Medieval postmill and moated site at Boreham Airfield (EHER 18116)

A small medieval settlement or farmstead within a rectangular moated enclosure, dating from the late 12th to mid 13th century AD. Several structural remains, including those of a windmill, granary and dwelling house/barns were recorded inside the moat. Other features, including two probable ponds, were located outside the main enclosure.

October 1994. Fieldwalking. Fieldwalking did not identify any archaeological sites and the general level of residual finds in the topsoil was very low. It is likely that this area was disturbed during construction of the airfield. <1> June 1995. Watching brief. A group of archaeological features were identified at TL 745 120. These features lay to the immediate East of a complex of cropmarks (EHER 6140) and may have been part of a medieval moated manor or farm. None of the features were excavated but they were cleaned and planned, and pottery showing in the top fills was collected. This pottery was dated to the late 12th to early 13th century. It seems likely that the two ditches, along with the complex of cropmarks to the immediate West are part of a medieval moated manor or farm. This farm appears to have consisted of several timber buildings and a number of very large ditches. <2> Information from NRHE A Roman ditch and a Medieval ditch and pit were found during a watching brief by Essex County Council Field Archaeology Group at Bulls Lodge Quarry (Boreham Airfield). The work was undetaken in advance of gravel extraction. <3> October 1995. Archaeological evaluation. The features were partly excavated. The settlement appears to have consisted of two large enclosures, two or more timber buildings and a very early example of a large wooden postmill. Finds included a total of 235 sherds (1.35kg) of medieval pottery: the only fine ware present is Hedingham ware which dates to the 12th to 13th centuries. All the pottery could be contemporary with a likely date for deposition of around 1200. The postmill is probably the same date as one of the enclosures (around 1200) which makes it one of the earliest examples of its type ever found in Britain. The relative scarcity of intercutting features and the tight date range of pottery suggest a relatively short lived settlement. The site appears to have been covered with trees in the post-medieval period. <4> June 1996. Archaeological excavation. A small medieval settlement or farmstead within a rectangular moated enclosure, dating from the late 12th to mid 13th century AD. Several structural remains, including those of a windmill, granary and dwelling house/barns were recorded inside the moat. Other features, including two probable ponds, were located outside the main enclosure. The bulk of the dating evidence is medieval. Provisional dating suggests that the main period of occupation on the site was in the early to mid 13th century, with some evidence of continuing small-scale activity in the mid 13th century onwards. At least two construction phases were recorded in the central pit of the windmill and its outer ring ditch, although the pottery was very similar in date throughout. Two phases were identified in several of the sub-enclosure ditches, including those around the windmill and granary, and those to the NE of the dwelling house or barn. The fills of some of the earlier ditches close to the granary produced only early medieval wares and so could potentially support the stratigraphic evidence. It is likely that the phases identified from the stratigraphy relate to activities carried out over a relatively short period of time, perhaps encompasing 50 or 100 years. Some of the features, such as the post holes and foundation trenches for the dwelling house, contained small or only broadly-datable pottery groups. However, this is balanced by features which produced very good pottery assemblages, such as the granary post-pits and surrounding ditches, and so are more closely datable. Variations in the quantities of pottery and other evidence retrieved from features may indicate different functions or activities across the site as a whole. The short-lived nature of the settlement is also probably reflected in the relative amounts of domestic refuse present in the features. <5> The physical evidence for the windmill is of significance, especially as it was found within the context of a settlement, rather than as an isolated structure. The relatively short-lived settlement was abandoned in the mid 13th century or later, perhaps following the catastrophic fire indicated by the evidence of the charred grain assemblage. <6> See aerial photographs <7> and <8>.