NHER 68892 (Negative evidence record) - Site where limited archaeological fieldwork revealed no evidence for significant remains

May 2021. Desk-based Assessment.
Assessment of potential impact of proposed development.
See report (S1) for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 27 January 2025.

May and August 2021. Geophysical Survey.
Magnetometer survey of part of large proposed development area (F1).
The results of this survey were potentially impaired by the presence of 'green waste'’ across the entire site, which created a dense, continuous spread of magnetic disturbance that may have masked archaeologically-significant anomalies.
There was no evidence for surviving remains associated with a possible medieval or post-medieval saltern mound that extends into this area (NHER 27905). This does though appear to be associated with a very slight earthwork visible in visualised LiDAR data for the site (reproduced in the report on the subsequent trial trenching).
Various sinuous linear trends in the northern half of the site potentially represent former drainage channels and/or natural variations in the underlying alluvial deposts. As at the sites to the east and south these responses are bounded to the west by a faint north-to-south aligned trend. This may represent a geological boundary such as a former shoreline but does not correspond with the line of any of the known former sea defences.
Information from draft report. Final version awaited.
P. Watkins (HES), 27 January 2025.

September-October 2023. Trial Trenching.
Evaluation of part of large proposed development site (Trenches 11-13).
Three trenches were excavated at this location, one in the northernmost part of the site, immediately to the west of the possible saltern mound (NHER 27905) and two in the southern half of the site.
No archaeologically-significant remains were recorded, with all three trenches revealing only deep sequences of alluvial material. Sondages dug in two of the trenches both encountered a dark grey silt at between 1.95m and 1.70m below present ground level, which was overlain by a thick layer of alluvial silt.
No finds were recovered.
Information from draft report. Final version awaited.
P. Watkins (HES), 27 January 2025.