Epsom Cluster Hospitals at Horton Retail Site, Chantilly Way;
West Park Hospital, Christ Church Road; and St Ebba’s Hospital,
Hook Road, Epsom, Surrey.
Horton Retail Site: TQ 1963 6218
West Park Hospital: TQ 1845 6130
St Ebba’s Hospital: TQ 2046 6253
(James Young Langthorne) Evaluation (Dates See below) CgMs
Horton Retail Site: SHOR 07
West Park Hospital: SWES 07
St Ebba’s Hospital: SEBM 07
This report details the results and working methods of an archaeological
evaluation undertaken by Pre-Construct Archaeology Ltd at three
sites collectively known as the Epsom Cluster Hospital Site, in
Epsom, Surrey. The excavations were undertaken consecutively: Firstly
at the Horton Retail Site, Chantilly Way (TQ 1963 6218) between
8th October 2007 and 12th October 2007, then at West Park Hospital,
Christ Church Road (TQ 1845 6130) between 11th October 2007 and
26th October 2007, and finally at St. Ebba’s Hospital, Hook
Road (TQ 2046 6253) between 25th October 2007 and 9th November 2007.
The archaeological programme consisted of a series of trial trenches,
which were to determine the archaeological potential of the sites
in order to provide guidance on ways to accommodate any identifiable
archaeological constraints. There were 19 trenches excavated at
the Horton Retail Site, 63 trenches at West Park Hospital, and 38
at St Ebba’s Hospital.
No archaeological deposits were discovered at either West Park
Hospital or St Ebba’s Hospital and at the Horton Retail Site
only slight traces of archaeological activity were encountered.
These deposits comprised a gully and two small pits in Trench 3
and a possible pit in Trench 2. The pottery found in one of the
pits and the gully indicated that they were high to late medieval
in date. Both of these trenches are located close to the western
site boundary of the Horton site.
The earliest deposits encountered on all three sites were natural
clay and silty sands in most of the trenches. Where the trenches
were not reduced to natural deposits this was due to modern intrusions
such as services or tree roots being encountered within the trenches.
It has been concluded that any archaeological deposits within earlier
soil horizons have been severely truncated by construction and other
associated works on all three sites.
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