NHER 62732 (Monument record) - Post-medieval ditch

March-May 2017. Strip Map and Sample Excavation.
Excavations on route of Belton Stepshort Rising Main. This section of the route was selected for detailed investigation due to the presence of cropmark and soilmark features believed to represent the remains of banks associated with post-medieval field boundaries (NHER 45056). Although the two excavated sections of the pipeline easement coincided with three of these features no corresponding sub-surface remains were identified and there was no evidence for any surviving bank features. The only potentially related deposit was a concentration of gravel noted within the subsoil approximately 15m to the west of one of the cropmark features. The one archaeologically significant feature was an undated north-to-south aligned ditch exposed close to the eastern edge of the site. The alignment of this ditch suggests it was most likely associated with a later post-medieval field boundary. The other remains identified were of little interest, comprising a number of modern post-holes, a possible wheel rut and several irregular discrete features that were most likely either solution hollows or tree throws.
No finds were recovered in this field.
See report (S1) for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 9 May 2018.