An evaluation was commissioned by Sunley Holdings plc to assess any archaeological remains below an internal area within Palmer's warehouse (located at the east end of Station Road East) prior to its planned redevelopment. This evaluation was carried out in April 1991 and the sitecode was SRE91.

Three evaluation trenches were excavated inside the warehouse within a small 12m square area. Despite the restrictions of limited space for excavation an extensive dump layer of stony brown loam was encountered in each of the three trenches (interpreted as material used to raise the whole area in the 1860s when the station approach road was constructed) which was seen to contain a mixture of pottery ranging from Roman to modern in date. Beneath this an early ground surface was uncovered: this consisted of a topsoil of grey clay loam containing mainly Roman pottery, some Roman tile and a coin dated to c. AD330-345 and this has tentatively been interpreted as the surface of a long mound/barrow known to have existed in this location and still apparent on a map of 1825. Beneath this buried ground surface there was natural brickearth, confirmed by a test pit excavated a further 2m (in depth?) in trench A.

In trench C 2 large features were discovered and interpreted as large post pits though their full extent was not revealed, both were seen to cut a small flat bottomed ditch that appeared to run east/west. Contained within both post pits were found large dome-headed nails.

Herdman, M., 1992, Station Road East (Palmers) (Article in serial). SKE30792.

Herdman, M., 1997, Station Road East 91 (Unpublished document). SKE30791.