An Archaeological Evaluation
for Fleetwood Homes
by Steve Ford
Thames Valley Archaeological Services Ltd
February 2006
Summary
Site name: 30-34 Oakfield Avenue, Cippenham, Slough, Berkshire
Grid reference: SU 9556 8036
Site activity: Evaluation
Date and duration of project: 9th-10th February 2006
Project manager: Steve Ford
Site supervisor: Steve Ford
Site code: GAS 06/11
Area of site: 0.21 hectares
Summary of results: No archaeological deposits or finds were found
Monuments identified: None
Location and reference of archive: The archive is presently held at Thames Valley Archaeological Services, Reading and will be deposited at Reading Museum in due course.
This report may be copied for bona fide research or planning purposes without the explicit permission of the copyright holder
Report edited/checked by: Jo Pine../' 23.02.06 Steve Preston../'23.02.06
by Steve Ford
Report 06/11
Introduction
This report documents the results of an archaeological field evaluation carried out 30-34 Oakfield Avenue,
Cippenham, Slough, Berkshire (SU 9556 8036) (Fig. I). The work was commissioned by Mr Hardial Sangha, of
Fleetwood Homes Limited, Marshmead, Marsh Lane, Taplow, Buckinghamshire, SL6 ODE.
Planning pennission (app P/12596/001) has been sought from Slough Borough Council for the demolition
of some existing structures and the construction of new houses and apartments. In order to inform the planning
process on the archaeological potential of the site, an investigation was to be carried out in order to provide
information with which to draw up a strategy to mitigate the effects of development on the archaeological
heritage if necessary.
This is in accordance with the Department of the Environment's Planning Policy Guidance, Archaeology
and Planning (PPGI6 1990), and the Borough's policies on archaeology. The field investigation was carried out
to a specification approved by Mr David Thomason, Archaeological Officer with Berkshire Archaeology,
advisers to the Borough. The fieldwork was undertaken by Steve Ford, Ceri Falys, Andy Taylor and Jo Pine on
9th and 10th February 2006 and the site code is OAS06/11. The archive is presently held at Thames Valley
Archaeological Services, Reading and will be deposited at Reading Museum in due course.
Location, topography and geology
The site is located to the west of the centre of Slough and to the north-east of Cippenham at the end of a cul-de-
sac which is Oakfield A venue. It lies on level ground at a height of approximately 29m above Ordnance Datum.
It had recently been cleared of various structures in the garden areas to the rear. The underlying geology is
mapped as Taplow terrace gravel (BOS 1981) and this was encountered in all trenches.
Archaeological background
The archaeological potential of the site has been highlighted in a brief prepared by Mr David Thomason of
Berkshire Archaeology. In summary, the site lies in the archaeologically rich Thames Valley with many finds
and sites revealed from activities such as gravel extraction and from the air (Ford 1987; Gates 1975). The
archaeology of the environs of Slough, however, is rather less well known, but extensive excavations which took
place in 1995-7, to the south-west of the proposal site prior to large scale development of the 'Cippenham
Sector' examined a wide range of deposits of prehistoric, Roman and medieval dates (Ford et al. 2003). These
finds included Neolithic and Bronze Age occupation, a Bronze Age ring ditch (levelled burial mound), Iron Age
and Roman enclosures and field systems, and part of the medieval village of Cippenham. Excavation of a Roman
site also took place to the north-west of the proposal site (Howell and Durden 2003). Other nearby evaluations
and watching briefs have either recorded negative results or a relatively modest range of artefacts of prehistoric
and Roman dates (Gleave 1998; Saunders 1995; Smith 1996).
Objectives and methodology
The purpose of the evaluation was to detennine the presence/absence, extent, condition, character, quality and
date of any archaeological deposits within the area of development.
Specific aims of the project were;
To determine if archaeologically relevant levels have survived on this site.
To detennine if archaeological deposits of any period are present.
Four trenches were to be dug by a machine titted with a toothless bucket under constant archaeological
supervision. They were to be 17m long and 1.6m wide and all spoilheaps were to be monitored for finds.
Results
Four 1.5m wide trenches were dug ranging in length between 13m and 24.9m (Figs 3 and 4). A complete list of
trenches giving lengths, breadths, depths and a description of sections and geology is given in Appendix
Trench I (PI. I)
This trench was 18.2m long and revealed a stratigraphy which comprised O.2m of turf and topsoil above O.O5m
of clayey, gravelly subsoil above the natural geology which was gravel with some sand, and clayey silt patches.
