ENN109609 - St John the Baptist, Chelveston, 2019 (Observation)

Site Code CH3561 The works comprised the monitoring and investigation of a narrow, c.0.8m deep and c.120m long, machine-excavated service trench (water pipe and part-way telecom) that ran from Caldecott Road to the west end of the church’s south aisle. In order to accommodate both the water pipe and a protective duct for the telecom cable, the trench was required to be 0.3m wide from Caldecott Road to the northeast corner of the chancel. At this point, the telecom duct split-off to run along the north wall of the chancel, with its depth reduced to just 0.2m. From the point where the telecom pipe split-off, the water pipe trench was narrowed for the remainder of its route (0.08m at the base to 0.15m at the top). It ran east of the chancel and then close to the south side of the church to the connection point towards the west end of the south aisle. The path resurfacing required only shallow (c.0.2m deep) groundworks. Given the topsoil depths seen in the service trench, it was judged unnecessary to archaeologically monitor this part of the works.