Mermaid Spinney, High Street, Boxworth

Between 15th and 17th June 2011, Oxford Archaeology East carried out an archaeological evaluation on Mermaid Spinney, High Street, Boxworth, (TL34716425). This took the form of eight of one metre square test pits across the proposed development area. An early-medieval ditch was revealed in one test pit. Overlying this feature and in the other test pits a buried plough soil was encountered immediately above the natural ground. The plough soil contained medieval artefacts including pottery sherds, a bone comb fragment and a buckle.
The test pits have provided evidence for changing land-use, and nearby domestic occupation of possibly moderately high status between the 11th and 16th century.