In the summer of 1955 a deep trench for a sewer was cut from the Bypass Road up towards the centre of the former waterworks enclosure at Sheepen. The trench was fairly wide and some 12ft deep, and it showed the undisturbed soil was soft yellow sand. Above this lay a variable depth of disturbed soil. The trench was driven right through the former "springs" and there was no trace of water, at the middle of the former enclosure the trench turned away to the SW of a new line taking it direct to the SW corner of the field. The site was raided after work each day by local children and the museum was not able to record much of use. Various Roman and native pottery eventually found its way to the museum and Hull notes seeing 'Mr Jarmin and a Mr Baird, assisted by Children 'excavating' what they called a hearth' <1>