“We will be working closely with the Oxford Cotswold Archaeology (OCA) team throughout the life of the scheme to ensure that this rich history is preserved for generations to come.
“Gloucestershire and the Cotswolds have a rich cultural heritage, and the team will bring their expertise to bear in adding to that history. In keeping with National Highways’ approach to protecting the country’s cultural heritage, we will ensure that archaeological remains are preserved and recorded.
“As well as delivering the road upgrade, we’re absolutely committed to conserving and, where possible, enhancing the historic environment and the special landscape around the A417.”
OCA Project Manager, Alex Thompson, said: “Oxford Cotswold Archaeology is very pleased to be supporting National Highways and Kier on the A417 Missing Link project. During our previous evaluation trenching we identified features of Neolithic, Iron Age, Roman, Saxon, medieval, post-medieval, and modern date, so we’re clear that the area really is rich with archaeological potential.
“We recovered some fantastic artefacts during the evaluation stage, including items from WWII, nearly 16kg of pottery, 28 Roman coins, Roman brooches, and a rare figurine depicting Cupid as Hercules.
“We’re all looking forward to delivering this exceptional programme of archaeological mitigation, and uncovering further evidence of the human stories this landscape holds. We hope to be able to share more brilliant discoveries soon!”