Watching Brief

What is it?

An archaeological watching brief is one of the more common forms of archaeological service often requested by the local planning authority (LPA) for a project. The watching brief effectively allows the development or ground disturbance to continue as usual albeit with an archaeologist present to monitor the excavations for any potential archaeology.

A watching brief is exactly as it sounds, the archaeologist will monitor the ground disturbance looking for any evidence for previous disturbance. This will involve:

• noting the geological make up of the ground from the deepest portion of the excavation through to the present-day ground surface

• photographing and drawing any portions (called representative sections) of the excavated areas or trenches

• recover any finds (artefacts) that are revealed.

If any archaeological material is found, the archaeologist will temporarily pause the groundworks in order to assess and record (by taking photographs, drawings and detailed notes) the archaeology before allowing the groundworks to continue. If the archaeology encountered is determined to be significant or requiring more time to assess and record, the archaeologist will seek advice from the LPA's archaeological advisor(s) to the best way to proceed.

If you think you might require a watching brief or would like further information, please Contact Us