SDO14453 - Roeshot Hill, Christchurch, Dorset. Archaeological Evaluation Report.

‘Wessex Archaeology was commissioned by Taylor Wimpey UK Limited to undertake an archaeological evaluation on a number of fields on the northern outskirts of Christchurch, Dorset, centred on National Grid Reference 418165 094080. The evaluation comprised the excavation of 76 trenches, each measuring approximately 50 m x 1.8 m, across five fields referred to as A1 to A5, and representing an approximate 2% sample of the site. The fieldwork was undertaken between the 28th September and 16th October 2015. No defined areas or concentrations of activity were identified across the site. A number of archaeological features were recorded in both Fields A2 and A5, although most were characteristic of field boundaries. The majority of these were undated though worked flint recovered from several contexts may suggest that a number of these may be later prehistoric in date. Early medieval pottery was recovered from a single feature. The first edition OS map (1871) indicates that the field system at this time lay on a broadly northwest – south-east alignment. A number of the ditches and gullies discovered echo this orientation and it may be that some of these relate to post-medieval and 19th century agricultural features.’