SDO21426 - Dorset County Football Association, Blandford Close, Poole, Dorset, Archaeological Watching Brief

Intermittently throughout June and July Bournemouth Archaeology, Bournemouth University's archaeological field unit, were commissioned by Charles Lawrence to undertake an archaeological watching brief for the proposed development comprising conversion of a grassed football pitch surface to artificial turf with the replacement of fencing and floodlighting and the addition of a new storage container and overflow parking at Blandford Close, Poole (hereafter 'the Site'). The proposed works entailed site clearance, an element of 'cut and fill' and excavations for fencing and floodlighting. This entailed reducing the existing ground levels by a maximum depth of excavation of approximately 0.5 metres between the existing levels and the proposed formation level. Natural sand and gravel deposits were only observed towards the north and west extents of the site due to the general downward gradient of natural from NW to SE. Within the cut area of the groundwork's overlying soil (101 and 102) was completely removed from an area approximately 1600m² in size (Figure 2). Where visible the surface of the underlying geology (103) was inspected for the presence of archaeological features and it was determined that three ditches were present. The subsequent groundwork's, which involved the excavation of trenches for drainage pipes through the cut and fill area and bore-holes for floodlights did not expose any further archaeological features or evidence of activity.