No archaeological deposits were revealed nor artefacts recovered.
Trench 2 (Pl. 2)
This trench was 16.6m long and revealed O.3m of turf and topsoil above O.15m of clayey, gravelly subsoil above
the natural geology which was gravel with some and clayey silt patches. Two cut features were revealed beneath
the subsoil, a linear feature and a pit or roothole both towards the northern end of the trench. Both were
investigated and both contained items of 20th century date such as modem brick and clinker. These probably
reflect the position of the fonner (modem) property boundary between numbers 32 and 34.
Trench 3
This trench was 24.9m long and revealed a stratigraphy at the east end which comprised O.3m of turf and topsoil
directly above the natural geology which was gravel with some clayey silt patches. At the western end of the
trench a deeper stratigraphy was revealed with O.2m of turf and topsoil overlying O.3m of dumped soil with
modern artefacts such as brick above the natural geology. No archaeological deposits were revealed nor artefacts
recovered.
Trench 4
This trench was 13m long and comprised O.25m of turf and topsoil directly the natural geology which was gravel
with some clayey silt patches. No archaeological deposits were revealed nor artefacts recovered.
Finds
No finds other than material of modern date were observed. These were not retained.
Conclusion
Despite the location of the site in an area from which various archaeological sites and finds have been recorded,
this evaluation did not reveal any deposits or finds of archaeological interest. On the basis of these results the site
does not appear to have any archaeological potential,
References
BGS, 1981, British Geological Survey, I :50000, Sheet 269, Solid and Drift Edition, Keyworth
Ford, S, 1987, East Berkshire Archaeological Survey, Berkshire County Counc Dept Highways and Planning Occas Pap I, Reading
Ford, S, Entwistle, R and Taylor, K, 2003, Excavation of Prehistoric, Roman and medieval sites at Cippenham, Slough, 1995-7, Thames Valley Archaeological Services Monogr 3, Reading
Gates, T, 1975, The Middle Thames Valley. An archaeological survey of the river gravels, Berkshire Archaeol Comm Publl
Gleave, M, 1998, '227 Bath Road, Slough, an archaeological evaluation', Thames Valley Archaeological Services rev 98/33, Reading
Howell, L and Durden T, 2003, 'A Late Iron Age/Early Roman field system and other features at Bath Road, Slough, 1995', in S Preston (ed), Prehistoric, Roman and Saxon sites in Eastern Berkshire, Thames Valley Archaeological Services Monogr 2, Reading, 109-117
PPG 16, 1990, Archaeology and Planning, Dept of the Environment Planning Policy Guidance 16, HMSO Saunders, M J, 1995, 'Hill Rise Nursery, Bath Road, Slough, an archaeological evaluation', Thames Valley
Archaeological Services rev 95/56, Reading
Smith, A, 1996, 'Hill Rise Nursery, Bath Road, Slough, an archaeological watching brier, Thames Valley
Archaeological Services rev 95/56-2, Reading
APPENDIX 1: Trench details OmatSorWend
~No. ~~-(~- ~~~ft_(~ 1.50 ~p~(~~-=fomment -
-.- 18.20 0.30 (N) 0.00m~.2Om turf and topsoil; 0.2Om~.2Sm clayey gravel subsoil;
0.4(8) 0.2Sm+ Natural geology, gravel with sand and clayey silt patches. jPlate 1 J
2 16.60 1.50 0.50 0.00m~.3Om turf and topsoil; 0.3Om~.4Sm clayey gravel subsoil; 0.4Sm+ Natural geology, gravel with clayey silt patches. Modem pit! '
~-_and gully at) 3m and) Sm (Plate 21.
3-t 24.90 t-~o 0.34(E) 0.00m~.3Om turf and topsoil; 0.3m+ Natural geology, gravel with I
O.S(W)-- clayey silt patches. Soil ~ atw~ end ~ J
4 13.00 1.50 0.27 ~i=~i~~tc~~ topsoil; 0.2Sm+ Naturalg~lo~:~:~~~
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Land at 30-34 Oakfield Avenue, Cippenham, Slough, Berkshire, 2006
An archaeological evaluation T H A M E s v A L L E v
Figure 2. Location of site on Oakfield Avenue.
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Scale: 1:1250 IS E v I c E s
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Trench 2 29~AOD
Natural geology (gravel)
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