April’s trial trenches

Posted by Susan Greaney

1 May 2026

During the second half of April, Cotswold Archaeology and a team of existing TAG and SPS members undertook some small-scale excavations on site, to provide more information about what we might expect to find in the summer, and to help us locate our large open-area trenches in the best place.

Two trial (or ‘evaluation’) trenches were opened across areas where there were substantial quantities of building material recovered through previous fieldwalking and hints of possible buildings in the geophysics results.

*Aerial view of April’s evaluation trenches*

This work exposed substantial remains of walls relating to two new buildings, in addition to the previously known probable villa range. These buildings had been ‘robbed out’, with much stone and building materials removed for use elsewhere but enough was left to show the layout and size of the buildings.

*Evidence for multiple walls found in Trench 2*

Ditches and pits have also been identified, but the highlight so far is a tank-like structure, containing opus signinum. Opus signinum is Roman waterproof concrete, made from lime mortar mixed with crushed pieces of broken pot, tiles or brick. It provided damp-proofing and, during the 1^st and 2^nd centuries AD, was widely used in Roman baths, aqueducts, cisterns and any buildings involving water – including Roman houses. There were also fragments of painted plaster.

*Volunteers Peter and Val excavating a probable ditch in Trench 1*

All this work suggests that we have at least two high-status buildings on site, which we’re looking forward to learning more about in the summer. We’re now planning in earnest for our summer excavation season, which will begin on 20 May with the University of Exeter training fieldschool, followed by the community-led excavations.