NHER 37410 (Monument record) - Palaeochannel, undated ditch and prehistoric worked flints, Lynford Quarry

October 2002. Geophysical Survey.
Magnetometer survey conducted in order to locate possible Pleistocene palaeochannels thought to exist in this area. Only weak and diffuse geomagnetic and conductivity anomalies were detected, the majority ascribed to topsoil topography (e. g. wheelruts) and ferrous litter. As no potentially archaeologically significant geophysical anomalies were identified a proposed borehole survey was not conducted.
See report (S1) for further details.
J. Allen (NLA) 7 January 2003. Amended and expanded by P. Watkins (HES), 29 April 2013 and 31 January 2022.

October-November 2002. Trial Trenching.
Evaluation of site of proposed quarry extension (Contexts 1 - 86).
Palaeochannels were revealed in four of the eight trenches excavated, the similarity of which suggested they probably represented the same feature. The position of these sections suggested the palaeochannel was aligned roughly WNW-ESE and followed a somewhat sinuous course. It contained a mixed stratigraphy of very fine sands and peat/sandy deposits with unsorted flint inclusions. Four small flints were recovered from this feature, including a least one soft-hammer struck flake of probable Mesolithic or Early Neolithic date. One of the palaeochannel segments also produced a sheep/goat tibia and an incomplete equid mandible. The only other archaeologically significant feature identified was a north-south aligned ditch in the western part of the site. This could not be dated as the only finds recovered were pieces of animal bone. A small water channel and two natural features were also identified in one of the trenches.
A further seven flints (the majority likely to be of later prehistoric date), a fragment of burnt flint and several fragments of animal bone were recovered from unstratified contexts.
See report (S2) for further details. The results of this work are also summarised in (S3) and noted in (S4).
J. Allen (NLA) 7 January 2003. Amended and expanded by P. Watkins (HES), 29 April 2013 and 31 January 2022..