Aylesbury Crown Court, Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire: Report for Phase 1 Archaeological Watching Brief

An evaluation was carried out during construction of a new Crown Court building in Aylesbury . The proposed development lies within an archaeologically sensitive area. As a result, Buckinghamshire County Archaeological Service (BCAS) advised the Local Planning Authority (LPA) that a condition should be attached to the planning permission requiring the implementation of a programme of archaeological evaluation prior to the demolition of an existing office block on the Development Area. The potential for preservation of significant remains has been demonstrated. The impact of previous development and demolition on remains within the area has not removed all archaeological deposits. Indeed, a layer of brick rubble was identified overlying all archaeological remains revealed in Trenches 1-4, demonstrating that pre-modern construction and demolition did little to reduce archaeological potential. Setting aside archaeological potential and previous development impact; the evaluation revealed remains of local significance which date to the post-medieval period. However, no traces of Saxo-Norman settlement, such as those recorded to the immediate north-west, were revealed.