Six 1m test pits were dug at intervals of 40m along the proposed length of trench 08 as a means of establishing the sub ploughsoil stratigraphy prior to machining and to provide further information on the densities of finds in the ploughsoil. These were hand dug down to Mercia Mudstone or drift in a series of 0.1m spits and the spoil was seived through a 0.01m mesh to maximise artefact recovery. Additional test pits were excavated over the line of a private water supply and in the side of a drainage ditch adjacent to the A46 to determine whether the Roman road surface survived at this point. (1) See E9121 for fieldwalking, E9123 for trench 08, E9124 for trench 09, E9125 for watching brief on pipeline.