Post-Medieval activity on land west of Coach House, 110 Colchester Road (EHER 80467)

The settlement of St Osyth has medieval origins with historic maps showing buildings on the development site from the late 18th century onwards. The evaluation on the land west of Coach House uncovered rick foundations and a brick drain dating to the 19th century. Other features included two post medieval pits, a post-medieval, modern pit/pond and two postholes.

Evaluation, 2021 The settlement of St Osyth has medieval origins with historic maps showing buildings on the development site from the late 18th century onwards. The evaluation on the land west of Coach House uncovered brick foundations and a brick drain dating to the 19th century. Other features included two post medieval pits, a post-medieval, modern pit/pond and two postholes. These features are a part of an east/west orientated building that dates from at least 1840. The foundations are internal and likely to be plinths for a timber-frame building. The brick drain in Trench 3 is probably associated with the building and drains to the south, possibly heading towards one of the small buildings in the southeastern corner of the development site which is marked with a P for pump on the mapping . Little can be currently determined about the function of the east/west building, all we know is that it was originally a part of Well Wick which had a coach house situated further to the east. None of the trenching was located over any of the other buildings shown on mapping of the area, so it is impossible to determine the survival of any buried remains associated with these other structures. There is no pond (F14) present on any of the maps of the development site. Figures 5 and 6 appear to show that it would be too close to buildings to have been in existence for much of the 19th century, and therefore if it is a pond it is likely to be of 20th century date. Also present on the site were two post-medieval pits, two post-medieval/modern postholes, three modern pits and three undated features (two pits and a pit/ditch). <1>