Land at Wyck Beck Road / Fishpool Hill, Filton, South Gloucestershire - Archaeological Evaluation Report

Wessex Archaeology

Wessex Archaeology was commissioned to carry out a programme of archaeological evaluation by trial trenching on land at Wyck Beck Road/ Fishpool Hill, Filton, South Gloucestershire (centred on NGR 357722 179831).

A total of 84 evaluation trenches were excavated in this stage of works. Archaeological features were identified in 23 trenches. A series of ditched enclosures identified during the geophysical survey were partially exposed in Fields 3, 6 and 7 (Trenches 18-19, 44-46, 48, 50 and 51-52). All the features in these areas contained predominantly Romano-British finds including ceramics, animal bone, iron implements, ceramic building material and stone roof slates. Structural remains of a building, comprising two stone-rubble wall foundations, a possible beamslot and a posthole, were uncovered in Trench 50.

Collectively the features in these fields are indicative of a Romano-British rural settlement. Post-Roman/ Saxon pottery was retrieved from Trench 46 suggesting some continuity of activity in the vicinity. Evidence for a late medieval to early post-medieval settlement in Field 1, consisting of a boundary ditch in Trench 3, and the remains of a stone building in Trench 7, was also recorded. These features are likely to be associated with a known medieval settlement, remains of which have previously been identified on both sides of Wyck Beck Road.