Former Primary School, Charlbury, Oxfordshire

The Oxford Archaeological Unit carried out a field evaluation dt the Former Primary School, Charlbury in Septentber 1997, on behalf of Beechcroft Developments Limited. The only previous archaeological investigations carried out in the vicinity include two small scale
excavations carried out at St Mary's Church (OAU, 1990, I995). Documentary and topographical evidence indicate that the site lies withtin the core of the medieval settlement of
Charlbury. The only archaeological feature revealed during the evaluation was a 20th century soak-away or similiar feature. The levels at which natural bedrock were encountered indicate that the area intmediately to the west of the development area has been extensively terraced, destroying any archaeological remains that may have been present. However, the Former Primary School site
itself does not seem to have been levelled to the same extent. The absence of archaeological remains may therefore suggest that the lantd was not intensively used for settlement or industrial activity in the medieval period.