We worked with Cambridgeshire County Council in 2013 to complete a Historic Environment Desk-Based Assessment, for a railway crossing at Whittlesey. Our assessment looked at the impact of a number of level crossing replacement options, including a road bridge and underpass, and various construction methods, from ground excavation to piled bridge foundations.
Our specialist considered the impact of a range of different construction techniques on the archaeology so that the Council could make an informed decision as to the best approach to replacing the railway crossing.
Our specialist drew on a range of resources to assess the impact on buried archaeological remains. We noted the high level of prehistoric archaeology in this part of the low-lying Fens, including a Neolithic henge, Bronze Age burials, a rare Bronze Age timber weir, eel trap and log boats, well preserved due to wet conditions. We also noted the likelihood of encountering World War Two defences and buried remains of early 19th Century houses, and areas of past quarrying which will have removed archaeological remains in some areas.
Recommendations for site-based archaeological evaluation were made, to allow Cambridgeshire County Council to formulate an informed mitigation strategy.
