The area investigated is located at the southern end of the garden of Hunters cottage Henley Road, Marlow Bucks at National Grid Ref : SU84082.46:85663.93, Figs 1 and 2. The garden is bordered on the west by the main field of Lowgrounds Farm which is the subject of other MAS investigations and to the east by Pens Place field.

The Site Code is HC03.

Hunters Cottage is situated on a northern terrace of the River Thames, though it is thought the terrace has been built up to level this part of the garden. There is a drop of approximately 5 metres from the upper to lower portion of the garden.

The lower portion of the garden is cut by an old river channel and consists of alluvial soils. The garden is now crossed by two streams which have been channelled sometime in the recent past. The garden is subject to frequent flooding in the winter months.

The garden is separated on the western side from the Lowgrounds field by a bank which when it continues south forms part of the boundary between the Lowgrounds Farm field and the Pens Place field. This portion of the garden is at a lower level than the surrounding fields though this is less marked on the eastern side. This area is believed to be a paleo island of river gravel located in the Lowgrounds Farm field and extending eastwards into Pens Place field.

Photograph 1 shows the investigation area, which is located behind the trees in the foreground. The bank is seen in the centre of the picture with Lowgrounds Farm field in the background

The Lowgrounds Farm field contains a number of ring ditches and other crop mark features (SMR 1161) identified from aerial photographs. Geophysical survey, field walking and limited excavation by Marlow Archaeological Society has revealed a probable Bronze Age barrow cemetery and a possible Neolithic feature. A possible settlement area has been identified from aerial photographs and geophysical survey in the north-west corner of this field bordering the garden of Hunters Cottage.

As part of Marlow Archaeological Society’s investigations in 2002 at Lowgrounds Farm, Marlow, an auger survey was extended from the field into the garden at Hunters Cottage. This auger survey was to determine the extent of the paleo-channel. During the auger survey an impenetrable surface was encountered at approximately 0.80-1.0 metres below the surface at the southern end of the garden. The surface was too hard to obtain a sample in the auger. Probing ascertained that the hard surface extended to an area approximately 5 metres x 5 metres.

At first this was thought to be a cess pit cover, but the distance from the house and the level of the feature in relation to the house ruled this out. The area is also often below water during the winter months.

In March 2003, a Resistivity survey, see Fig 2, and further probing was undertaken in the area where the sub surface impenetrable layer was located and this showed it extended over most of this part of the garden and was level. There were no discernible features in the Resistivity survey Fig 3.

Additionally, during the auger programme a depression was observed on top of the bank which forms the western boundary with Lowgrounds Farm. Running parallel with the direction of the bank it was thought to be an old ditch. Resistivity was undertaken by three transits across the bank Fig 4. The extent of tree growth precluded any large scale survey. The results identified the depression, but produced high resistance readings in this feature rather than the expected low readings if this was to be a ditch Fig 4.

Two areas were identified for investigation by excavation and the position of the trenches was located using a geodetic total station (Fig 5).

1) Trench 5, to investigate the depression which had been previously observed on top of the bank running parallel with the direction of the bank

2). Trench 6, to investigate the impenetrable layer identified by the auger survey in the garden.

N B. Although this site was given a separate site code HC03 to distinguish it from the adjacent site at Lowgrounds Farm, the trench numbers were taken in sequence with trenches dug in Lowgrounds Farm in case the site was merged at a later date.

All finds were given an individual number and their position was recorded in three dimensions Appendix 1. Finds recovered through sieving or from the spoil heap were recorded as unstratified.

The description of the flint finds is found in Appendix 1 and a summary in the Flint Report Appendix 2.

The other finds are listed by type in Appendix 3

It is intended to deposit the finds at the Bucks County Museum store subject to the landowners formal agreement.

Trench 5 was located across the bank and is shown on Fig 5. It extended from the corner of field in Lowgrounds Farm across a bank and into the garden of Hunters Cottage. It followed line 1 of the Resistivity survey. The trench measured approximately 9.25 metres long but only 0.50 metres wide due to tree growth. The bank consisted of clay, which due to the extremely hot weather at the time of the excavation, dried very quickly and was difficult to excavate. The rapid drying out and the relative homogeneity of the material also made it difficult to discern any differences in stratigraphy, except where the trench entered the lower ground of the garden, which was wet and leached from above through the peaty topsoil. Photographs 2 and 3 show Trench 5 looking south and north respectively.

