SDO12502 - The archaeological assessment and evaluation of the Merley Youth Club site, Chichester Walk, Merley, Dorset

The archaeological assessment and evaluation of the Merley Youth Club site comprised a desk-top study of historical sources, a walkover survey, geophysical survey and excavation of evaluation trenches amounting to 2% of the site. The area is likely to have been part of open-field arable land, and possibly part of the rectorial holding of Bradenstoke Priory (Wiltshire), in the middle ages. The area was probably enclosed at an early date, and field boundaries in the area were again altered during the 19th century. No evidence has been found on cartographic sources for buildings on the site, nor in the wider area between Oakley Lane and Merley Lane, until modern residential development took place. Surface features present on the site at the time of the survey include faint traces of linear earthworks and areas of disturbance around the location of reported earthwork mounds. None of these can be shown to be archaeological in origin. The geophysical survey produced no evidence for subsoil archaeological features and much of the area appears to show evidence or disturbance. The evaluation trenches also produced no evidence for archaeological features or finds, but were able to identify the presence of land drains and other possible surface drainage features to the east.