Event/Activity EPM116 - Archaeological Watching Brief at Cosham Transport Interchange, Roebuck Close, Cosham

An archaeological watching brief was carried out by Southampton Archaeology Unit on groundworks for the construction of flats on the site of Cosham Transport Interchange, Roebuck Close, in 2009. A total of 12 trenches were excavated across the site in association with the groundworks. The site lies immediately south of Local Area of Archaeological Importance 17 (the medieval settlement of Cosham), defined as being of principle importance for Medieval and post-medieval archaeology, and immediately east of an area of archaeological potential (old shoreline around north edge of Portsmouth Harbour) defined principally of importance for prehistoric archaeology. The site is marked as a field on the 1870 Ordnance Survey map, as allotments on the 1898 OS map, and as a nursery on the 1910 OS map. A bridge and embankment associated with the Portsdown and Horndean Light Railway (an electric tramway which opened in 1903) were once located in the north-west corner and the west part of the site respectively. The railway closed in 1935, but the bridge and embankment are still marked on the Ordnance Survey maps for 1938 and 1952. No features or deposits of archaeological significance were revealed during the work. Remains relating to the infrastructure of the former Portsdown and Horndean Light Railway were observed, which comprised parts of the foundations of the rail overbridge, material used to construct the approach embankment and sections of railway track. Accession number: 2008/6