Wessex Archaeology Occasional Paper

Archaeological excavation during the construction of a new supply line for the electrification of the Great Western Railway Main Line uncovered part of a large, previously unknown Romano-British settlement along the main road between the Roman towns of Aquae Sulis and Cunetio. The full extent of the settlement is unknown but evidence from metal detector finds and field names suggests that it may have extended for at least 0.9 km along the Roman road.

Excavations in advance of housing development at Longforth Farm, Wellington revealed limited evidence for late prehistoric settlement, but the principal discovery was the remains of a previously unknown high status medieval building complex. This is thought to have been a manor house and though heavily robbed, key elements identified include a hall, solar with garderobe and service wing. A forecourt lay to the north and a service yard with at least one ancillary building and a possible detached kitchen to the south. To the east was a complex of pits, enclosure and field ditches and a pond. Here was a restricted range and number of medieval finds, but together these suggest that occupation spanned the late 11th or 12th century to probably the 14th century. There was a notable group of medieval floor tiles and roof furniture, but documentary research has failed to identify the owners and any records relating specifically to this important building. One possibility is that it belonged to the Provost of Wells cathedral, and was perhaps abandoned in the 14th century when the Bishops may have established their court within the nearby and then relatively new market town of Wellington.

An excavation in 2010—12 on the site of the former Ministry of Defence (MoD) Headquarters in Durrington, Wiltshire, revealed evidence spanning the post-glacial to the post-medieval periods. It lies immediately north-east of the Stonehenge part of the Stonehenge, Avebury and Associated Sites World Heritage Site. The significant discoveries made during the excavation include a relatively deeply buried Late Glacial Allerød soil, and a zone of Late Neolithic activity centred on a number of natural solution hollows, posthole alignments and pit groups. The Late Iron Age defences, probably constructed in the immediate pre-Conquest period and decommissioned soon after, influenced the layout of early Romano-British fields and settlement activity. This report describes the site, and places it in its local context. Reports on the finds, dating and environmental remains are also presented.

Excavations just outside a large Late Bronze Age ringwork at Queen Mary's Hospital, Carshalton, in the London Borough of Sutton, revealed a settlement which was occupied possibly continuously from the Early Iron Age into the early Romano-British period. Originally an open settlement, by the Late Iron Age parts of it had been enclosed by an arrangement of small ditches, which underwent some modification over the next two centuries, while keeping their overall layout.