Monument record 0079900000 - LARBOURNE FARM, THORNEY

Mammalian bones & pottery found during gravel extraction 1960-1 (00:001-003) (B1).
Excavation in 1962 produced bones, Roman & Medieval pottery, Roman tile & Egyptian ushabti (B2-4).
In 1966 the discovery of a human skull was reported from the site (B5).
In Lavenden's pit, immediately east of Mansion Lane and 50 yards north of the canal, many flint artefacts were found: 16 handaxes, one chopper, two cleavers, one hammerstone, one Levalloisian blade and flakes (B7)
In the ballast pits east of Larborne farm in Iver, Romano-British pottery and may broken fragments ranging in date from the first to the fourth centuries AD have been found. They have been studied and classified at the Museum of London. The quantity of the finds and their range in date would justify further investigation in this area, although it appears that most of this site has already been destroyed by gravel workings (B7).



(TQ 043786) In 1961 antler picks, animal bones, some 1st or 2nd century pottery and a piece of Samian ware and fragments of a 12th-13th century pot were found in heaps of soil along the western edge of the gravel pits to the west of Lambourne Farm (B8).
In 1962, Dr Francis Celoria investigated the site when a number of pits were dug and further bones and pottery were found at varying levels. This pottery ranged from the 1st-4th century. The full details of the excavation have yet to be published (B9).
Dr Celoria's excavations yielded an Acheulian ovate implement. The exact point of discovery being TQ 044784 (B10).
The approximate site of Dr Celoria's excavation was indicated on OS 6" by Mr C Stanley at c TQ 04597897. Mr Stanley, who visited the excavation, states that the pottery was very worn, and may not have been found in situ. He believes there is no clear evidence of RB occupation. Dr Celoria cannot be contacted. There is no local knowledge of the Acheulian ovate or the human skull, and no recent finds have been made. The area is threatened by further gravel quarrying (B11 and B12).

This record includes National Record of the Historic Environment Information provided by Historic England on 4 June 2025 licensed under the Open Government Licence.