Post-medieval pottery, Maple Villa, 3 The Chase (EHER 49423)

2016 Test Pit 8. One of ten test pits excavated in Southminster as part of the Access Cambridge Archaeology Project. Most of the pottery from this test pit is 19th century, indicating that the site was not used before that time, other than perhaps as fields in the 16th-17th century. Other finds were also recovered but remain undated.

April 2016. Access Cambridge Archaeology test pitting. One of ten test pits excavated in Southminster as part of the Access Cambridge Archaeology Project. Most of the pottery from this test pit is Victorian, indicating that the site was not used before that time, other than perhaps as fields in the 16th-17th century.<1> <2> The vast majority of the pottery excavated from Test Pit 8 dates as 19th century ‘Victorian’ wares but an additional three sherds of post-medieval Glazed Red Earthenware were also found through the test pit. Despite its proximity to the church and the likely core of the original medieval settlement of Southminster, there was little evidence for activity on site prior to the 19th century and the construction of the current house. The limited post medieval activity suggests that the site was likely open fields prior to the villa construction but it was after the house was built when the greatest disturbance on site was noted. A mix of other finds were excavated from throughout the test pit and consisted of tile, ceramic building material (CBM), clay pipe, glass, including a bottle stopper, iron nails and bolts, a metal valve, coal, slate, a battery core, sea shell and burnt animal bone. <3>