Land at Upper Cufaude Farm, Basingstoke, Hampshire - Archaeological Excavation Report

Wessex Archaeology

Wessex Archaeology was commissioned to conduct an archaeological excavation on an area of land at Upper Cufaude Farm, Basingstoke, Hampshire centred on National Grid Reference 465550 156700.

Prior to the excavation a desk-based assessment and two phases of trial trench evaluation had been conducted on the site. Following the evaluation, it was determined that a 900m2 area should be subjected to targeted excavation to focus on the projected line of the Silchester to Chichester Roman Road, which crosses the site and which had been identified during the evaluation in the form of possible make up layers or metalling and the western flanking roadside ditch. The line of the Roman road is to be retained within the proposed development.

The excavation successfully identified the western flanking ditch, but was unable to identify any evidence for a corresponding eastern flanking ditch. No further evidence for the Roman road itself or any associated features were revealed by the excavation. The only artefacts recovered during the excavation were two metal objects, which were subjected to X-radiography, but remain of indeterminate date of Romano-British or later, and a very small quantity of burnt flint indicative of background prehistoric activity within the landscape of the site.