Roman farmstead and mixed cemetery at Site 9 and Site 44, Strood Hall, A120 (EHER 19455)

Evaluation was undertaken at Strood Hall, prior to work on the A120 Trunk Road (Stanstead Airport to Braintree) in 2000-2002. The remains of a small enclosed farmstead were revealed. This had been in use throughout the Roman period. Beyond the perimeter ditch to the south-west a small cemetery containing 26 cremation burials and 1 inhumation was recorded.

2000. Watching brief. The features and finds suggest the site of a Romano-British Farmstead. Typically these comprise plough truncated cut features; ditches together with a lesser number of gullies, pits and other simple features. Despite truncation features were well defined compound with simple domestic and agricultural structures, together with associated yards, paddocks and in-fields. A small amount of residual prehistoric pottery was recovered from Roman features, however not enough to suggest an antecedent to the Roman settlement. <1> 2001. Evaluation. The works uncovered a small cemetery containing approximately 26 cremations and one inhumation burial. <2> 2002. Excavation. Excavations at Site 44 uncovered further 2nd century ditch/gully features with near complete vessels, animal bone, shell, copper alloy objects and worked flint. They were all components of the enclosure ditches identified at Site 9 in 2001. Unurned cremations were found. <2>