M1 - Three Valleys Water Redirect

In August and September of 2005, Oxford Archaeology (OA) carried out an archaeological watching brief on the western side of the M1, between NGR TL 096 115 and TL 093 128 and between Junctions 8 (the A414, Hemel Hempstead) and 9 (A5 - A5183 interchange) of the motorway. The work was commissioned by Atkins Heritage to monitor the installation of a new pipeline to redirect the water services along the new land take corridor for the M1roadworks. The watching brief revealed a sparse amount of archaeological activity along this corridor. This consisted of a substantial boundary ditch and a small pit of Romano-British date near Flandsteadbury Lane, as well as five small ditches, a hedgeline, a large quarry pit and a tree throw near Lybury Lane and a large quarry pit and a small pit near Redding Lane. While the extent of the archaeology found during the watching brief was quite limited, it may indicate further activity nearby.