Low Hauxley, Northumberland

Archaeological deposits eroding from the sand cliffs to the south of Low Hauxley in the northern part of Druridge Bay were first identified in the early 1980s, when a Bronze Age cairn, overlying Mesolithic deposits, was exposed in the cliff; this was found to be part of a more extensive site when further excavation revealed a second cairn. The cairns lie on a slight ridge of land to the south of a peat deposit exposed below sand dunes, with potential evidence of episodes of later dune stabilisation. The coastline is subject to periods of rapid erosion, high tides, and easterly gales during the winter months which have resulted in intermittent exposure of cists within the cairn structure; subsequent excavation has revealed inhumations, cremations, and a beaker. Inland, the natural depositional sequence has been truncated by large scale opencast extraction.

The shore is designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) for its importance to Quaternary studies. Coastal erosion has exposed a sequence of glacial till, peat, and blown sand which had already been subject to investigation in relation to coastal change and has produced palynological data and radiocarbon dates from the peat ranging from 3640 - 3370 cal BC (SRR-1424; 4720±40 BP) to 1060 - 850 cal BC (SRR-1420; 2810±40 BP), with a date from the dune slack of cal AD 950 - 1160 (SRR-1583; 1380±40 BP, marine offset 405±40 BP)

Despite this work, the full extent of the site and its archaeological potential remained unknown, and in response to the continuing threat from erosion an archaeological evaluation was commissioned by English Heritage and fieldwork was carried out in October 1994 by the Lancaster University Archaeological Unit. The evaluation comprised a programme of survey, recording, augering, and trial excavation, as well as a quantification of the earlier archive and the materials recovered during the course of previous excavations. The objectives of the work were to determine the extent of the site, its archaeological potential, and the rate of erosion in order to inform the appropriate management of the site.

The fieldwork focused on detailed recording of the cliff face and peat exposures in section. Use of a Global Positioning System (GPS) provided an efficient means of recording the coastline and establishing a firm basis for future monitoring of erosion. To the rear of the cliff, hand augering through 2m - 3m of sand was carried out to determine the presence and depth of archaeological deposits and the extent of the peat deposits. Two trial trenches were excavated through the dune sand to the old ground surface (to the north-west of the known cairns). One trench, parallel to the cliff line, proved to be particularly important as it was possible to examine at this location the changing ground conditions from the higher ground of the cairn down to the wet peat edge. Test pits were excavated to obtain soil profiles and samples and a large number of flints were retrieved during this work. Diagnostic material was of Mesolithic date.

The project is now at the assessment stage. The archaeological, palaeoenvironmental, and dating evidence derived from this current phase of work, together with the material from previous excavations, will define the need for, and form, of any future work. It is clear that a multidisciplinary approach to any further work would significantly contribute to the understanding of the changes in the environment and landscape and the human exploitation of this threatened coastal site.