Archaeological investigation
Season 2
Investigating THE RECTANGULAR PIT and PIPEWORK
Berengrave Local Nature Reserve
Map Reference TQ 821672

The range pole used in all photographs is 1m overall
The rectangular pit is on the extreme eastern side of the site and is listed on the site plan (below) as feature 'S'
Note: Railway tracks do not exist, but the track bed does. This allows us to be fairly accurate showing the position of the tracks on the plan
This feature comprises a concrete slab which in common with other floors on the site was cast after the building it related to had been constructed. The orientation being north northeast to south southwest, which puts it at odds with the rest of the site. This orientation puts this building on the same alignment as the rail track. The building was of wooden construction with corner posts formed from 4in x 2in (100 x 50mm) uprights in the two rear corners and a central 4in x 2in upright. Along the sides, but situated nearer the front were a further pair of uprights. This resulted in the front of the building to the south having no wall. In the centre of the floor is a concrete pit which at first appeared to have steps down at each end. When the pit was being excavated the steps were found to have poor surface finishes and leave a drop of approx 18in (450mm) to the base. Along the side walls of the pit are two pairs of matching slots which when the concrete floor was laid had been longer than necessary because the ends which are left open are of rough appearance and are approx 6in square and 9in long, the remaining piece of the slot has been filled with concrete after the beams were fitted. There is no indication what the beams supported and I can only assume they were of wooden construction. The main sump area is 6ft. x 4ft. (1.830 x1.220m) with a final depth of 46in (1.170m). The side walls are unfinished and show layers and shuttering marks. The floor is smooth and slopes slightly to the centre, but there is no drain. The main area had been backfilled with mainly small round flints and a few bricks, the floor is covered in a thin layer of black deposit which gives off a smell of oil or fuel when disturbed. Apart from the bricks and a wooden block the only artefacts found were an iron ball the same type we found earlier next to block EA (we now have two), a broken shovel blade, a discarded pipe adaptor of the type used on the iron pipe next to the pit a length of conduit and a lamp shade of the type recovered from the boiler-house.  All were found about 12in above final floor level, this may mean there was electric lighting in this building. Also a short length of harrow blade, a small iron pan and a five pronged rake of which two of the prongs appear to have been cut off and the third broken before this article was discarded.
The last items were lying on the base of the pit which suggests they were discarded before the backfill process began. We can only conclude this feature was abandoned being of no further use. As to its use it may have housed an engine or more likely it was an inspection pit used to service the locomotive or trucks. It is possible another spur track led into this but it appears too short to house a locomotive. The front edge of the floor has been badly broken up. The reason for this was that at a later date an iron pipe was buried along the front of the floor to rise to the surface inside a length of 3in angle iron which was driven into the ground. This angle iron acted as a support and protector for this pipe. This would seem to suggest the building was redundant when this pipe was installed.

The Iron Pipe and the Angle-Iron Upright The pipe which rises in the crook of the angle iron is 2in (50mm) O.D. and at a depth of approx 1ft turns to the west where its diameter increases to 2-1/4in. (58mm). This pipe then runs west across the front of feature S passing through the broken up floor layer before terminating at a T junction with a flanged and bolted coupling. At this point the pipe–work increases to 2-3/4in. (70mm) O.D. one branch heading towards the lake while the other branch has a swept bend turning the line towards the main building.
The Tee Junction and Flanged Coupling with threaded pipe connector on the left The picture shows the 2-1/4in pipe at the top coming into a flanged coupling which is screw threaded on the tee piece. This flange also acts as a reducer for the pipe size. The T piece comprises of two female threads for the pipe to the right and the swept bend to the left, the flange towards the top is a male thread into half of the flange. After the sweep there is a female threaded coupling after which the pipe heads towards the main building. The sweep of the bend is approx 45deg.
A further investigation of the line taken by the pipe resulted in finding a flanged coupling 10ft (3m) after the bend this suggests the pipes were 10ft long. After measuring out another 10ft along the line of run a bend turning the pipe westwards towards the area it has been suggested may contain another building
	This area is to the south of EA where we started our original investigation and this pipe heading into the area seems to suggest a building is to be found here. The picture on the left shows the pipe emerging above ground from the left before entering a rough brick support. These bricks are not mortared but are loose laid.
Plan of pipe run
The run of the pipe has been back filled using pieces of the concrete floor of feature S. The main composition of the back-fill of this trench is ash (presumably) from the boiler house ash pile. This helps to locate the run of the pipe, because the ash layer has proved to be a good indication we are near the pipe run. This pipe runs into the area which was earlier listed as blacksmith shop.
This ended the investigation into the Rectangular Pit and Pipework
Fraser Miller Archaeologist Friends of Berengrave