The work was undertaken from dawn to dusk, in three shifts.  Close liasion was needed with the contractors to ensure that the work was undertaken safely.

Staff on site had to wear disposable protective clothing. Their boots and vehicle were disinfected daily at the on-site decontamination centre.

Once the presence of significant archaeology had been established, a geophysical survey was used to  target  areas of high potential in areas where excavation was proposed  in the second stage of  creating burial pits.  

As a result, the rest of the plan of the Roman farmstead was recovered, suggesting that the bulk of this lies preserved beneath the runway and land to the north.

The site of a previously unknown Iron Age settlement was also discovered. This was in an area which was originally going to be used for the excavation of burial pits. Because of the significance of the discovery, however, MAFF immediately took this part of the site out of the scheme.

After work on the burial pits had been completed, a more formal evaluation excavation was undertaken in an area projected for further pits.  This confimed the presence of well-preserved Roman remains.

Although no further burial pits are now plannned, this part of the site is still under threat from degradation of the archaeology by the engineering works. It is hoped to complete the open  excavation of this area in the near future.