Monument record WLG 037 - Roman activity at Erskine Lodge, Stanningsfield Road, Great Whelnetham

2016: The Phase 1 works, around the extant Erskine Lodge exposed only modern features and services. A deep made ground layer, containing Roman to modern pottery, indicates that landscaping has most likely truncated any earlier features across the site. The fifteen trenches for Phase 2 exposed a low density of pits, ditches and postholes scattered across the site, with only Trench 8 being entirely devoid of features. Dating evidence was recovered from roughly half of the features exposed, the majority of which dated to the Roman period, ranging from the 1st century to 4th century AD. Over half of the pottery assemblage was recovered from a pit in Trench 2, potentially representing structured deposition. A single articulated burial was exposed at the base of a ditch in Trench 5, towards the centre of the site, and dated to the Roman period by ceramic evidence. Environmental evidence from the site suggests that it is a peripheral zone, away from any focus of settlement or industrial activity, as the soil samples uniformly produced a low density of domestic waste, likely to represent scattered hearth/midden waste rather than the direct dumping of domestic rubbish into open features. This accords with the low density of features identified, particularly given that the dating evidence indicates the use of the site throughout the Roman period. Features and deposits exhibited some slight truncation, as the archaeological horizon generally occurred directly below a shallow ploughsoil. The topsoil was much deeper towards the north end of the site however, where it appeared that material had been imported to raise and level the ground surface. (S2)

2017-2018: Archaeological excavation identified a significant number of features were exposed at the site dating from the Neolithic through to the late Roman period. A total of 400 worked flints were recovered from the site and most of the lithic assemblage had only light edge-damage suggesting there was limited movement from its original location. A small cluster of Neolithic pits were identified and are the first of this feature type to have been found in the Great Whelnetham area. Three areas of Roman archaeological activity have been identified with the first centred on and around the palaeochannel. The second is a concentration of pitting and structures to the northeast of the area of excavation and the third is clustered around the southeastern half of the site. Much of the Roman remains are characterised by 1st to 2nd century pitting, alongside two distinct buildings and a more ephemeral circular structure. The former river channel was an important feature within the setting of the site and the deposition of materials within this feature suggest that it was a significant place within the landscape during the Roman period. A clay lined, and chalk floored structure is of a distinct style of construction and is located next to a larger post-built structure that appears to be contemporary in date. A group of the pits contained discreet dated assemblages that were likely placed within the features through structured deposition. Post-medieval features were limited to a large boundary ditch along the northern edge of the site and a large quarry pit (S3).