An archaeological trial trench evaluation was undertaken by PCA Warwick at a 0.5-hectare ‘brownfield’ site in Reading, Berkshire, to support a planning proposal for 60 new dwellings which has been granted by Reading Borough Council.

Despite Reading’s fascinating history, which includes Alfred the Great’s battle against the entrenched Viking Great Army in AD 871 and English Civil War defences, the site had a generally low archaeological potential for the historic periods. However, its location on a slightly raised area near the confluence of the Thames and the Kennett, presented the possibility of both prehistoric activity and paleoenvironmental deposits, such as peat and other organic materials. Several prehistoric flint tools and bronze objects of national significance are known from the general area, including a bronze spearhead, a bronze socketed knife and bronze socketed sickle, and two bronze palstaves, suggesting that the confluence was a site of ritual deposition. The potential survival of paleoenvironmental information was also suggested by the discovery of undated but ancient watercourses 450m to the south of the site which showed that the general area had once been part of an active braided river system.

However, the evaluation demonstrated the entire site had been deeply truncated into the geological horizon which was overlain by thick deposits of late 19th and 20th-century make up layers upon which the existing buildings were constructed.

The necessary depth of the trenches presented a challenge for the site team, as did the large number of services such as electricity and water which criss-crossed the site. The methodology paid particular attention to these factors and used Geographic Positioning Survey (GPS) devices to position the trenches safely but effectively. Additionally, the work was done in two phases to incorporate the above ground demolition of the existing 19th and 20th-century buildings. Nevertheless, it was possible to complete a full assessment of the plot with an even distribution of trenches across the site area which assisted our clients and Reading Borough Council in releasing the land for urban regeneration. Short reports on the findings was produced to satisfy planning conditions.