WALPOLE LANDFILL SITE, PAWLETT, SOMERSET

the archaeology
Evolution of the landscape on the shores of the Bristol Channel

PROJECT UPDATE
10th September 2014

worked
Neolithic stake

Watching brief
Activity in September concentrated on the watching brief on the construction
of the next cells. The dry weather was favourable for rapid progress of the
construction team and our workforce worked hard to keep up with the momentum as
well as the extended hours and Saturday working.
During the watching brief a new type of structure was recorded. Structure 19
was larger than any other recorded: a laid brushwood spread approximately 15m by
20m. The size made it difficult to photograph, and it was revealed in sections so it
was not all visible at any one time.

Structure 19 sampled with a small trench.

A structure of this size could not be totally excavated within the time frame
available to us, and indeed full excavation probably would not produce appreciably
more data than our sampling policy. This was designed on site in response to the area
covered by the structure.

Walpole Project Update August 2014

Sondage investigation demonstrated that the brushwood was held in place by

an array of sharpened stakes. There were also some split wooden planks, including
one in situ, so Structure 19 included all of the wooden elements seen in earlier
trackways, but was clearly designed to serve a different function. For example, the
substrate below the structure comprised pale alluvial fills of palaeochannels, rather
than the peaty substrate usually seen below trackways. Several palaeochannels
recorded in the vicinity appeared to bear some relationship with the structure.

Part of the brushwood of Structure 19.

Detail of the sampling trench seen above showing the stake substructure.
Structure 19 was recovered from the lowest part of the cell construction, slightly
lower than any other structure and is therefore likely to date from the early Neolithic.

Walpole Project Update August 2014

Drawings
Work undertaken earlier in the year on recording the Walpole project onto GIS
mapping made it possible to map parts of the structure shortly after they were
excavated. Below is the first draft of the GIS map showing the relationships between
Structure 19 and other elements of the site, both ancient and modern.

This map places Structure 19 at the northwestern edge of the Lias island.
Interestingly, no other new structures were recorded in the remainder of the cell,
where previous years work suggested further trackways might survive. In other
words, we now know that the trackways were heading for something lying in a
particular direction, presumably another island of higher ground not yet identified.

Walpole Project Update August 2014

Samples
Because there was an extensive programme of sampling in the years 2011 to
2013, there was less need to take samples this year. Virtually all of the deposits
continued from previous years, when they had already been comprehensively
sampled.
Breaking news
The crew are currently excavating a structure below the previous haul road. It
has been significantly damaged by recent disturbance.
Publication
The excavations at Walpole have been featured in the September/ October
issue of British Archaeology, available at W H Smith and other good newsagents.
Under the title The Big Dig, it covers 6 pages and is fully illustrated.
Thanks again for all your support for our work.
Nancy Hollinrake
10 September 2014

Walpole Project Update August 2014