Progress Power Project, Yaxley, Suffolk

On the 22nd August 2014 Oxford Archaeology East (OA East) carried out a metal detecting survey at the Progress Power Project, Yaxley, Suffolk. This survey was carried out to establish the presence of further Anglo-Saxon metalwork finds close to two known areas recorded by the Portable Antiquities Scheme to the north of the village, and to establish the presence of a possible ring-ditch as indicated by geophysical survey on land at Eye Airfield Industrial Estate. Unfortunately no artefacts were found to indicate the presence of Anglo-Saxon activity on the site. The metal artefacts recovered were associated with casual loss from agricultural workers and their equipment, or the disused airfield.
Subsequently, on the 8th to 12th September 2014, Oxford Archaeology East carried out an archaeological evaluation on the site. The area evaluated covered approximately 10 hectares. Five evaluation trenches were opened (30m x 2m) in fields to the north of the village, close to the areas of Anglo-Saxon metalwork finds (Area 2). A further trench was located on land south of the Eye Airfield Industrial Estate (Area 1).
The evaluation has demonstrated that there are no significant archaeological deposits or artefacts present in the development area on the fields to the north of the village of Yaxley, despite the proximity of a possible Anglo-Saxon cemetery to the north of the electrical connection corridor. A tree throw hole in Trench 1, a shallow pit in trench 3 and a post-medieval ditch in Trench 6, on the alignment of extant field boundaries, were the only remains identified in Area 2. Evidence for early medieval remains were present in Area 1 on land at Eye Airfield Industrial Estate, with a shallow ditch terminus in Trench 5. In addition, anomalies identified by the geophysical survey may indicate the presence of further early medieval remains in this part of the development area.