Former Telephone Relay Station, Garfield Road, Southampton. Archaeological Watching Brief. (SOU1663) (OASIS ID: wessexar1-283795)

Wessex Archaeology was commissioned by Impact Homes Ltd to undertake an archaeological watching brief during groundwork associated with the redevelopment and construction of two new dwellings. The local area of the site is recognised as one of archaeological potential. The defended Roman town of Clausentum lies 600 m to the west and a Roman road passes close to the site. The suggested route of an aqueduct could pass through or near to the Site although this is tentative based on contours, there being no other evidence revealed to date. The Roman fort was subsequently used as a cemetery in the Saxon period, perhaps associated with a Saxon fort. During the late 18th and 19th century the site was in the grounds of Chessel House and a lodge at an entrance to the estate may have been located on the site based on historic maps. An initial watching brief was carried out on 8 July 2014 by Southampton City Council Archaeology Unit during preliminary ground investigations. This was followed by a watching brief during construction of the two new dwellings by Wessex Archaeology on the 7-8th March and 14-15th March 2017. The earliest finds identified during the watching brief came from subsoil deposits and were three sherds of Roman pottery. These pottery sherds provide evidence of Romano-British activity within the vicinity of the Site and the hinterlands of Clausentum. No evidence for the aqueduct could be identified. Later evidence was recorded in the form of a six-meter length of east-west brick wall. The wall probably represents the remnants of the demolished 18-19th century lodge associated with Chessel House, located to the south-east. The lodge is shown on historic mapping of the site until the 1950-60s. Following its demolition, the telephone relay station building was constructed towards the southern boundary of the site and the northern half of the Site may have been modified or levelled during the widening of Bitterne Road West.