SDO15041 - Land at Lodden Lakes, Gillingham, Dorset. Detailed Gradiometer Survey Report

‘A detailed gradiometer survey was conducted over land at Lodden Lakes, near Gillingham, north Dorset. The project was commissioned by Taylor Wimpey UK Ltd. with the aim of establishing the presence, or otherwise, and nature of detectable archaeological features on the site ahead of a proposed development. The survey area comprises of an irregular parcel of land spread over three pasture fields directly south off Addison Close and The Meadows, some 820m to the south of the centre of Gillingham and 2.9km south - east of Milton-on-Stour. The Site occupies an area of relatively flat land with a gentle slope running down to the southeast. The gradiometer survey covered 3.25ha and has demonstrated the presence of anomalies of possible archaeological interest within the survey area, along with regions of magnetic disturbance and a probable light railway line linked to the former clay pits at Lodden Lakes. The majority of the identified anomalies relate to agricultural activity with ploughing trends aligned NNE-SSW clearly visible. Given that the gradiometer survey has detected these ephemeral features, it is considered likely that more substantial archaeological features would have produced detectable magnetic anomalies, should any have been present. Extensive magnetic disturbance associated with agricultural processes, former industry and recent nearby construction was seen throughout the dataset, particularly around the field boundaries. The geophysical survey was undertaken on 24th June 2014.’