Early Anglo-Saxon brooch at Willowmead Care Home, Wickham Bishop’s Road, Hatfield Peverel (EHER 80341)

Several pits and one post-hole represent likely peripheral activity around a nearby Anglo-Saxon settlement.

April 2019. Trial trenching and excavation. The early Anglo-Saxon period dominates the activity evident on the site. Several pits and one post-hole represent likely peripheral activity around a nearby Anglo-Saxon settlement. Anglo-Saxon pottery was recovered from the features, although no fabrics could be identified. It is likely that a lot of the pottery came from the same 'workshop' and was deposited at a similar time. A copper-alloy 5th century brooch was a very unique and exciting find. The brooch can be identified as an early Anglo-Saxon wide equal-armed brooch of Bohme 1974 Sahlenburg type. The brooch has s-scroll decoration and animal heads projecting from the bars and bow. Only one comparable find (at Mucking) of this nature has been discovered in Essex before. <1>