Chestnut Walk, Reading, Berkshire - Archaeological Watching Brief Report

Wessex Archaeology

Wessex Archaeology was commissioned to carry out an archaeological watching brief at Chestnut Walk, Reading, Berkshire, situated within the scheduled area of Reading Abbey, central Reading, centred on NGR 472085 173485.

The watching brief follows on from an archaeological evaluation conducted by Wessex Archaeology in 2019 and comprised the monitoring of 20 pits for the replanting of trees and installation of 4 lighting
columns and 1 CCTV column.

Out of the 20 pits excavated, only one (23) contained deposits different to a stratigraphic sequence of layers of made ground overlain by the modern topsoil, that had been established by the evaluation.
This was a modern feature, whose single fill contained metal sheeting and bricks. This feature appears likely to be associated with the construction of the present footpath. A layer of mortar identified during the evaluation was not located in the two closest pits though its association with the construction of the main boundary wall of Reading Gaol is suggested.