Monument record 0187500000 - STRATFORD'S YARD, CHESHAM

STRATFORD'S YARD - OLD PROPERTY INCLUDING C16 HOUSE (01:000). EXCAVATION IN ADVANCE OF DEVELOPMENT REVEALED MESOLITHIC AND NEOLITHIC OCCUPATION, AND AN UNIQUE BEAKER BOWL FOUND IN THE C19 MAY HAVE COME FROM A FUNERARY CONTEXT (02: 000, 03:000, 04:000)(B1).


Mesolithic flints including microliths, scrapers and a quantity of working debris, together with a few fragments of coarse prehistoric pottery, were discovered by the Chess Valley Arch and Hist. Society buried beneath circa 2ft of hillwash during the excavation of a 17th century cottage at SP 960015 (B8).
In 1969-70 excavations by the Chess Valley Arch and Hist Society in Stratford's Yard revealed a Mesolithic working floor. The precise site was indicated by Mr A Stratford on his site plan at SP 95970147. He retains most of the finds which include microliths, scrapers, cores etc totalling 300-400 flints. Excavation report pending (B7).
In 1982, a im square excavation, together with a watching brief during construction work clarified some issues outstanding from the 1969 excavation. A further 28 microliths, 23 cores, several other flints, and organic material was found (B9 and B10).

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