Archaeological Monitoring at the Ely Southern Bypass, Ely, Cambridgeshire

Between the 15th of March and the 1st of September 2017 Oxford Archaeology East undertook a programme of archaeological monitoring along the route of the Ely Southern Bypass, Ely, Cambridgeshire (TL 5416 7855). The fieldwork involved monitoring of all intrusive groundworks along the route of the bypass in areas where the topsoil and some of the underlying subsoil, peat and clay layers were removed. The main phase of the monitoring took place during removal of topsoil for the route of the new road itself. This involved the removal of approximately 0.3m - 0.4m of topsoil, before redeposited clay was laid to build-up the foundation for the new road. During this monitoring no archaeological features were observed due to the shallow depth of excavation and the presence of deep peat layers. North of the main compound an area for a haul road and a pile matt pad were excavated; two ditches were observed with a north-west to south-east alignment. The ditches cut through the underlying peat and clay layers and were post-medieval in date. The excavation of drainage ditches adjacent to the road was monitored. In the eastern ditch excavation natural clays and peat layers were observed but no archaeological features were identified. The western ditch measured 1m deep and there was a possibility of it truncating possible early land surfaces. Only a single ditch was observed with a north-west to south-east alignment. This ditch most likely dated to the post-medieval period. Two areas of excavation took place to the east and the west of the railway for the rail bridge abutments. Both areas of excavation measured 2.5m deep and although no archaeological features were identified, alluvial clays and peat layers were recorded.