Event/Activity EPM154 - Watching brief at LIDL, Norway Road, Hilsea, Portsmouth

An archaeological watching brief was carried out by Wessex Archaeology at the former A Haskers and Sons Ltd site in Norway Road, Hilsea, in 2008. Observations were made during the excavation of foundation pits and service trenches associated with the construction of a new single storey LIDL store up to 1673m2 in size. A total of 29 foundation trenches were excavated. Twenty six of the trenches measured c. 2m square by 0.30m deep. Two trenches (trenches 2 and 3) were excavated to a depth of 1.60m, and a north-south orientated service trench (trench 1) measured 8m by 0.80m wide and 1.20m deep. A trench (trench 4) for the installation of a water storage area measured 15.80m by 1m by 2.10m deep. The trenches were excavated using a mechanical excavator with a 0.80m toothless bucket. No archaeological features or finds were encountered during the work. The soil sequence was as follows: layer of modern redeposited gravel to a depth of 0.19m; modern layer of backfill of dark brown silty clay with modern building rubble and charcoal inclusions c. 0.44m deep; natural geology beneath the modern backfill consisting of a light yellowish brown sandy clay layer to a depth of 0.89m; change in the natural to a thick layer of mid-yellowish brown silty clay with no inclusions. A Geo-Environmental Investigation of the site was carried out before the demolition of the former A Hasker and Sons buildings by Jones Pike & Associates in 2007. Details of the investigation are included in the Wessex Archaeology report. Accession number: 2014/286