Medieval and post medieval rural settlement, Land South of Cockaynes lane, Alresford (EHER 81831)

Evaluation and excavation revealed a medieval rural settlement, including a possible building and associated field system.

Valuation, 2017 Archaeological remains were uncovered in twenty-five of the evaluation trenches, spread sparsely across the proposed development area with some concentrations in the northeast, southeast, and north-central parts of the site. Multiple periods of occupational activity were represented, from late prehistoric to post-medieval dates. <1> Excavation, 2018 Preceding evaluation of the around 6.6ha site in 2017 comprised the investigation of forty-three trenches, which established the presence of prehistoric, Late Iron Age/Early Roman and post-medieval and modern remains, including ditches, gullies, pits and postholes, in twenty-five trenches. Three excavation areas, totalling c.1,756sq m, were subsequently targeted upon the recorded remains in the north of the site. More intensive land use is evidenced by two successive phases of medieval rural settlement and associated field system. The first phase comprised part of a ditched occupation enclosure occupied by a building – possibly the farmhouse itself. A probable pond and associated drainage channel were recorded in close proximity, though outside the enclosure. The succeeding phase comprised the replacement of the enclosure system on a differing, ENE/WSW and NNE/SSW, alignment. It is possible that the pond and building were retained in this remodelled landscape. The recovery of pottery, fired clay and quern stone fragments, provides further indication that this was a rural settlement site. The remains of post-medieval field boundary ditches and of modern land drains, tractor wheel ruts and postholes for possible fencelines recorded across the site attest to continued agricultural land use. Several ditches, both in the excavation areas and evaluation trenches, broadly correspond with boundaries depicted on historic and OS maps dating from the late 18th century to the present day.<2>