History Group investigation Wednesday 1st September 2021.

The group decided to investigate a rectangular hollow just to the east of Oak Walk. The hollow shows up clearly on LIDAR.

We used a soil auger to make boreholes along a 40 m transect across the hollow.

As the sediments were extracted we laid them out in lengths of rainwater guttering. 

We classified the soils using a Munsell Soil Colour Chart and the average value was 10YR 6/6. We also carried out a 'Dirty Hands Test' which showed us that the soil is a silt/clay loam.

The conclusion was that most of the area is underlain by Chalky Boulder Clay which has been very deeply weathered in post glacial times. There appears to have been a thick layer of gravel laid over the top of the clay along the line of Oak Walk. We could find no evidence of either a pond or a garden as had been suggested. The conclusion was that soil had been moved from the sloping ground to the east and used to level up Oak Walk to make it easier, safer and more comfortable for coaches, carriages and carts. See diagram.