ANCIENT roads, pottery shards and tobacco pipes were dug up beneath an Oxford street.

Archaeologists also found evidence of undiscovered culverts to carry streams below Old Abingdon Road.

The findings have helped date the original ancient crossing point over the River Thames.

In total the five-week dig in October and November found six pottery shards, four pieces of clay tobacco pipe, two pieces of ceramic building material, a horseshoe, a piece of harness, seven pieces of glass, a post-Medieval bottle or flask and a window pane.

These were all hidden among a series of Medieval and post-Medieval road surfaces.

The dig was paid for by the Environment Agency (EA), which is investigating what is under the ground along the proposed route of its Oxford flood alleviation channel.

Flood scheme project director Joanna Larmour said: "We found some great pieces including pottery shards from a medieval jug, a horseshoe from the late 17th – early 18th century and, most importantly for us, evidence of ancient culverts.

"These have all help us understand just how long this has been a river crossing and a route into Oxford."

The EA will use the findings to plan where its flood channel can go beneath Old Abingdon Road.

The route of the road is thought to be part of the stone or earth causeway known as Grandpont which dates back to Saxon times.

The route also includes Folly Bridge, commissioned by Norman baron Robert d'Oilly who also built Oxford Castle in 1071.

Grandpont had more than 30 arches or culverts which crossed the rivers, streams and marshes in the area, seven of them thought to be beneath Old Abingdon Road.

From previous investigations in the area it was believed that there were culverts beneath the road dating from Norman and later medieval (12th to late 15th century) times.

Now the EA's findings have suggested there are more culverts along the road.

Senior archaeologist Catherine Grindey said: "From our perspective, the archaeological evaluation was a great success.

"We have had many questions answered and have better information on which to base our plans."

The EA shared its findings with county archaeologists and Historic England, which will follow up with more investigations in the flood scheme area over the coming months.

Meanwhile the agency can now finalise its designs for the five-kilometre channel from Botley Road to Sandford on Thames.

The detailed design of the scheme will be shared at a public consultation from May 5 to June 6.