Babraham Research Campus, Babraham, Cambridgeshire: An Archaeological Excavation

A programme of archaeological investigations, ranging from watching brief to full excavation, was carried out at Babraham Research Campus. Evidence for continuous activity on this site from the Roman period up until the modern day was recovered. A single 5th to mid 8th century sunken-featured building was excavated leading to the recovery of a high quality early 6th century square headed brooch. The use of the river as a mode of transport in the 10th/11th centuries was suggested by the discovery of a possible ‘hard’. Numerous ditches and gullies forming part of the Medieval field system were excavated, the preservation of which can be seen in the field systems within the modern landscape around Babraham. Activities associated with the landscaping of the formal gardens in the 17th century were identified in the form of a terrace. The latest phase of activity recorded was dated to the 19th century where the re-landscaping of the formal gardens was identified through the excavation of paths and planting trenches