Excavations carried along the route of the Eynsford to Horton Kirby Sewer Main in 2007 were focused on 6 main areas. In area 'A' three phases of activity were recorded. The earliest dated to the late iron age and early Roman periods and consisted of a posthole, bank and a number of ditches, probably representing field boundaries. The second phase dated from the early - mid Roman period and consisted of pits, postholes and pottery. The final phase was complex and contained both late Roman and medieval pits and postholes.

The first phase consisted of an undated posthole with a pair of small, parallel field boundary ditches and a larger earlier ditch (all aligned NNE-SSW). The earlier ditch was cut by the eastern of the boundary ditches suggesting that the new ditch respected the old boundary and alignment. A large bank consisting of three deposits ran alongside the initial ditch. Further parallel ditches bounded a strip of land, possibly a field. The dating evidence for this phase comes from the upper fill of the earliest ditch and dates to the late iron age/early Roman period. The layer that sealed this ditch dated to the later 1st century AD.

The second phase consisted of relatively scattered pits and postholes. The pits were c. 1 m diameter and up to 0.5m deep. Many produced Roman pottery including a sherd of amphora dated to AD 43 - 250. The numerous postholes did not seem to have a clear pattern.

The final phase consisted of pits and postholes with few obvious patterns. The features contained a mix of Roman and Medieval pottery.(1)

Additional Bibliography: (2)

<1> Oxford Archaeological Unit, 2007, Archaeological excavation along the route of the Eynsford to Horton Kirby water main (Unpublished document). SKE15695.

<2> Oxford Archaeology, 2008, Excavations along the route of the Eynsford to Horton Kirby pipeline: prehistoric to medieval activity (Unpublished document). SKE16688.