ENN110242 - Land north of the Bell Plantation, 2021 (Trial trench)

Site code - BEP21 {1} A total of 93 trenches measuring 50m long by 2m wide were excavated across the site. The results of the trial trenching broadly confirmed those of preceding geophysical survey, although a high level of plough disturbance through the relatively thin ploughsoil was noted to affect feature preservation across the Site. The evaluation also identified three spatially distinct focal zones of activity within the Site, two of Late Iron Age – Early Roman date. The third area of activity, in the southwest corner of the Site, adjacent to Watling Street, produced evidence for activity in the Roman period, with pottery evidence suggesting a broad 2nd – 4th century date.