Prehistoric and Roman Archaeology at Barford Road, Eynesbury.

The archaeological resource within the proposed development site of Barford Road, Eynesbury was evaluated by the Cambridgeshire Archaeology, Cambridgeshire County Council on behalf of GL Hearn & Partners. Archaeology was evaluated by trenching formulated on the basis of aerial photographic evidence.

Trenching exposed an interrupted prehistoric ring-ditch approximately 15m in diameter with opposing 'entrance ways' on the southwest and northeast sides, shown on the aerial photographs. A row of posts crossed the Southwestern 'entrance way', the posts being deliberately removed at a later date. A number of pits lay outside the enclosed area of the ring-ditch. These were found to contain 'dumped' charcoal and burnt clay.

A Roman/post-Roman trackway bounded on either side by ditches crosses the development area. Cropmarks indicate an entrance way on the south side of the trackway system, this is likely to have provided access to fields. The trackway system cuts across two earlier, though undated, ditches.

In the southern part of the development area, defined by an area of deeper soil bounded to the north by the gravel terraces, a semi-circular ditch was discovered at a depth of 0.70m, this is likely to be of prehistoric date; no other archaeological remains were recognised at this depth. The only other archaeological features recognised in this southern area cut through the alluvium and a buried soil disturbed by medieval and post-medieval ploughing. Such ditches and quarry pits are recent in date.

Cropmark evidence and excavation indicates that the archaeological remains within the development area are concentrated on the gravel terraces to the north and that the southern areas have been partially disturbed by pitting and quarrying associated with the construction of the A45.

The archaeological resource of the area consists of Neolithic, Bronze Age and probably Iron Age and Roman remains including cursus, small henge monuments, ring ditches, pit alignments and trackways. Prehistoric settlement remains may also occur. Cropmarks and archaeological fieldwork show the survival of prehistoric archaeology on the eastern side of the Great Ouse river allowing the archaeologist the opportunity to (conceptually) 'rebuild' the prehistoric, Roman and medieval landscapes.