Corner Copse Solar Farm, Stanton Fitzwarren, Swindon, Wiltshire

Between February and March 2020 Oxford Archaeology was commissioned by
Pegasus Group on behalf of JBM Solar to undertake a trial trench evaluation
at the site of a proposed solar development to the east of Stanton Fitzwarren,
Swindon, Wiltshire. A programme of 144 trenches were undertaken across the
proposed development, representing a 2% sample of the area. The main
purpose of this evaluation was to test the quality and date of a series of
rectilinear enclosures identified through geophysical prospection and to
investigate the presence of a large suspected Roman settlement complex. The
evaluation identified a sequence of very late Iron Age through to late Roman
activity on site, but the evidence suggests a large enclosed rural settlement
rather than any villa/high status complex. The evaluation also identified two
main foci of settlement activity, in the central and south-east parts of the site,
and three discrete enclosures. The remains of a Roman rural settlement of
early to middle Roman date was defined by ditches and small enclosures. At
least two roundhouses were confirmed, and numerous pits, postholes and
layers associated with the settlement were also recorded. There was a single
deposit of an un-urned cremation burial and small collection of hobnails most
likely from a shoe, situated within the settlement area and contemporary with
its occupation. A trackway on an E-W alignment appeared to be in use from at
least the first half of the 2nd century AD and pottery from the upper fill
demonstrates that it was still being infilled into the 4th century AD. Subrectangular
enclosures aligned on and immediately to the north and south of
the roadside ditches were also in use into the late Roman period, after being
constructed overlying the less regularly aligned enclosures in the first half of
the 3rd century AD. Finally, the evaluation identified very limited early
prehistoric flintwork of probable Mesolithic or Neolithic date.