Sherford New Town, Devon

The project

Orion Heritage provides ongoing archaeological consultancy and project management services for Sherford New Town, a major strategic development to the east of Plymouth delivering 5,500 homes, schools, community facilities, employment space and extensive green infrastructure on behalf of the Sherford Consortium — a partnership between Vistry Group and Taylor Wimpey.

Located within an archaeologically rich landscape, Sherford has required one of the most extensive and long-running programmes of archaeological mitigation in the region. Orion Heritage was appointed during the later stages of Phase One to develop a new strategic approach to the management of archaeological works across the remaining phases of the new town.

Our role has included agreeing a fresh, pragmatic framework for archaeological evaluation, excavation and post-excavation work with Devon County Council, alongside preparing a comprehensive site-wide Written Scheme of Investigation covering all future phases of development.

Our approach

Since appointment, Orion Heritage has procured and managed major programmes of archaeological investigation across multiple residential phases and the new Sherford Business Park, coordinating works carefully alongside live construction and infrastructure delivery.

A key part of the project has involved developing targeted and proportionate mitigation strategies, including identifying areas within Sherford’s extensive Country Park where archaeological remains can be preserved in situ, helping reduce unnecessary excavation and protect important heritage assets within the wider masterplan.

The results

The scale and significance of discoveries at Sherford have continued to evolve throughout the project.

In 2021, internationally important Ice Age animal remains, including woolly mammoth, woolly rhino, wolf and hyena, were discovered. Orion Heritage rapidly assembled and managed a specialist team of leading Pleistocene experts, field archaeologists and stakeholders to design and deliver a complex investigation programme under significant technical and programme pressures.

More recently, investigations connected to the delivery of Sherford Business Park revealed further evidence of extensive prehistoric and Romano-British activity across the site, including a probable Roman road, Bronze Age settlement evidence and Roman-period farmsteads. These discoveries continue to transform understanding of the area’s ancient landscape and long history of settlement, movement and trade.

Throughout the project, Orion Heritage has acted as the central coordinating consultancy between the Consortium, archaeological contractors, Devon County Council, Historic England and the wider consultant team – helping balance rigorous archaeological investigation with the practical realities of delivering one of the South West’s largest strategic developments.

Alongside excavation and mitigation, Orion Heritage has also played an important role in communicating Sherford’s discoveries to wider audiences, supporting media engagement, public outreach and educational activity in collaboration with project partners and The Box, Plymouth.

Archaeological investigations and post-excavation work at Sherford remain ongoing, with further significant discoveries continuing to emerge as the new community develops.