Appendix 15
Langley Vale, Epsom, Surrey
Magnetometry survey
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ABINGDON ARCHAEOLOGICAL GEOPHYSICS
4 Sutton Close, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 1ER
tel. 01235 529720 website www.archaeologicalgeophysics.co.uk
Short Report form no. 2015-10
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SURVEY DETAILS
Name of site: Langley Vale
Purpose of survey:
Magnetometry surveys were carried out on two fields separated by a track to seek to
locate any archaeological remains which will then be used to guide further
researches. In particular we were asked to see if remains could be located of WW1
practice trenches which may have been in the vicinity.
Client:
Surrey County Archaeological Unit commissioned on behalf of
Woodland Trust
County: Surrey
NGR grid reference: Main area centred on TQ 214564
Nearest postcode: TQ391733
Start date: 12 November 2015 End date: 15 November 2015
Report date: 18 November 2015
Geology at site
Te geology is understood to be upper chalk
Known archaeological sites / monuments covered by the survey
The clients have provided a desk based assessment which has a Roman coin being
found in the vicinity and rumours of WW1 practice trenches in the area.
Archaeological sites / monument types detected by the survey
Ditch-like anomalies, some of which may be of interest as they are staggered and do
not appear to relate to present field boundaries.
Surveyor Abingdon Archaeological Geophysics, Roger Ainslie, Sally Ainslie
Location of:
a) Primary archive, i.e. raw data, electronic archive etc
Abingdon Archaeological Geophysics.
Also with client
b) Full report:
Abingdon Archaeological Geophysics.
Also with client
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TECHNICAL DETAILS
Type of survey
A
Magnetometer
Area surveyed: 4.3 hectares
Traverse separation, if regular: 1metre
Reading / sample interval: 8 per metre
Type, make and model of instrumentation: Bartington Grad 601/2 fluxgate
gradiometer.
Land use at the time of survey
Arable farmland. Short winter wheat.
Additional remarks
30 metre grids. First line start SE corner going west zig zag. Grids aligned on
National grid. GPS less accurate near the wood but accuracy estimated to be within
50 cms as beacon differential correction used. Grids flipped in processing to give
survey with north at top – suffix (a) added to changed grid names.
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RESULTS (refer to plans below)
Magnetometry
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Small Linear anomalies running in the same direction as the survey. This is
probably where a sensor got different readings as it was over a tractor wheel
rut. This type of anomaly is more frequent in the western field as the
cultivation alignment in that field differed from that in the eastern field. Not
archaeological.
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Curving lines of high anomalies. This could well be nothing but it could
possibly be archaeological.
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Trench filled with what are probably granite or similar igneous stone
chippings. This has some high points along its length which could be
manholes or similar indicating a non ferrous pipe underneath or they could
just be where the lorry unloaded its load of chippings.
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An area of small high anomalies. This could well be more chippings or it could
be tile or similar fragments. There may be some patterning to this in the SE
corner.
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High anomalies which could be pits or the end of ditches.
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Ditch- like anomalies. Purpose unknown.
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Ditch on eastern side of track.
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Three segments of ditch- like anomalies. These could be a single staggered
ditch as the magnetometer and processing will not have been good at
detecting any sections running east-west.
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CONCLUSIONS
Locating practice trenches with magnetometry was always going to be problematical
as we could be looking for ditches backfilled with chalk cut into a chalk natural.
The magnetometry appears to have located a scatter of small anomalies which could
be roof tile or similar fragments deposited during farming operations but are more
likely to be associated with the filling of a N-S trench with what appears magnetically
to be igneous stone chippings.
Three types of ditches were found, a possible circular feature which could be a
barrow, some approximately parallel anomalies near the round wood to the south of
the survey area- purpose unknown and three sections of a ditch in the eastern part of
the survey area.
These latter ditch sections could be a single staggered ditch or a large ditch which
has more magnetic fills against one side and then against the other side. This may
warrant further investigation.
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NOTE
Many features cannot be located by using magnetometry or resistivity. Features
including flint scatters and burials may well exist which are not detectable by these
survey methods. Failure to locate features does not mean that they are not there.
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LOCATION on GoogleEarth base.
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LOCATION grid order and co-ordinates
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All Magnetometry Greyscale with scales
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Eastern Area Magnetometry greyscale
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Eastern Area Magnetometry colour and trace plots
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NW Area Magnetometry greyscale
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NW Area Magnetometry colour and trace plots
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SW Area Magnetometry greyscale
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SW Area Magnetometry colour and trace plots
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Magnetometry Interpretation
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