Most of the anomalies identified on the survey that were targeted were confirmed by the trenching, particularly the ditches in 5 trenches which match up with the large and small enclosures on the survey. The fourth trench also confirms some of the features on the survey that suggest a double ditched enclosure.

First trench:

This trench contained a single, medium size ditch running north to south located towards the western side of the trench. The width of the feature was approximately 1.5m and the excavated section measured 0.69m deep. Both sides of the ditch had 45o sloping sides and the base had a narrow rounded point. The fill consisted of brown sandy-clay with a few water worn rounded pebbles and contained no artefacts. This ditch lies on the same alignment as a linear geophysical feature that might represent an enclosure ditch.

Fourth trench:

Two ditches were discovered in this trench. These two parallel ditch features are thought to be part of double ditch enclosure detected during the geophysical survey.

A ditch, approximately 1.86m wide and 0.60m deep ran across the trench from north-east to south-west. The north-west side of the ditch had 45o slope but the south-east side much steeper and the base was broad and rounded. The fill was a mid-red-brown sandy-silt mixed with an occasional small round pebbles. The fill contained no artefacts.

Further north was a second ditch orientated north-east to south-west, and measuring 2.4m wide and 0.74m deep. This wide ditch had gradual sloping sides that break gentle into broad undulating base. The fill comprised red brown sandy-silt mixed with frequent medium and large rounded pebbles. No artefacts were found with this ditch fill.

Sixth trench:

This trench was located in the north-west corner of the field and targeted a single wide geophysical linear feature orientated north-east to south-west. A wide linear ditch was found at the western end of the trench that approximately matches the location of the geophysical feature. The ditch measured 2.58m wide and 0.48m deep and had 45o sloping sides with a very broad, flat base.The fill comprised pale brown sandy-silt clay mixed with occasional small round pebble and charcoal fleck. The feature contained no artefacts.

Tenth trench:

This trench was excavated over what was thought to be the corner or junction between geophysical linear features and a corner of a ditch was revealed at the eastern end of this trench. The ditch was had sharp right angle turn to it and measured 1.80m wide and 0.40m deep with undulating sloping sides and a flat base. The fill consisted of yellowish-brown silty-sand with pebbles and charcoal flecks. The fill also contained a single sherd of Roman pottery.

Eleventh trench:

This trench targeted a small double ditched enclosure located on the western edge of the field. Two ditches were found towards the western edge of the trench that appears to correspond with the geophysical features.

One ditch had very steep, sloping sides that break sharply into a narrow point at the base. The ditch measured 1.45m wide and 0.65m deep. The fill comprised pale yellow-brown silty-sand with occasional pebbles.

A second larger ditch was found approximately 6m to the east which measured 2.00m wide and 0.80m deep. This ditch had steep 45o sloping sides with a rounded base. The ditch had a primary fill of grey-yellow silty-sand mixed with charcoal flecks and containing Roman pottery sherds. Overlying this was a second fill comprising pale yellow-brown silty-sand with occasional pebbles.

Twentieth trench:

This trench targeted geophysical linear features that suggested a possible enclosure.

A large ditch was exposed at the western end of the trench running north-west to south-east direction that matched one of the geophysical anomalies. The ditch measured 2.50m wide and had a depth of 0.80m with steep 45o slightly convex sides and arounded base. The ditch contained a primary fill that comprised orange-brown sand with occasional pebbles. Overlying this was a second fill which consisted of pale yellowish-brown silty-sand. This fill was very mixed with sherds of Roman pottery and animal bone, suggesting possible domestic refuse disposal. Possible domestic refused dumped in the ditch suggests that there could be settlement activity nearby although no evidence was recovered for post-holes and or other features that may be interpreted as being structural.

Towards the eastern end of the trench a second smaller ditch was found corresponding with the second geophysical anomaly. The ditch was orientated in a north to south direction and measured 0.70m wide and 0.49m deep. The narrow, shallow feature had steep sloping sides and an uneven base. It contained a pale yellow-brown sand and silt fill. A single Roman pottery sherd was found within the feature.

Tim Higgins, 2013, An Archaeological Evaluation at Gateford Park, Gateford, Worksop, Nottinghamshire (Unpublished document). SNT5742.