Plot W, Basing View, Basingstoke

An archaeological evaluation of a 2ha-site at Basing View in Basingstoke,
Hampshire, was carried out in advance of a planning application. Ten trenches
were excavated across the site. Two trenches in south-central part of the site
revealed numerous features dating to the late Iron Age/early Roman period.
The density of the archaeology and the quantity of domestic material in this
area suggests the presence of a small rural settlement, perhaps similar to
contemporary sites known elsewhere in and around Basingstoke. Trenches
across the northern half of the site revealed several undated ditches. These
may relate to outlying field boundaries associated with the late Iron Age/early
Roman settlement, though it is possible that one, at least, dated to the postmedieval
period.