Heyford Road, Steeple Aston Oxfordshire

In March 1997 the Oxford Archaeological Unit undertook a field evaluation on land adjacent to Heyford Road, Steeple Aston in North Oxfordshire. The work was caried out for Tay
Homes (Midlands) Ltd. ahead of a housing development.
Four trial trenches were positioned and excavated according to specifications agreed with the County Archaeologist.
Six ditches, one pit and one grave were found within the application area. One ditch, (211),is likely to be of Roman date, while the others may be Medieval as they cut a layer of hillwash. The single inhumation grave was oriented approxinrately east-west and was fully excavated. Although no other bodies were located the presence of other graves cannot be ruled out. At the eastem end of site a single pit was revealed containing burnt limestone and
animal bone. The deposit probably represents the remains of domestic activity. In the northwest
corner of the site a series of narrow, inregular gullies were found buried beneath a thick band of sandy colluvium (hillwash). The gullies were probably connected to cultivation of the field.