Cleve Park, Thornbury, Gloucestershire

In February and June 2020 Oxford Archaeology was commissioned by RPS
Group on behalf of Miller Homes to undertake a trial-trench evaluation at the
site of a proposed residential development at Cleve Park, Thornbury,
Gloucestershire. The fieldwork was undertaken in two phases following
storms in February which caused the initial trenching to be postponed until
June, due to groundwater flooding. The evaluation consisted of 100 trenches
which represents a 3% sample of the 27ha proposed development area. The
trenches were targeted on features identified in a previous geophysical survey
and were designed to provide good coverage of the site.
The evaluation revealed no significant archaeological remains. Several
undated field boundaries were identified in Fields 4, 5 and 7, which aligned
with the modern field system and are present on historical mapping. An
animal pen was also identified in Field 5 appended to one of these former
boundaries. Others features identified within the survey were found to
correspond with geological and natural variations, along with field drains and
agricultural furrows.
The results of the evaluation complement the documentary evidence which
shows that the site has not been historically used for settlement. Based on the
evaluation results, the site is considered to have no archaeological interest.