land off barnack road, stamford, lincolnshire - Archaeology Data ...

C.LA.U. Report 472: Land off Barnack Road, Stamford,, Lincolnshire
APPENDIX B - GEOPHYSICAL SURVEYS ON LAND TO THE
NORTH OF BARNACK ROAD, STAMFORD, LINCOLNSHIRE
A programme of research carried out on behalf of The City of Lincoln Archaeology Unit by GeoQuest
Associates
Survey: A. C. Newton MA & A. Roger BSc
Report: M. J. Noel PhD
Date: 1st October 2001
1.0 INTRODUCTION
1.1 A geophysical investigation has been carried out on an area of arable land immediately north of
Barnack Road, and south of the railway line, on the eastern outskirts of Stamford in Lincolnshire
(Figure 1). A total of 4.0ha was examined with the aim of providing information concerning the
location and character of subsoil features of archaeological interest that may be present within the
study area.
1.2 The research was carried out by GeoQuest Associates on behalf of The City of Lincoln
Archaeology Unit (CLAU), in accordance with a Technical Specification supplied by the CLAU.
Results of the geophysical survey may be used to inform a scheme of further evaluation (for example
by trial trenching) aimed at characterising any subsurface anomalies. Thereafter, it is proposed to
redevelop the site for housing.
1.3 Figure 1 shows the location of the survey area on a plan digitised from a 1:1250 Ordnance Survey
map. This drawing also includes a photograph giving a general perspective of the site from a
viewpoint in the SW corner of the study area. The geophysical surveys took place between 10th and
12th September 2001.
2.0 SITE DESCRIPTION
2.1 The proposed development site comprises about 8.0ha of rough cultivated ground, traversed by a
disused track oriented approximately N-S. The site is bordered on the N, W and S by fencing and to
the E by a hedgerow. An electricity pylon is situated close to the centre of the study area at the point
shown in Figure 1.
2.2 Prior assessment work has identified a Bronze Age round barrow, a prehistoric/Roman enclosure
and prehistoric or Iron Age pit alignments in a field immediately E of the development area. Hence, it
seems likely that similar features, of comparable date, may be present in the study area. Most of these
features are likely to consist of cuts into the subsoil, infilled with topsoil having an enhanced magnetic
susceptibility. These observations suggest that geomagnetic survey (using a fluxgate gradiometer) is
the optimum technique to use in this instance. The magnetometer will also be suited to the detection of
any thermoremanent magnetisation associated with fired structures, such as hearths and kilns.
3.0 THE GEOPHYSICAL SURVEY
3.1 An initial geophysical evaluation of the entire site was carried out using the technique of rapid area
'scanning'. In this method a fluxgate gradiometer was carried along parallel transects, spaced 10m
apart, and an attempt made to localise significant positive or negative anomalies of possible
archaeological interest. However, owing to the weakness of geomagnetic anomalies on this site, the
'scan' failed to identify any coherent geophysical anomaly patterns. Hence, it was decided to proceed
with detailed gridded survey in blocks in an effort to map, in detail, subsurface features of
archaeological interest.
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