SDO14646 - Results of an archaeological trench evaluation for a proposed car parking area on land at Gore Hill, near Batcombe, Dorset.

‘An archaeological field evaluation of land at Gore Hill near Batcombe was carried out by AC archaeology during April 2000. The site is situated in woodland within the Batcombe Down picnic area covering c. 2500m2, on land which is generally level ot slightly sloping to the north, the underlying geology consisting of clay with flints overlying chalk. The proposed development will consist of a car parking area approached from the south by a new access track. The evaluation comprised the machine-excavation of three trenches totalling 11 metres in length. All trenches contained an identical sequence of overlying deposits, comprising topsoil above subsoil with a combined depth of between 400 and 450mm. No evidence of archaeological features or deposits was present in any of the trenches and the only disturbance being a animal burrow present in trench 1. The only artefact recovered was a single flint flake from the subsoil deposit in Trench 1. It is considered unlikely, based on current evidence, that evidence for settlement or funerary activity is present within the area of proposed development.’