Monument record BSE 382 - Bury St Edmunds ROC Post

Cold War ROC Post in the middle of Westley Middle School playing field 50 yards South of the public footpath running along the north side of the playing field. All surface features were removed and the shaft top sealed shortly after closure. A slightly raised area in the playing field marks the site (S1).

The study are is located within an area of archaeological potential, most significantly dating to the Prehistoric and Modern Periods, although the potential for Roman activity cannot be ruled out. Most notably, Prehistoric activity is recorded within a 600m radius of the proposed development area, including the location of potential Palaeolithic tools close to the southeast corner of the Project Site. Whilst Modern activity is represented by the location of the Royal Observer Corps 1962 bunker, just 20m west of the proposed new development. Furthermore, reports of undated human remains are recorded on the Project Site (20m to the east of the proposed new development) and in association with finds recorded on land just 300m to the southeast. Whilst the location of these finds is unconfirmed, the potential for human remains to be preserved in the vicinity of the development area should not be ruled out. Whilst there is no evidence of the preservation of archaeology of national significance within the confines of the Project Site, it is considered that an evaluation of the development area should be carried out to assess the potential for buried archaeology and human remains (S2).