Case Study: Airport Business Park
Excavation and post-excavation programme delivered beside London Southend Airport, revealing a multi-period landscape of national significance while keeping enabling works on schedule.
Client
Henry Boot Developments Ltd
Sector
Commercial Development / Infrastructure Enabling Works
Location
Southend-on-Sea, Essex, UK
The Challenge
The Airport Business Park development required significant archaeological works in advance of construction. Situated beside a live airport and spanning nearly 4 hectares, the project posed challenges of complexity, logistics, and timing.
- Multi-period heritage landscape with potential for nationally significant remains.
- Operational constraints of working adjacent to an active airport.
- Tight programme interfaces with construction and SUDS design.
- Multiple stakeholders including developer, planning authority, and archaeological advisors.
Our Approach
Infra JV delivered excavation, recording, and post-excavation works to the highest standards. Key elements included:
- Strip, map, and sample methodology with GPS planning and detailed recording.
- Environmental and scientific sampling for AMS dating and economy reconstruction.
- Specialist finds management (ceramics, metalwork, lithics, faunal and human remains).
- Close engagement with Essex County Council Place Services and Wessex Archaeology to ensure compliance.
- Strong health, safety and risk management coordinating with airport operations and enabling works.
Some Statistics
Key Discoveries
Excavations revealed a multi-period landscape, including:
- Extensive prehistoric co-axial field systems and later roundhouse structures.
- Cremation burials and a rare bovine burial with a Deverel-Rimbury pot.
- A Middle Bronze Age bronze dirk fragment and other notable artefacts.
- Roman reorganisation of fields, Saxon settlement traces, and medieval re-use.
- WWII slit trenches reflecting the site’s 20th-century defensive role.
The Results
- Excavation completed on programme (Aug 2018 – Mar 2019) despite operational challenges.
- Created a comprehensive archive: nearly 3,000 records, 1,000+ drawings, 3,000 photographs, and 184 samples.
- Delivered a robust post-excavation plan with AMS dating, specialist reporting, and publication pathways.
- Secured stakeholder confidence through compliance, transparency, and integration with Phase 1 results.
Why Infra?
The Airport Business Park excavation demonstrates Infra’s capability to deliver complex, time-sensitive archaeological programmes without delaying development. Clients choose Infra for:
Scale
Capacity to mobilise large specialist teams rapidly.
Expertise
Decades of archaeological and heritage management experience.
Innovation
Digital recording, GIS integration, and advanced scientific analysis.
Partnership
Strong collaboration with clients, regulators, and communities.
Outcome
By combining archaeological expertise with strong project management, Infra enabled the Airport Business Park development to progress on schedule while safeguarding a landscape of national significance and creating lasting research value.