To maximise the efficiency and usability of autonomous systems in geotechnical applications and natural environments, it is necessary to understand the terrain with which the systems interact. While significant advances have been made in mechatronics, methods for perceiving and predicting deformation within the terrain itself are underdeveloped. This paper introduces the Terra-Robotics Laboratory, a new lab investigating the effect of robotic interaction on deformable terrain. The article describes the laboratory setup based in Cambridge and how it will contribute to the overall understanding of soil-robot interaction. Data on end-effector force-displacement histories are presented for a spherical object traversing sand, examining straight-line and spiral motion as two examples with disparate responses. The preliminary results highlight the need for fast and accurate terrain mapping and other open challenges in the domain of soil-robot interaction.