Tesco Stores Development, Buckingham Arms Site, Princes Risborough, Bucks

The OAU was commissioned by Tesco Stores PLC to undertake a desk-top appraisal of land at and adjoining the Buckingham Arms, Longwick Road, Princes Risborough, being considered as site for a new Tesco Stores Development. The purpose of the appraisal is to assess the archaeological and historic background to the site (Appendix 1) and to place these in a wider context. A wide range of published and unpublished sources, including cartographic evidence, were consulted (Appendix 2). The Unit was also requested to attend on site during the excavation of Geotechnical test pits undertaken by Ground Explorations Ltd. Although the locations of the pits were primarily determined by geological considerations, their observation for archaeological evidence has provided a useful insight into the likelihood of archaeological levels/features existing on the site. The results of this work have been integrated, where relevant, into the following report and a fuller account appears as Appendix 3.