Archaeological Evaluation at 488-496 Portsmouth Road, Sholing, Southampton, Hampshire (SOU1727) (OASIS ID: bournemo1-267550)

From the 30/08/2016 - 01/09/2016 BUARC, Bournemouth University's archaeological field unit, BUARC, were commissioned by Crestland Homes Ltd. to undertake an archaeological evaluation at 488-496 Portsmouth Road, Sholing, Southampton, in response to planning proposals to demolish two late Victorian houses and mid-20th century dairy facility and construct 25 residential units with associated parking and ancillary buildings under planning application 15/01158/FUL. The project has demonstrated that late Victorian and mid-20th century deposits were present, including a wall, soak away, postholes, pits, possible ditches, service trenches and a pipe trench which were recorded in Trenches 1-5. Comparison of these trenches with historic mapping has identified that these features correlate directly to previous standing buildings which were recently demolished prior to the archaeological evaluation commencing. Four features of uncertain date were recorded cutting the natural, three of which were only partially expose within the trenches and potentially represent the earliest features recorded on-site. Two of the features were possible ditch termini recorded in Trench 4 and two pit features which were recorded in Trench 2. No cultural material was retrieved from these features. A layer above these features contained CBM material and has been interpreted as a Victorian garden soil providing a terminus ante quem for these features.