SDO158 - Wytch Farm Oilfield Development BP Access Road - Corfe River to Gathering Station Archaeological Assessment

This report contains a summary of the results of an archaeological assessment survey undertaken along part of the route of the proposed BP Access Road from Corfe River to the Gathering Station, chainage 700 – 3417. The archaeological assessment of the portion from the new Norden roundabout to the Corfe Rive (Ch 0 – 700), had already been undertaken by TWA in February (Barnes 1987). Both surveys were conducted in accordance with the BP document ‘A Stategy for the Archaeological Investigation Wytch Field Oilfield Development’ (Mason 1986). The results from the Trial Pits demonstrate an almost complete lack of recorded archaeological features. The minimal artefact recovery is in accord with such a low level of archaeological activity. The spacing of the trial pits means that very localised activity may have been ‘missed’, though it seems reasonable to conclude from the results that the route of the road passes through no detectable areas of extensive archaeological interest. Thus the only features of archaeological interest would appear to be earthworks observed above. Summary from record SWX8189: This report contains a summary of the results of an archaeological assessment survey undertaken along part of the route of the proposed BP Access Road from Corfe River to the Gathering Station, chainage 700 – 3417. The archaeological assessment of the portion from the new Norden roundabout to the Corfe Rive (Ch 0 – 700), had already been undertaken by TWA in February (Barnes 1987). Both surveys were conducted in accordance with the BP document ‘A Stategy for the Archaeological Investigation Wytch Field Oilfield Development’ (Mason 1986). The results from the Trial Pits demonstrate an almost complete lack of recorded archaeological features. The minimal artefact recovery is in accord with such a low level of archaeological activity. The spacing of the trial pits means that very localised activity may have been ‘missed’, though it seems reasonable to conclude from the results that the route of the road passes through no detectable areas of extensive archaeological interest. Thus the only features of archaeological interest would appear to be earthworks observed above.