Post-medieval field boundaries and pits, and undated features at land at Weeley (EHER 80368)

A variety of features post-dating the barracks were found in Areas 4 and 7, mostly comprising post-medieval field boundary ditches, extraction pits and rubbish pits. Several undated pits, ditches, postholes and a gully were also identified across all excavated areas of the site.

August 2021. Archaeological excavation. A variety of features post-dating the barracks were found in Areas 4 and 7, mostly comprising post-medieval field boundary ditches, extraction pits and rubbish pits. At least some of these features were probably excavated by farmers to dispose material originating from the barracks that had been dragged to the surface by ploughing. Area 4 comprised only a ditch which traversed the width of the area on a NW-SE alignment. It measured up to 1.6m wide by 0.4m deep and contained a mid grey brown sandy clay fill. The fill produced a complete clay pipe bowl and two fragments of CBM. Two 19th century field boundaries were present in Area 7, as well as two areas of early modern quarrying, comprising seven gravel extraction pits. The first area lay in the SE corner of the excavation and the second area truncated the footprint of the Napoleonic barrack building 7. These features produced late 16th to mid 19th century pottery, clay pipe, a small assemblage of bone, and iron and copper alloy objects. Also in Area 7 were a scattering of 15 pits and two possible postholes. Several undated pits, ditches, postholes and a gully were also identified across all excavated areas of the site. <1>