Medieval features and site of Joy's Farm, St John's Road, Clacton on Sea (EHER 47185)

Evaluation revealed a series of irregular features were largely of medieval date which may be indicative of an enclosure and brick building. A number of undated small pits and post-holes were also recorded, the pits containing evidence for in situ burning. Also encountered were the likely remains of farm buildings from, the now demolished, Joy's Farm.

April 2009. Trial trenching. A series of irregular features were largely of medieval date. They indicate that despite poor drainage of the ground, the land was used in the medieval period. An irregular ditch and a smaller ditch may represent an enclosure. A small concentration of medieval bricks was discovered in four of the trenches suggests that there was a later-medieval brick building in the vicinity. Two fragments of probable Roman tile were found suggesting a Roman presence somewhere in the vicinity. A number of undated small pits and isolated post-holes were observed in Trenches 1, 10, 11 and 47. Apart from the small post-hole, which appeared to be relatively modern, the other pits generally had a similar form and contained evidence for in situ burning. A series of features within Trenches 23 and 24 were almost certainly elements of, the now demolished, Joy's Farm. Several cropmarks (HER 2995) lay in the Northern field and it is almost certain that the cropmark is connected with the large spread of material and other recent activity in Trenches 23 and 24. An examination of the maps reveals that the farm was removed in the mid 20th century to enlarge the available area for farming. <1> October 2011. Archaeological excavation. A series of archaeological features were recorded and were reasonably densely distributed across the excavated area. Potentially the most interesting elements were the remains of two well-dated post-built medieval structures. One appeared to be of early medieval date (and probably associated with many of the ditches and gullies observed on the site), and the other was of late medieval date (possibly continuing into the post-medieval period). A large square enclosure, at the centre of the site, may have been initially associated with this building, though it appeared to have become redundant a considerable time after the building ceased to exist. There were also other medieval remains consisting of ditches, pits and isolated post holes distributed across the site, though particularly concentrated within the Northern half of the site. A curving gully (possibly part of a ring ditch) at the Southern end of the site was dated to the Bronze Age and there were several other pits of Bronze Age date in the same part of the site. The excavated area encompassed a known 19th century farm, Joy's Farm, and, though footings were recorded, there was little evidence of an earlier forerunner to the farm in the same position. It could be that the two medieval buildings that were excavated represent earlier versions of the farm estate.<2>