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To the immediate south of the runway at Cambridge airport, there are a large number of possibly-concrete things embedded in the grass.

I'm not sure whether they are have any aviation-related function, but they are mostly either parallel or perpendicular to the runway.

The question is - what are they?

Aerial view here.

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    $\begingroup$ Alien homing beacons. $\endgroup$
    – Vikki
    Commented Nov 7, 2019 at 22:15
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    $\begingroup$ Jumbo game of battleships. $\endgroup$
    – TEK
    Commented Nov 9, 2019 at 2:04

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In 2017 there was a major archeological dig in the area of Hatherdene Close and Coldhams Lane at the south end of the Cambridge airport. The "criss-cross patterns" are additional exploratory trenches as part of a "Preliminary Archaeological Investigation".

Welcome to the public consultation on the emerging development proposals for the creation of a new neighbourhood at Land North of Cherry Hinton

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Anglo-Saxon artefacts unearthed on Cambridge building site

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The area is also the subject of a Planning Document. I had a quick read through the document and I found a reference to "Preliminary Archaeological Investigations", which are the trenches seen in the aerial photo.

LAND NORTH OF CHERRY HINTON Planning Document

enter image description here enter image description here

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  • $\begingroup$ Huh. Seems awfully close to an airport for a residential zone. Not sure how active that runway is, but I don't think I'd want to live there... $\endgroup$
    – Darrel Hoffman
    Commented Nov 8, 2019 at 16:27
  • $\begingroup$ @DarrelHoffman Pretty common over here! We don't have much space. That airport isn't going to be servicing any large passenger jets though. $\endgroup$
    – Lightness Races in Orbit
    Commented Nov 8, 2019 at 16:35
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    $\begingroup$ @DarrelHoffman What do you consider "awfully close"? There are airports that look just as close and apparently far busier (according to a quick look at FlightRadar24) in the northeastern US. I've got a friend that lives right under the final approach area, and he doesn't notice a thing. $\endgroup$
    – T.J.L.
    Commented Nov 8, 2019 at 16:59
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    $\begingroup$ On the other hand, the airport is expected to close altogether and be redeveloped for housing in the next decade, with Marshalls moving away; bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cambridgeshire-48269651 $\endgroup$
    – FLHerne
    Commented Nov 8, 2019 at 17:03
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    $\begingroup$ Not my video, but showing a good selection of the odd things I see coming in: youtube.com/watch?v=CBWkNE6QbCY $\endgroup$
    – FLHerne
    Commented Nov 8, 2019 at 17:06

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