Sawston Hall, Sawston, Cambridgeshire: An Archaeological Desk-Based Assessment

This study was commissioned on behalf of Adrian Critchlow as part of a pre-planning enquiry and aims to define the archaeological potential of the land likely to be affected by any future development to refurbish the Hall as a Hotel, an alteration also requiring a certain amount of development within the grounds. This assessment applies solely to the potential for archaeological remains within the grounds of the Hall and not to any refurbishment of the hall building itself.
From the research undertaken it is clear that the development site has the potential for the survival of archaeological features and deposits. The manor and its surrounding park and garden have been untouched by intrusive modern farming techniques such as deep ploughing. If the area proves also to have been the site of the previous manor buildings, it would suggest that it has been untouched even by Medieval ploughing. There is therefore the possibility that if sub-surface remains are present, they could be associated with stratified archaeological deposits such as buried soils, make-up and demolition layers. This increases the potential for archaeological preservation within the immediate area.