Crowthorne Cricket Field Grove & Lower Broadmoor Road

Between 22nd and 24th January 2018 Oxford Archaeology carried out an
evaluation on behalf of Barratt Homes on the site of a proposed new housing
development at Cricket Field Grove, Crowthorne, Berkshire. Five evaluation
trenches (numbered 1-6) were excavated within Area A, an existing sports pitch.
No archaeological features were present.
The results of trenching in the associated replacement sports pitch development
(Area B, Lower Broadmoor Road, Trenches 7-13) are reported on separately (OA
2018).
Between the 22nd and the 24th of May 2018 Oxford Archaeology carried out an
evaluation on behalf of Barrett Homes on the site of a proposed replacement sports
pitch development at Lower Broadmoor Road, Crowthorne, Berkshire (Area B). The
results of trenching in the associated housing development (Area A, Cricketfield Grove,
Trenches 1-6) are reported on separately (OA 2018c).
Eight evaluation trenches (numbered 7-13) were excavated in the valley of the Butter
Stream, which crosses the area of the replacement sports pitch. This area of mixed lowlying
pasture and marshy vegetation contained no evidence for archaeological features
predating the construction of Broadmoor Hospital.
The evaluation revealed modern land drains in all trenches. Trench 7 also contained the
remains of a brick drain which was located 20m south of a former laundry and
waterworks, built in the late 19th century to service Broadmoor Hospital. The presence
of the land drains suggests that a series of strongly magnetic linear features visible on
the geophysical survey plot are drainage features connected with canalisation of the
Butter Stream in the 1860s to provide a water supply for the hospital laundry and
waterworks.