MAJOR Iron Age remains have been uncovered on land off Grovewood Road in Haydon, calling into question a proposed housing development on the site.

The discovery of artefacts at the Radstock location comes after archaeological investigations were carried out ahead of a planning application, that would increase the size of Haydon by around 50 percent.

Archaeologists identified eight large Iron Age storage pits, a human burial place, three substantial rock cut ditches, animal remains, and nearly 1000 shards of Iron Age pottery and almost 3,000 fragments of bone.

The interim report, published by South West Archaeology Ltd confirms that the burial, animal deposits and curated clay layers are of clear archaeological interest, strongly suggesting the site formed part of a substantial Iron Age settlement.

The discoveries now raise significant questions about whether the development can proceed without further investigation, redesign, or preservation in situ.

B&NES councillor for Radstock, Lesley Mansell said: “These finds are extraordinary. The scale of the pits, the human burial, and the animal deposits show that Haydon holds a far richer and more complex history than anyone realised.

“We owe it to our community, and to future generations, to protect this heritage properly, not rush ahead and destroy it before it has even been understood.”