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Following a field evaluation in November 1993, excavations were conducted across the site of a 6ha borrow-pit occupying the lst-2nd terrace of the River Granta1 immediately to the west of the new A11 widening. These revealed evidence for intermitten settlement1 agricultural and ceremonial activity from the Mesolithic to the Saxon period. This, the first part of the report, describes prehistoric activity on the site. The area was transversed by marl filled palaeochannels of Pleistocene date. The earliest indications of human activity were provided by occasional pieces of (late?) Mesolithic flintwork. More sustained occupation took place during the earlier Neolithic, indicated by a lithic scatter, and then in the later Bronze Age. Associated with the latter were a number of pits, many containing burnt flint fills, an atypical ring-ditch, and quantities of flint debitage in a peri-glacial hollow. The 'ring-ditch' comprised a small circular ditched monument (9m in diameter) with radial external pits, post settings within the ditch, and a sunken central area with a post-pit containing the cremated remains of an adult. A second cremation came from a pit within 11m of the monument. Dating is provided by large quantities of crudely worked flint and later Bronze Age ceramics. Few analogies are evident for this monument.

A narrow trench dug to install new railings along the front of the Old Bishop's Palace revealed part of a previously unknown medieval cemetery established in the 14th century or earlier. Five burials and the bones of at least two more disturbed skeletons were investigated. Other early featuires revealed within the trench were a substantial wall foundation and three mortared floors. The early features were all truncated by a general levelling of the area, probably related to the construction and extension of the Bishop's Palace in the late 15th and early 16th centuries. This episode of levelling was overlaid by a pebbled surface which served either as a roadway or the precinct of the Bishop's Palace in the 16th century.

An archaeological recording brief was carried out during the construction of new gardeners' accommodation to the west of the garden wall (NGR TL 39186032) within the grounds of Madingley Hall, Cambridgeshire. The work was undertaken by the author for the Cambridge Archaeological Unit on 18th and 19th July 1995. This recording brief has shown evidence of substantial earth moving and deposition of material in the application area, similar to that found in Area 2 of the 1991 evaluation (Gdaniec 1991). These deposits may preserve earlier pre-Hall features, although no evidence of any such activity was found.

An archaeological evaluation was conducted in an area c. 1664 square metres on the north-west side of the village of Hemingford Grey. This land, on the north-west side of the High Street, formed the subject of an archaeological condition attached to the planning consent for the construction of seven houses with associated infrastructure, built by Dean Homes. Its location in the old heart of the village (NGR TL 294705) warranted investigation work to be conducted prior to the removal of the condition and to enable construction to proceed. The evaluation was funded by the Developer Dean Homes and carried out over 2 days in May 1995. The trench investigations largely corroborated the main phases of Post- Medieval to 20th century land use and indicated the levels of disturbance caused by the laundry and factory sites formerly located in the development plot. Of note were the two ditches which were evident against the northern site boundary which were part of the Romano British settlement based on the gravel terrace of the Ouse. This contributes a new find spot for the Sites and Monuments Record of Cambridgeshire although it is unfortunate that so much of the development plot had been truncated by later services and pits.

Between the 1st and 2nd of August 1995, three test pits were excavated along the southern side of the South Choir of Ely Cathedral, prior to the installation of a new drainage system. The recording of the archaeological features was carried out by the Cambridge Archaeological Unit for Purcell, Miller, Tritton and Partners on behalf of the Dean and Chapter of Ely Cathedral. The proposed drainage trench will run along the southern side of the South Choir being 0.65m deep at the west falling to 1.22m at the east. An archaeological assessment was undertaken to establish whether any deposits of archaeological interest would be disturbed in the course of this work. Of particular concern was the presence of the medieval Monks cemetery and possible existence of associated sarcophagi which are known to exist to the south of the Choir. Another aim was to determine whether a nineteenth century drainage system existed to the south of the Choir and if so whether it could be utilised in the proposed development.

The CAU were commissioned to undertake an evaluation on land owned by St. John's College School prior to the proposed development of new music school rooms. The assessment area covers an area of some 27m by 20m at the back of No. 71 Grange Rd. (TL 4392 5888). The site lies some 40m to the north-west of the line of the main southern approach road to the Roman town. Six inhumations were excavated at 71 Grange Rd. during construction in 1912. A strong possibility existed of finding further roadside burials and/or field systems respecting the road. Two trial trenches were laid out east-west along the axis of the planned building. No archaeology of any import was uncovered.

An archaeological evaluation was carried out at Manor Farm Barns, Litlington, in advance of the proposed re-development of barns into residential units. Substantial quantities of Roman building material within the observed stratigraphy confirmed the close proximity of a well-known Roman villa to the north-west, and the presence of a Roman gully suggested that the development area overlies an enclosure or field system associated with the villa estate. The unexpected discovery of imported Late Iron Age pottery raises the status of the site in terms of settlement already established there prior to the construction of the villa estate.

In advance of the construction of accommodation buildings, on August 11th 1995 an archaeological evaluation was carried out within the grounds of Pembroke College, Cambridge (TL 45045804). Four sub-square quarry pits dating to the 19th century were identified. Whilst there was no direct evidence of pre-19th century activity, four sherds of 'early' pottery were recovered: all be them residual. They all probably derive from field manuring

Although recent fieldwork on the southern side of the Hospital had produced largely negative archaeological results (Wait 1992), lying only 70m northeast of a major and important Iron Age settlement excavated during its original construction in the 1960's, in mid August 1995 a fieldwork evaluation was considered necessary on the proposed 'L'-shaped development site (0.45ha; TL 46555534). However again, no archaeology was found to be present.

A second phase of assessment was carried out at Willingham to answer questions arising from the first phase (Dickens 1995). Specifically these were: (1) To extend the investigation area to the north and south in order to narrow down the extent of the Saxon remains. (2) To determine the nature of a number of features partially revealed in the first phase and to determine whether or not they were structural.

Recording occurred during refurbishment of the College's Halls and Kitchen in July and August of 1995. The work arose as a result of planning conditions relating to the listed buildings' fabric and, therefore, was largely architectural. However, the opportunity was taken to record a contractor's service pit and a small sondage was excavated within the Outer Court.

Between the 5th-llth October 1995 an archaeological watching brief was undertaken by Cambridge Archaeological Unit during the construction of three residential units at Church Lane in the village of Bartlow. The work was carried out on behalf of Enterprise Heritage (Construction) Limited and involved monitoring and recording work within foundation trenches. Removal of the topsoil in most of the trenches revealed the clean chalk geology. Several ephemeral features were noted these being filled with a mid brown silty gravel, their irregular form along with the absence of artefacts suggested natural formation - that they were possibly tree bowls. The natural chalk undulated across the site giving rise to shallow accumulations of mid orange brown alluvial clayey silts and gravels. No other archaeological features were noted.