. All machining was conducted under archaeological supervision. Between November 2021 and August 2023, Cotswold Archaeology carried out an archaeological evaluation of the planned route of the Bramford to Twinstead Reinforcement Phase 1 on behalf of National Grid. This report concerns the element of the archaeological trenching undertaken in Suffolk. A total of one hundred and ninety-four trenches were excavated within the parishes of Little Cornard, Bures St. Mary, Assington, Leavenheath, Stoke-by-Nayland and Polstead. The trenches were positioned to target areas of archaeological potential based on geophysical survey, HER data and cropmarks, along with providing a representative sample of the remainder of the site. On the whole the archaeological activity uncovered was fairly limited, presenting a picture of a largely agricultural landscape, with trenching revealing the occasional post-medieval field or parish boundary ditch, and occasional evidence for quarrying. A noteworthy exception was an area of dense Roman activity in Area G1 (Little Cornard). The area produced geographically varied Roman pottery and Ceramic Building Material spanning the 2nd to 3rd/early 4th centuries AD, numerous cut features and potential evidence for structural remains in four postholes and a post-pad. Also of note was an isolated Late Iron Age/Early Roman cremation burial discovered in Area F1 (Assington), an urned cremation with three accessory vessels dating to the early to mid-1st century AD.
Alice Woodard (Mon,) studied this question.