Land at Woolwell, Plymouth, Devon. Geophysical Survey (OASIS ID: headland5-332535)

Headland Archaeology (UK) Ltd undertook a geophysical (magnetometer) survey of a 148 hectare site at Woolwell, Plymouth as part of a baseline assessment of the heritage potential of the site. This information will help guide archaeological strategy in advance of a proposed residential development. The survey has successfully evaluated the site identifying one area of clear archaeological potential, a bivallate oval enclosure north-west of Hursley Business Park. Numerous anomalies are identified in the interior of the enclosure, probably indicating settlement activity. To the immediate north-west of the enclosure a smaller square enclosure has been identified. These anomalies are considered to be of high archaeological potential. The survey has detected an extremely variable magnetic background across the majority of site which is mainly due to the magnetic properties of the underlying slate bedrock, being further exacerbated by modern ploughing. The only exception to this is within the centre-west of the site where minimal background variation corresponds to the former Bickleigh Down, an area uncultivated until the mid-late nineteenth century. Against this variable background occasional isolated high magnitude anomalies which cannot confidently be interpreted as agricultural, geological or modern in origin are interpreted as of possible archaeological potential. These include a possible trackway north of New Road, a possible plough-damaged enclosure within the centre of the site and up to six isolated and fragmented ring-ditches. These anomalies are considered to be of moderate archaeological potential. No anomalies of archaeological potential have been identified across the majority of the site and therefore, on the basis of the geophysical survey, the archaeological potential across most of the site is assessed as low.