A47 Thorney By-Pass: An Archaeological Desktop Study

Proposals for upgrading the A47 at Thorney along a new route have led to the need for archaeological investigations. This desktop study comprises the first component of an archaeological contribution to the environmental assessment. It includes documentary research, cartographic study and observations from field visits. The area for the proposed development has been researched by the Fenland Project, and a rich prehistoric and Romano-British landscape has been identified. The immediate route of the new road however, is less well documented and, with the notable exception of a Bronze Age mound, mapped examples of archaeological remains along it are rare.

This study recommends a phased approach to the investigation of the archaeology, beginning with known resources identified within this desktop study, and moving to geophysical survey, fieldwalking, test pitting and evaluation trenching.