Evaluation at Former Women's Royal Voluntary Service Hall, Lax Lane, Bewdley (borderar1-269724)

Border Archaeology Ltd (BA) was instructed by Colm Coyne of Quattro Design Architects on behalf of Metro Realty Homes Ltd to carry out a programme of Archaeological Field Evaluation (AFE) in connection with a proposed residential development of four dwellings at the former Women's Royal Voluntary Service Hall on Land off Lax Lane Bewdley Worcestershire. Lax Lane represents one of the oldest roads in the town and links directly with the ford over the River Severn, which, prior to the construction of a bridge in 1447, served as the main crossing-point. Additionally, the site lies close to a post-medieval tannery, indicated on the 1st Edition Ordnance Survey map, and the only archaeological evidence of tanning so far recorded in the town, consisting of an alignment of seven 17th and 18th -century plank-lined pits, were found during building work in Corporation Yard. Although post-medieval features were present, including a section of wall running northeast/southwest, their purpose could not be ascertained and no evidence for tannery structures or of waste associated with the process was present. Two small pits or postholes contained post-medieval pottery and ceramic building material. Their fills were very similar to the deposited subsoil above and it could not be confirmed whether they had been cut through this material. No deposits, structures or features of archaeological significance were identified during the course of the AFE.

博德考古有限公司（Border Archaeology Ltd，简称BA）受夸特罗设计建筑事务所的科尔姆·科因（Colm Coyne）委托，代表大都会房地产住宅有限公司（Metro Realty Homes Ltd），针对伍斯特郡比尤德利拉克斯巷旁原皇家女子志愿服务队会堂地块拟建的4栋住宅开发项目，开展考古田野评估（Archaeological Field Evaluation，以下简称AFE）工作。拉克斯巷是该镇最古老的道路之一，直接连通塞文河浅滩——1447年建桥之前，该浅滩曾是全镇主要的过河通道。此外，该地块毗邻一处后中世纪制革厂，该制革厂在英国地形测量局（Ordnance Survey）初版地图上有标注；而该镇目前已记录的唯一一处制革相关考古证据——7座17至18世纪木板衬砌坑的排列——是在公司庭院（Corporation Yard）的建筑施工中被发现的。本次评估现场虽存在后中世纪遗迹，包括一段东北-西南走向的墙体片段，但无法确定其用途，且未发现制革厂建筑或制革过程相关废弃物的痕迹。两处小型坑穴或柱洞出土了后中世纪陶器与建筑陶瓷建材，其填充物与上方堆积的底土极为相似，无法确认它们是否穿透该底土开挖形成。本次考古田野评估全程未发现任何具有考古价值的堆积、建筑或遗迹。