Ravelin Archaeological Services

With over 30 years of experience Ravelin Archaeological Services provides a full range of consultancy and fieldwork services. Whether it is a private house extension or a large commercial infrastructure project, our team have the experience and knowledge for your next project.

Ravelin Archaeological Services is based in Kent, operating primarily around London and the Southeast. however, with our extensive network of national partners we provide a highly professional and cost-effective service no matter where you are in the UK.

Archaeological desk-based assessments can be carried out in advance of planning and support a planning application.  The aim is to determine, as far as is possible from existing information, the nature, extent and significance of the historic environment resource within the site and its environs, and to provide an initial assessment of the potential impact of development on archaeological remains that may be present. 

The aim and objective of the archaeological watching brief is to identify, excavate, record and analyse archaeological remains that may be disturbed by the proposed development and to contribute to the historical and archaeological knowledge of the site through the recording of archaeological remains exposed as a result of excavations associated with the proposed development.

A watching brief involves the monitoring of groundworks as they are carried out and is normally carried out alongside your groundworks contractor., thereby minimising any delay to your works programme.

The purpose of the archaeological evaluation is to evaluate the potential of the site for the presence of any surviving archaeological remains. This is normally carried out using linear trenches approximately 1.8m in width with varying lengths. The size of your development will determine the number of trenches required but as a guide the evaluation trenches areas would normally equate to 4-5% of the total development area. If archaeological remains are present then further mitigation may be required, i.e., a watching brief, additional trenching and/or open area excavations.

The objective of the archaeological excavation is to reveal the presence or absence of additional elements of the archaeological site, both artefacts and ecofacts of archaeological interest across part of the area of the development. This would normally follow an archaeological evaluation and may be targetted depending on the evaluation results.