Possible Roman marsh associated with tributary of the River Cam in Sports and Orchard Fields, Great Chesterford (EHER 49698)

A geophysical survey in early 2021 recorded a distinct absence of archaeological signatures and therefore concluded there was an absence of settlement and/or associated roadways within the surveyed area. Research by the surveyors has, however, indicated that the area may have been marsh or a seasonal mere-type environment in antiquity.

February 2021. Resistivity survey. The survey produced for the most part an ‘absence of evidence’. In doing so, however, it suggests some useful evidence as to the likely nature of the environment and land use around the valley floor of this tributary to the Cam as it descends from the temple site (EHER 4978) towards the walled town. Micro-contour research and this resistivity survey suggest most of that area now comprising the Sports field and Orchard field was in antiquity occupied by the wide valley floor of that tributary which, higher up its course, passes the Chesterford temple site. It also suggests that this valley floor, while perhaps a valuable resource, may have constituted marshy ground or even a seasonal mere-type environment with any settlement and/or associated routeways being very sparse if not non-existent. Seasonal waterlogging was likely, presenting conditions in which settlement and routeways or burials were concentrated on the drier ground of the valley sides. Elsewhere in the Cam valley such conditions lend themselves to sheep grazing, which is interesting having regard to the faunal assemblage evidenced for Chesterford’s romano-british temple site. <1> Note: The conjectured extent of the marsh has been mapped using Fig.4 in <1>. Note: An earlier geophysical survey in this area had picked up some possible archaeological features, see EHER 49697.