An archaeological evaluation, consisting of four 10m x 2m trenches, was undertaken on an area of grassland known as Harvey’s Field, in the town of Southwell in the Newark and Sherwood district of Nottinghamshire. The evaluation site forms part of a flood alleviation zone on both sides of the Potwell Dyke watercourse, within the south-eastern edge of the town. Roman, Anglo-Saxon and medieval remains are present in the vicinity, including a Scheduled Roman villa, a late Saxon cemetery, the remains of the medieval Archbishop’s Palace and the extant medieval Southwell Minster. An archaeological desk-based assessment assessed the site as being of high archaeological potential for remains of the Roman and Anglo-Saxon periods, while the presence of medieval and post-medieval remains was of moderate likelihood. The archaeological potential of the site appears to be relatively low, with only one large ditch, probably a water management feature, encountered during the evaluation. Dating evidence was extremely sparse, but it is possible that the ditch had a long working lifespan and continued in use into the post-medieval period.