Houghton Regis Flood Storage Archaeological SMS Excavation Report

Oxford Archaeology was commissioned by BAM Nuttall to undertake an
archaeological strip, map, and sample excavation on the site of flood storage
area to the east of Houghton Regis, Central Bedfordshire.
The archaeological works comprised the monitoring of the topsoil and subsoil
stripping of the footprint for embankments and the realignment of Houghton
Brook.
The excavation recorded a silted‐up shallow pond or former marshy
depression in the north‐east part of the site, adjacent to the Houghton Brook.
Two residual late Neolithic/Early Bronze Age flint flakes and Iron Age pottery
were recovered from its surface. The feature was levelled in the post‐medieval
or modern period with a chalk deposit, used to reclaim the area for
agricultural purposes.
The flint artefacts were in poor condition, although indicate limited flake
production activities in the vicinity. The Iron Age pottery adds to the body of
evidence for a late Iron Age and Roman rural landscape in the surrounding
area, characterised by small farmsteads.