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Archaeologists Complete 1,000 Trial Trenches Along Proposed East West Rail Route
Work on 1,000 archaeological trial trenches has been completed in Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire. Roman coins, a Late Iron Age vase and pottery were among the finds uncovered along the planned rail corridor between Cambridge and Oxford.
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Archaeologists have finished digging 1,000 trial trenches in Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire as part of planning for the proposed East West Rail line. The trenches uncovered Roman coins, including one bearing the name of Emperor Carausius from around AD 250-293, a Late Iron Age vase and assorted pottery. The sites lie along the planned route connecting Cambridge and Oxford.
Each trench measured about 50 metres long, two metres wide and half a metre deep. Geophysical surveys were conducted first to locate areas of interest, after which archaeologists excavated targeted sample sections called slots. The company plans to complete roughly 6,000 trenches over two years along the full route. Finds are cleaned, analysed, recorded and added to the archaeological archive.
The company stated that the work forms part of the environmental assessment needed for a Development Consent Order application scheduled for 2027. A programme manager said the company is working with landowners and local communities to limit disruption.
An archaeology survey manager noted that every discovery adds to understanding of past residents and described the experience of uncovering features unseen for up to 2,000 years.
