SWX9233 - Wytch Farm Oilfield Development. Wellsite D - Cleavel Point: Water Intake Pipeline. Archaeological Assessment.

An appraisal of the impact of a proposed new water intake pipeline upon the Iron Age/Romano-British settlement known to lie within the easement of the proposed route. The Trust for Wessex Archaeology was commissioned to carry out this work by BP Petroleum Development Ltd. Earlier work had suggested that the settlement covered an area of at least ten hectares. The Iron Age settlement, a complex of small, ditched and interconnected enclosures, shows evidence of systematic planning, and enjoyed extensive trading links. The Romano-British phase of occupation was associated with large-scale production of Black Burnished Ware and salt, and possibly also shale working. The authors feel that the substantial evidence of international trading in the late prehistoric mean that this settlement is important in a European context. Work revealed extensive settlement, though some areas had been removed by earlier archaeological investigations. The report concludes with recommendations regarding measures to ensure the protection and/or appropriate recording of any deposits encountered during the construction of the pipeline.