East Thamesmead Business Park (Phase 2a), Bexley, Greater London

In December 2006, Oxford Archaeology (OA) undertook an archaeological field evaluation at East Thamesmead Business Park, Bexley, Greater London (NGR TQ 485 798) on behalf of Tilfen Land and Gazeley UK Ltd. The area evaluated was Phase 2a of a proposed three phase development of a business park. The fieldwork comprised the excavation of twelve trenches supplemented by four deep machineexcavated
test pits. These revealed a sediment sequence similar to that recorded by the Phase 1 evaluation representing successive phases of marine transgression and regression. Two levels of peat were recorded reflecting the periods of marine regression possibly equating to the known peat deposits of Neolithic and Bronze Age date within the Thames estuary. The only archaeological feature encountered was a ditch likely to be associated with the historical draining and division of Erith Marsh during recent periods. No archaeologically significant deposits or finds were encountered within any of the excavated trenches or test pits.