The trench was dug in a number of steps. Both mattock and shovel and hand excavation methods were employed.

The Section drawing shows the east facing baulk of Trench 5 Fig 6. Appendix 1 gives the location of the recorded finds in Trench 5

Layer (5001) was the topsoil, which was a friable mid greyish brown sandy clay up to 0.05 metres thick which covered the higher part of the trench and merged into different coloured topsoil (5005) as the bank descended into the garden.

Layer (5002) was a compact layer of dark yellowish, sandy clay extending from the field (southern) end of the trench for approximately 5 metres in a northerly direction with maximum depth of 0.25 metres. It was under overlain by the topsoil and overlaid (5003) and partially at the southern end of the trench (5008.) This layer is believed to be plough soil pushed into the corner of the field in the past which was subsequently overgrown and buried at this point.

The action of this accumulation of plough material lead to a very disturbed layer of archaeology with finds from varying from prehistoric flint work and debitage, to modern artefacts such as a nail, a piece of glass and pottery in no stratigraphic sequence

Two pieces, of possibly prehistoric, pottery were found in this layer which is rare for this site, which has been noted for its absence of surviving pottery.

Layer (5003) extends from the southerly end of the trench for approximately 7.75 metres across the bank with a maximum depth of 0.50 metres and forms the top of the slope onto the garden. It underlain (5002) at the southern end of the trench and was overlaid by the topsoil (5001) towards the top of the bank and into the garden. It abutted (5006) at the base of the bank. It consisted of compacted clay, of an orange colour with a sandy texture and overlaid layer (5008) and (5010).

It is possible that (5003) may be two layers abutting each other as the middle section is highly disturbed by tree roots and no discernible boundary could by detected. The reason this may be two layers is that in the 1950s the garden was levelled and the clay removed from the garden was thrown up on to the bank. The layer is therefore, likely to be plough soil at the southern end and a dump of similar material from the garden at the northern end. The effect of the levelling was to produce the bank which enhanced the natural slope of the field down to the river channel.

Layer (5003) was disturbed with a mixture of finds including prehistoric flint work, modern pottery, nails CBM, glass and some burnt flint, in no strata graphic sequence. Next to feature [5004] was a broken cow clavicle, which was rare find of bone for this site.

Feature [5004] was located in (5003) which was a modern brick and cement support for a wooden plank like fence post of a type still existing along the boundary. This was recorded (Fig 7 and photograph 4) before it was removed.

Layer (5008), was 5 metres long with maximum depth of 0.40 metres, consisting of similar material to (5003) but appeared to be undisturbed. This it thought to be to original ground surface sloping down to the river channel to the north and the assemblage in both cases consists of prehistoric flint work. The finds from (5008) consisted of secondary late Neolithic and early Bronze Age flint work and debitage. The largest amount of burnt flint of all contexts was found in this layer. A highly abraded sherd of possibly medieval pottery was also found which is thought to be intrusive. A probable Mesolithic blade was also discovered at the base of this excavation.

The excavation of layers (5001), (5002), (5003) and (5008) in the area of the depression did not reveal any sign of a cut or fill of a ditch.

During the excavation of (5008) a void [5009] was located at the southern end of the layer. The northern face was removed exposing the southern face which was vertical and smooth. It has a rounded base in shape and was 0.24 metres deep The void extended either side into the baulk of the trench and when probed measured approximately 2.8 metres to the east and 2.23 metres to the west. [5009] is drawn in Fig 8, and photographs 5 and 6. One piece of possible medieval pottery was located in the void. The shape of the void resembles a wooden plank which could have been a revetment but no organic material was present in the void. Organic material, however, is not known to survive in this site.

Layer (5010) was partially exposed under layers (5008) and (5003). It was compacted orange clay with sand. There was one find, a piece of flint debitage.

The trench was extended into the garden in a northerly direction to ascertain whether the layers exposed in Trench 6 had any connection with the bank. The layers associated with this extension are as follows;

Layer (5005) was the garden topsoil of dark brown loamy clay with organic peat like material.

