NHER 66141 (Monument record) - Post-medieval ditches and undated pits

May 2018. Desk-based Assessment.
Environmental Impact Assessment of the potential impacts of the proposed Hornsea Project Three offshore wind farm on the historic environment. This study incorporated the results of an initial walkover survey and the first phases of geophysical survey.
See relevant chapter of Environmental Statement and associated appendices for further detail (S1).
P. Watkins (HES), 24 October 2022.

November 2021-March 2022. Geophysical Survey.
Magnetometer survey of site on proposed route of Hornsea Project Three offshore wind farm onshore cable (Area 8).
This survey identified a number of irregular, fragmentary linear anomalies. Although recorded as being of undetermined origin, none seem likely to represent archaeologically-significant remains.
Information from draft report. Final version awaited.
P. Watkins (HES), 24 October 2022.

February-June 2022. Trial Trenching.
Evaluation of site on proposed route of Hornsea Project Three offshore wind farm onshore cable (P2TT08; Trenches 143-159).
The 17 trenches excavated at this location revealed a number of north-to-south aligned ditches and three pits.
Although the majority of the ditches produced little in the way of dating evidence three coincide with a pair of former field boundaries depicted on the Bodham Tithe map of 1841 (S2) – indicating they are most likely post-medieval. The position and alignment of the remaining two ditches suggests they were probably associated with a boundary of broadly similar age (albeit one that had already been lost by the mid 19th century). One contained part of a post-medieval pantile, along with a tiny, presumably residual scrap of Roman pottery.
The pits were all undated and comprised a pair of unremarkable features in the central part of the site and one in the north-west corner. A sample from the fill of the latter was of some interest, being found to contain a small assemblage of charred cereal grains, which comprised oats, barley and unidentifiable grains. A single culm node was also present, along with the carbonised seeds of several arable weeds.
Information from draft report. Final version awaited.
P. Watkins (HES), 24 October 2022.