Early Neolithic or Late Bronze Age pit, Land at Heath and Sunnymead Farms/ South of Englishes Farm (EHER 17564)

The area was surveyed via geophysics in 2015 and trial trenched in 2016, named as Land at Heath and Sunnymead Farms. A total of 40 trenches were excavated across the 65ha site extent, of which twelve were identified to contain archaeological remains. The features included an early Neolithic or Late Broze Age pit, late Iran Age/ Early Roman ditches (detailed in EHER 81848) , a medieval pit and a post medieval enclosure system (detailed in EHER 81849).

Cropmarks of linear features which appear to be extensive field boundaries were marked on the NMR. <1> <2> <3> August 2015. Geophysical survey. Uncovered ambiguous and post medieval features. <4> September 2016. Trial trenching. Area named as 'land at Heath and Sunnymead Farms. A total of 40 trenches were excavated across the 65ha site extent, of which 12 were identified to contain archaeological remains. Most of them were discovered in the site's NW quadrant, close to the Sixpenny Brook. The features included an early Neolithic or Late Broze Age pit, late Iron Age/ Early Roman ditches detailed in EHER 81848, a medieval pit and a post medieval enclosure system detailed in 81849. The date of pit [4/007] in the north-west part of the site is either Early Neolithic or Late Bronze Age/Early Iron Age. If it is the earlier, then it possibly represents a site of encampment, as used by peripatetic early herdsmen and farmers, moving between different resource areas; one such area perhaps being the Sixpenny Brook to the west. If the feature is later, by contrast, then the pit is perhaps part of a farmstead, the focal point of which has yet to be found or identified. <5> <6>