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Archived News ~ Week ending Friday 26th March 2004.
Ladybridge Farm Evaluation - Evaluation Trenches
After a general reconnaissance programme of field walking and geophysical survey, the first phase of archaeological trenching is currently underway at Ladybridge Farm. A series of 7 evaluation trenches have been opened by machine across the southeastern corner of the site. Due to a tight agricultural timetable, the evaluation trenching in this field has had to be undertaken before ploughing and subsequent fieldwalking. In addition to providing general coverage of the area, two of the evaluation trenches have been positioned to target known cropmarks identified by aerial photography, and a further two have been positioned to test a series of geophysical anomalies defined in the recent resistivity survey (see archived news, 19th March 2004). A total of four 100m x 4m and three 50m x 4m trenches are being excavated, which represents a 2% sample of the southeastern area of the site.
Prior to the excavation of the evaluation trenches, thirty-seven 1m x 1m test pits were hand-excavated. These test pits were excavated in 10cm spits, with the resulting upcast being sieved in order to recover artefacts. The purpose of this exercise was to locate and characterise any finds concentrations, and to establish whether these relate to archaeological features which still survive below the ploughsoil, or are the only remaining evidence for occupation, otherwise removed by ploughing.
Fieldwalking over the southeastern area will take place after the field has been ploughed and sown in late April. The remainder of the Ladybridge Farm site is scheduled to be evaluated later this year.
Location of evaluation area
Trench Locations