HS2 Phase 1 Central Section, Archaeological Works 1C17AWFTT - Ashwell's Farm Trial Trench Report

Trial Trench A test pit and trial trench investigation was undertaken on land immediately to the south of Farm, Chalfont St Peter, Buckinghamshire. It comprised of 1 machine-excavated trench 30m long and three topsoil test pits within its footprint prior to trench excavation. The test pits were machine-excavated and the arisings dry-sieved. The Site comprises three land parcels with the area to be evaluated being targeted within a single land parcel measuring c. 0.27 ha. The majority of the flint debitage comprised flakes of broadly Prehistoric date, with an additional blade-like flake of possible Mesolithic date. All the flakes displayed edge damage and wear, consistent with an assemblage derived largely from plough soil. Dating flakes with confidence is not generally possible, particularly in an unstratified assemblage where material from more than one period may be present. The single blade-like flake is potentially indicative of activity as early as the Mesolithic period. The test pit sieving also recovered a small assemblage of post-medieval and modern material of no significance, including window glass and CBM. No archaeological features were recorded during the trial trench evaluation.