The Former Government Offices Site, Brooklands Avenue, Cambridge: Residentail Site. Archaeological Evaluation (Part 1)

Residential development is proposed on land to the south of Brooklands Avenue, Cambridge (site centre TL4560 5677). Between the 10th December 2002 and the 17th December 2002 a small team from the Cambridge Archaeological Unit (CAU) was commissioned to do an archaeological evaluation of part of the proposed site. This work was undertaken on behalf of Kajima UK. The area of the proposed re-development covers some 9.25 ha, bounded to the north by Brooklands Avenue, to the east by Shaftesbury Road, to the south by the Cambridge University Press complex and to the west by Hobson's Brook and an area known as 'Empty Common'. Partly occupied by five blocks of single storey offices built in 1946 (the 'spider buildings') with associated roads and services, the area also includes a two storey reinforced bunker built during the Cold War as the Regional Seat of Government (Cocroft 1997). Immediately outside the site lies Brooklands, a brick mansion built about 1827. The gardens associated with the house lie within the development area