302 THE WILTSHIRE ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND NATURAL HISTORY MAGAZINE 
Avebury/Bishop’s Cannings 
Horton Down, Beckhampton (SU 080 670); Pre- 
historic, Early Medieval, and Post-medieval 
A small area of surviving pasture, on either side of 
the boundary between the civil parishes of Avebury 
and Bishop’s Canning, was investigated and 
earthworks analytically surveyed by English 
Heritage. The area contains four round barrows 
and the banks and lynchets of a ‘Celtic’ field system 
which has been positioned up to and around the 
mounds, but post-medieval quarrying has damaged 
the critical interface, making the relative 
chronology uncertain. A linear bank and ditch cut 
over the apex of one of the barrows curves for a 
considerable distance across the surrounding 
downland cutting through ‘Celtic’ field boundaries 
en route. Its curved plan implies an enclosure from 
contemporaneously unenclosed land. As it not only 
marks the parish boundary, but more significantly 
the boundary of the Selkley Hundred it probably 
dates to the mid-to late Saxon period. 
Berwick St John 
Church Street (ST 9465 2237); Post-medieval 
An evaluation by means of trench excavation was 
carried out by AC archaeology during February 
2002. The evaluation consisted of a single machine- 
excavated trench measuring 15m long and 1.8m 
wide. This trench uncovered a 600mm depth of 
soils that sealed the remains of a probable pond 
which appeared to have been partially infilled with 
silt and demolition rubble during the 18th or 19th 
century. 
Blunsdon St Andrew 
Groundwell Ridge (SU 141 894); Roman 
Roman masonry was unexpectedly discovered at 
Groundwell Ridge to the north of Swindon in 1996 
when building work for a new _ housing 
development started, close to earthworks thought 
to be of medieval date. Geophysical survey by the 
Ancient Monuments Laboratory and subsequent 
limited excavations suggested a high status 
establishment such as a villa of some pretension or 
a religious complex. As a result, the remains were 
scheduled as an Ancient Monument, and the site 
was purchased and transferred to Swindon 
Borough Council. An area of some 5.7ha is now 
protected from development and it is proposed 
that the site be preserved as a public open space. 
As a result, the geophysical survey team from the 
Centre for Archaeology was asked to return to the 
site and extend the geophysical survey to cover 
this entire area. The survey results suggest that, 
whilst Roman activity in the form of masonry 
buildings, enclosures and _ ditches was 
concentrated towards the centre of the site, 
archaeological remains are likely to extend across 
other parts of the protected area. However, the 
magnetometer and earth resistance surveys appear 
to be responding to different features, often 
superimposed, hinting at more than one phase of 
activity on the ridge. 
REFERENCE 
Linford, P and Martin, L. 2002. Groundwell Ridge, 
Blunsdon St Andrew, Swindon: Report on Geophysical 
Survey, March-April 2002. English Heritage Centre 
for Archaeology report series, 44/2002, (unpub- 
lished) 
Blunsdon St Andrew 
Groundwell Ridge (SU 141 894); Roman 
A limited trial GPR survey by the geophysical 
survey team from the Centre for Archaeology was 
conducted over well preserved building remains 
revealed during a previous geophysical survey (see 
above) covering an apparent complex of Roman 
activity discovered, unexpectedly, at Groundwell 
Ridge to the north of Swindon in 1996. Despite 
unfavourable, clay-rich soil conditions the GPR 
survey provided a detailed plan of the Roman 
remains to a depth of approximately 1m, 
confirming their survival in the very near surface. 
The GPR results complement the previous earth 
resistance and magnetic surveys and together the 
data suggest the presence of a high status Roman 
building possibly incorporating thermoremanent 
features, for instance associated with a hypocaust 
system. 
REFERENCE 
Linford, N., 2002. Groundwell Ridge, Blunsdon St. 
Andrew, Swindon. Report on ground penetrating radar 
survey, July 2002. English Heritage Centre for 
Archaeology report series, 83/2002, (unpublished) 
Bradford-on-Avon 
Barton Grange Farm (ST 8230 6045); Post-medieval 
and Modern 
Archaeological works undertaken over a period of 
five years between 1998 and 2003, prior to and 
during renovation of the West Barn and within the 
Barton Grange Farm Scheduled Monument 
recorded significant data regarding the 
establishment and development of the farm 
