SDO10140 - Land Behind Christchurch Station, Christchurch, Dorset; Archaeological Risk Assessment

RPS Planning, Transport and Environment report on a desk-based assessment in support of a planning application for residential development on land to the rear of nos. 3-55 Clarendon Road and to the west of Christchurch Station, Dorset. The assessment focusses on the possibility of finding Bronze Age cremation burials in the vicinity following the discovery of Middle Bronze Age tripartite urn behing Christchurch Station in 1886. The LSWR were extending and upgrading the exisitng line at this time and the station was also moved to its present position at that time. This work involved terracing the ground to the north of the railway line and it is possible that the urn was found within the study area. A site visit has shown that there have been no significant changes to the character of the proposal site since 1886, except for the strip of land that now falls within 33 Clarendon Road, which has been disturbed by the construction of the house. The terracing of up to 1m depth may have severly truncated archaeological deposits, although this will vary across the site, with little disturbance north of the terrace. On the basis of this evidence there is a moderate to high risk of archaeological remains being found on the proposal site, albeit severly truncated in places. An archaeological evaluation through trial trenching is recommended.