Babraham Research Campus, Proposed Building B270. an Archaeological Evaluation

Abstract

Between 12th-14th August 2009 the Cambridge Archaeological Unit carried out a small archaeological evaluation (90m of trenching) within the Babraham Research Campus prior to the construction of a new building (B270 ) some 200m to the north of the river and to the east of the Hall. Within most of this area the top of the chalk outcrop and overlying gravels lay close to the surface, though the absence of archaeology here does not appear to be due to any significant truncation of deposits. Several small postmedieval features were encountered at the eastern end of the site, including a couple of shallow gullies (possibly associated with hedge planting), some possible planting pits, and a shallow well, perhaps associated with the cultivation of former gardens. A thicker development of soil was noted at the west end of the site (Trench 1) beneath the area now occupied by a tree-lined verge for a car park. The compacted surface of a north-south post-medieval chalk-metalled road or path was encountered at the north-west end of this trench, beneath which lay a couple of circular pits, including one lined with probable 17th-18th century brick. These may have been drains or soakaways connected with the construction of the road, or else could been part of some still earlier structures. A pronounced undulation in the natural surface of the gravels associated with a compacted and denuded palaeosoil was interpreted here as being the remains of a series of at least four eroded-out and subsequently silt-filled hollow ways. These parallel tracks appeared to be heading down towards the river in a north-east to south-west direction; further evidence for this feature being provided by a 1953 air photograph that shows a similarly aligned hollow in the field to the north. No artefacts or dating material was recovered from this feature, though a tentative Late Prehistoric to Medieval date is suggested.