A single anomaly of archaeological origin has been detected within the dataset. This anomaly is a strongly magnetic, rectilinear partial enclosure with sides measuring approximately 47m by 33m, located in the northwest of one field. This enclosure is not on any prior OS mapping and part of its shape can be seen as a faint crop mark on satellite imagery from 2017. The partial enclosure does not align with nor respect any current/former field boundaries and agricultural trends, suggesting an earlier origin for this feature. This anomaly looks similar to the cropmarks recorded to the south of the Site and it’s form in plan would suggest a potential Iron Age or Romano-British date. (1)

An evaluation trench through part of the enclosure encountered a ditch. The ditch, on a northeast to southwest orientation, had a steep sides, measuring 2.86m wide and 1.04m deep. The base was not reached due to the total depth within the trench exceeding 1.2m. The ditch contained three fills. A total of 22 sherds of prehistoric pottery and 90 fragments of animal bone, predominantly cattle with some sheep/goat, were recovered from the lowest and middle fills. Pottery from the middle fill, amounting to 17 sherds, was likely mid-to late Iron Age in date. Soil sampling produced charred wheat from the middle and uppermost fills contained some charred material thought likely to be oat. A sample taken from the lowest fill was sterile. Some suspected slag from the middle fill was, following specialist assessment, considered likely to be burnt organic material, either bone or coal. The ditch corresponded with a linear feature identified on the geophysical survey, which may represent a rectangular enclosure. (2)

Within the same evaluation trench, a pit was recorded in the centre of the enclosure. The pit was sub-circular in plan and had a very steep sided profile with a wide flat base. It measured at least 1.3m wide and 0.35m deep. The pit extended beyond the limit of the trench and was at least 2m long. It contained three fills. The lowest deposit contained an abundance of stone inclusions, whilst the uppermost deposit contained a few heat-affected stones, six flint flakes and eight sherds of pottery. The pottery and flint were broadly dated to the prehistoric period though the pit is assumed to be broadly contemporary with the ditch. Soil sampling of middle and uppermost fills produced traces of crushed probable oak charcoal. (2)

<1> Jacob Hurst Myszor, Amy Chatterton, and Jake Freeman, 2023, Geophysical Survey at Barron's Solar Farm, Burton Joyce (Unpublished document). SNT5781.

<2> S. Golby, 2025, Barrons Solar Farm, Burton Joyce, Nottinghamshire: Trial Trench Evaluation (Unpublished document). SNT6522.