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

C.LA.U. Report 472: Land off Barnack Road, Stamford,, Lincolnshire
LAND OFF BARNACK ROAD, STAMFORD,
LINCOLNSHIRE
ARCHAEOLOGICAL EVALUATION (GEOPHYSICAL
SURVEY)
NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY
This project was prompted by plans to redevelop a parcel of land situated on the eastern outskirts of
Stamford. The site covers approximately 8ha, and is located immediately to the north of Barnack
Road.
It was proposed to use the land for business development, and an outline planning application for a
Class B1 employment development had been submitted to South Kesteven District Council.
However, due to the archaeological potential of this site, it was recommended by the South Kesteven
Community Archaeologist that an archaeological evaluation was carried prior to determination. It was
decided that the first stage of this should be a geophysical survey, but it was considered highly likely
that further work would also be necessary. It was expected that the results of the geophysical survey
would be used to determine the scope and location of any further investigative work.
The City of Lincoln Archaeology Unit was approached by FPD Savills on behalf of the Burghley
House Preservation Trust, to provide a quotation for the required archaeological work, and were duly
commissioned on the 20 th of August 2001. GeoQuest Associates were subsequently engaged to carry
out the geophysical survey on behalf of C.L.A.U., with the work carried out between the 10 th & 12 th
of September 2001.
Approximately 50% of the site was investigated by means of detailed geophysical survey, in five
individual areas.
The geophysical survey report highlighted a pattern of positive magnetic anomalies which appear to
provide tentative evidence for a number of silted ditches, of linear and arcuate form. It appears that
several of these may comprise the remnants of prehistoric ring ditches which have been eroded by
modern ploughing. In addition, the geophysical survey detected the probable traces of linear field
boundaries or tracks, and remains of ridge and furrow cultivation.
The precise nature, and date, of the features identified by the survey cannot, of course, be determined
without further archaeological work, probably by means of a programme of trial trenching. In view of
the interpretation of the features both on this site, and in the neighbouring field to the east, it seems
very likely that important features are preserved relating to the prehistoric, or Roman, landscape.
The geophysical report is presented in full as Appendix B.
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