Below (5005) was layer (5006) of dark brownish yellow /orange clay darkened by the leaching of the humus from above. (5006) may be the same as layer (5008) but is darker in colour due to leaching from the peaty topsoil. It is difficult to substantiate this as the section between the two contexts has been disturbed by the digging of the fence post [5004] and the action of tree roots. The layer contained secondary worked flint and debitage of similar characteristics to the finds from (5008).

Layer (5006) is probably the same as (6002) in Trench 6.

(5007) was identified initially as a separate context but was probably the same as (5006), but was waterlogged.

Trench 6 was located in the garden see Fig 5 and measured 1 metre x 1 metre. The excavation using mattock and shovel revealed a number of fairly horizontal layers. The section drawing Fig 9 and photograph 7 shows these in the eastern face of the trench.

Context descriptions

Layer (6001) was the topsoil which consisted of dark brown loamy humus.

Below (6001) was an orange clay level (6002) measuring at maximum of 0.12 metres.

Layer (6003) was located under (6002) consisting of a dark brown, silty clay approximately 0.40 metres thick

At approximately 0.80 metres depth a layer of bluish grey clay (6004) 0.10 metres thick, was encountered, overlaying very thin layer of fine yellowish sand (6004A).

At just under 1 metre depth the impenetrable layer (6005) was reached which consisted of coarse compacted angular, medium sized flints, 0.06-0.07 metres thick overlying coarse greenish grey sand of unknown depth (6006).

Despite efforts by the excavators to keep the water at bay, within minutes the trench began filling up with water from the surrounding garden. There was however enough time to record the section Fig 9 and photograph it (photograph 7)

All the layers appear to be natural having been laid down by various river events. The hard layer was probably the result of a serious flooding event. No finds were located in the trench.

Trenches 5 and 6 were located to the north of the barrows, SMR 1161, in Lowgrounds Farm field and adjacent to the north west corner of this field, where there may be, from geophysical surveys and aerial photographs, a settlement.

Trench 6 was opened to ascertain the nature of the impenetrable hard surface located during auger activity. The excavation proved this to be a natural layer probably representing an extremely violent flood event in an antiquity. There appears was no archaeological evidence form this trench.

Trench 5 was cut across the bank in order to determine whether the depression running parallel to it was an old ditch. The excavation could not locate any form of cut or ditch fill and therefore it was concluded that the high resistance was due to soil compaction and the depression was a pathway along the boundary between the two fields.

Much of trench 5 (Fig 10) had been the subject of disturbance. The bank was probably the result of the garden levelling in the 1950s. This exaggerated the natural slope from the Lowgrounds Farm field down to the river channel. The excavation and removal of the material in the garden exposed the area to flooding and brought the ground surface down nearer to the water table, hence its generally wet nature even in summer. The area being situated in the corner of a ploughed field also exposed it to plough push of material from the field as the plough navigated the corner.

Material from the old ground levels from both the field and the garden were deposited in two directions with material from different periods being mixed up. This accounts for the disturbed nature of the upper level contexts Fig 10.

Layer (5008) is probably an old ground surface and contains an assemblage of Late Neolithic and early Bronze Age flint and burnt flint which can be associated with the nearby barrow cemetery. Layer (5006) is probably also the old ground surface which contains similar material to (5008).

The number of finds of worked flint and debitage in a small area suggest flint working was a permanent feature of the site. Flint was readily available in the proximity of the site although no petrological work has been undertaken.

The burnt flint also suggests occupation, although so far, little pottery or animal bone has been found in the area, but this may be the result of the poor survival conditions for this type of material. The flint assemblage is characteristic of the late Neolithic and early Bronze Age which would make it contemporary with the barrow cemetery. The barrow cemetery was located presumably above the flood levels of the river and therefore the area would also be suitable for occupation, stretching from the barrow area down to the paleo channel on a river island.

Hunters Cottage trench has produced a large quantity of finds, which is indicative of late Neolithic and early Bronze Age occupation, in north-west corner of the Lowgrounds Farm field. The corner of the field requires further investigation by excavation to ascertain the extent of the occupation area. Geophysical survey and excavation is also required in Pens Place field to see how far the occupation area extends or whether there are further barrows along the ridge of the paleo island.