Bypass work gives insight into history

Submitted by vicky on Friday, 07 November 2003 Page Views: 1311

Archaeologists will be digging deep into Hertfordshire's history next week when further excavation work begins along the bypass route at Baldock near Letchworth. Trial trenches dug last winter uncovered a Bronze Age funerary complex, Iron Age and Roman boundary ditches and a Medieval leper hospital and field systems.

More detailed work is being carried out so that the sites can be fully recorded before construction starts.

Project Manager, Ruben Thorpe, from Albion Archaeology, said: "There are a number of natural springs in the area, which have attracted settlements dating as far back as the middle Stone Age.

"Initial excavations revealed sites spanning 2000 years, so we are looking forward to finding out more.

"The process involves digging down in layers and recording the findings. We hope to be able to build up a picture of how people lived in the past, what sort of animals they raised, what they ate, what their health was like and the age people died."

The excavation is expected to take about 15 weeks and archaeologists plan to visit local schools to discuss the findings.

When the excavations are complete, plans will be drawn up and all finds and recordings will go to the Letchworth Museum.

Other preparation work is underway to divert the water mains, which will be completed by the end of November and British Telecom is expected to start alteration work in the next few weeks.

The main contract for the work on the bypass is currently out to tender and a contractor will be appointed at the end of January 2004, so that work can start in April.
Once a contractor has been appointed, there will be a public exhibition to display details of the construction programme and leaflets will be delivered to homes in the area.

County Councillor Derrick Ashley, Executive Member for Environment, said: "The people of Baldock have waited 70 long years for this bypass and it is very exciting to see preparation work gathering pace.

"Not only is it going to make a real difference to local people but we will be able to find out more about the history of this regionally significant town."

Source: Royston Crow, Cambridgeshire 07/11/2003

Contributor Bio for vicky: Ex Megalithic Portal Editor, Co-author of 'Rock Around the Peak - Megalithic Monuments of the Peak District' and... More

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