Odney Heritage Site Grove Farm Cookham Berkshire

During late August and early September 2011 Oxford Archaeology
undertook a field evaluation within the grounds of the Odney Club and the
former Grove Farm, Cookham, Berkshire, prior to determination of Planning
Application 011/01859 FUL submitted by John Lewis Partnership for
redevelopment of the farm as the Odney Heritage Centre. An initial Desk Based
Assessment (Little 2011) demonstrated that a lack of archaeological remains had
been discovered within the immediate vicinity of the site, but there remained
potential for buried archaeology dating from the Prehistoric, Roman, Saxon and
Medieval periods (Grove Farm is thought to date from the late 16th century).
The evaluation which consisted of eight trenches to investigate the three areas
impacted by the proposed development, the Walled Garden, the Courtyard and
the Grassed Area. In the Courtyard a substantial level of building rubble
contained roof tile of 17th - 18th century date and probably derived from the
demolition of earlier post-medieval farm buildings in the 19th century. A single
element of buried wall foundation survived in the Courtyard that probably dates
to the 18th century. The presence of sands in the southern part of the area
(Courtyard and Walled Garden) perhaps indicate a derelict, but
archaeologically sterile, channel of the River Thames with a higher area of
gravel in the Grassed Area, possibly representing an eyot to the north (which
was perhaps the originating higher ground for what is now called Odney
Island). No other finds, features or deposits containing potential for
environmental sampling were revealed.
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