Excavations carried along the route of the Eynsford to Horton Kirby Sewer Main in 2007 were focused on 6 main areas. In area 'C', north of Betsham Lane, a large quantity of prehistoric and Roman features were found including Neolithic flints, an iron age or Roman field system, a probable ploughed-out middle Bronze Age barrow, pits and postholes.

From the report:

"At the western end of area C an ENE-WSW aligned ditch contained pottery dating to the late bronze age/early iron age and 1st-2nd century AD. A further ditch terminus of an east-west aligned ditch extended out of the trench to the west. The two may have been related as part of a field system of probable iron age or Roman date.

A group of three small pits.. to the east of (the) ditch terminus yielded struck flint, some of which have been identified as Neolithic in date.

Part of a curvilinear ditch lay to the northeast of pit (659) This was presumed to be part of a circular or sub-circular monument, extending to the south. The working assumption is that this feature represents the remains of a ploughed-out round barrow although the possibility that it could be a small henge-like enclosure has not been ruled out.

The ditch was quite substantial; pottery and flint from the earlier fills indicate a mid-late bronze age date. Four discrete deposits of cremated bone were excavated betweeen some of the later fills, without vessels or discernible cuts and appear contemporary with each other. A length of charred timber was lifted form the vicinity of these cremations. Bronze Age pottery and flint was recovered from the uppermost fills."

In addition a group of features was found that consisted of three parallel ditches/gullies. A single piece of pottery was recovered of late iron age date. Two postholes were excavated and evidence of burning was found in one of them.

To the east a large pit was found and it is interpreted as part of a late bronze age landscape comtemporary with the barrow. To the north-east four large pits were excavated, one of which contained bronze age flakes. Two small features, a cremation pit and adjacent pit produced no finds but may be part of the same landscape.

At the north end of area C three ditches ran NW-SE. These probably represent post-medieval or modern field drains.(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Oxford Archaeological Unit, 2007, Archaeological excavation along the route of the Eynsford to Horton Kirby water main (Unpublished document).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.