Archaeological Investigation of Land off Silver Lane, Needingworth, Cambridgeshire

Abstract

Limited excavations were undertaken between the 11th - 15th November 1994, prior to the construction of two houses off Silver Lane, Needingworth (TL 345722). The SMR records that pottery dating to the Roman, Saxon and medieval periods has been recovered from the adjacent gardens. The scope of the fieldwork was to discover the presence or absence of archaeology through machine dug (JCB) trenches. These trenches formed two T-shapes and were placed within the confines of the house plans. Except for one residual flint flake, no other evidence of prehistoric activity was found. A 1st century (Late Belgic/Early Roman) presence is attested in the vicinity by pottery, but no structural evidence dating to this period was discovered. The site may have been used for agriculture during this period. Areas of the site have obviously enclosed by ditches over considerable periods of time. Gravel extraction has also taken place at differing times, mostly during the 14–16th centuries. Subsequent to this gravel extraction activity, the site has undergone at least two episodes of levelling, associated with dumping of gravelly grey/brown silty sand. This levelling is sealed by a very humic friable loose dark grey brown silty loam, which is the product of the orchard and piggery which have occupied the site this century.