Event/Activity EPM264 - Archaeological Watching Brief at Eastney Wastewater Pumping Station

An archaeological watching brief was undertaken by Archaeology South-East on groundworks for the creation of new vehicular and pedestrian access at Eastney Wastewater Treatment Works in June 2020. The work was carried out under Scheduled Monument Consent as the site fell partly within the boundary of the Scheduled Monument Eastney Sewage Pumping Station. Archaeological monitoring took place on ground reduction for a new path, ground reduction for new vehicular access and groundworks for the installation of a new gate (see below). Photographic surveys of the areas of the site impacted by the groundworks were completed in March and September 2020 before and after the works had taken place. Summary of work monitored: The route of a 1.2m wide path running adjacent to the LV building was mechanically stripped to a maximum depth of 0.50m. No archaeological deposits or features were encountered. A maximum width of 1.3m of deposits were removed to a maximum depth of 0.09m during mechanical ground reduction for new vehicular access. The only archaeological feature encountered was part of a brick wall footing to the demolished boundary wall of the Victorian sewage works. Groundworks for the installation of a new gate consisted of a trench 4.5m long x 0.50m wide x 0.50m deep mechanically excavated across the existing site access routeway. Two pits 0.65m x 0.65m x 1m deep were excavated at either end of the trench for new gate posts. Deposits thought to relate to the construction of an adjacent reservoir/cooling pond were encountered at the eastern end of the trench and part of the brick wall footing to the same demolished boundary wall was encountered in the pit at the western end of the trench. The latter was left in situ. Apart from the wall footing no significant archaeological deposits, features or finds were encountered on the site. The only other deposits exposed were layers relating to the recent use of the site and existing surfaces and make-up layers. These suggested considerable earthmoving had taken place in the recent past which was associated with the existing access, buildings, adjacent reservoir/cooling pond and the demolition of the boundary wall. Museum Accession No: 2020/09