Snowball Hill Maidenhead Berkshire

Between the 4th and the 6th of September 2013 Oxford Archaeology (OA) carried out
an archaeological evaluation by trenching for Edgington Spink & Hine on behalf of
the Alexander Devine Children's Hospice Service at Snowball Hill, Maidenhead,
Berkshire (NGR SU 8650 7845). The site is an open field presently under
cultivation, and the area significantly affected by the proposed development
covers an area of approximately 0.3 ha (excluding tree-planting). The evaluation
consisted of four trenches 15m long and 1.6m wide and one trench 20m wide.
The trenches were targeted upon areas likely to be subject to significant
disturbance during the development, including areas of tree planting.
Excavation of the trenches revealed a single pit at the south-western end of the
affected area, and three furrows orientated east – west in one other trench.
The base of the pit, only part of which lay within the trench, was reddened,
suggesting burning in situ. The base of the pit was covered by a layer of oak
charcoal, itself covered by a layer of ashy clay, and the pit had then been
backfilled with redeposited natural. A few small flint chips were recovered that
might have been worked, although this was not certain, so the pit remains
undated.
The furrows had been heavily truncated by later ploughing, and were extremely
shallow. Two were found in one trench, indicating that they were spaced about
10m apart. No dating evidence for the furrows was found.