Nineteenth century brick kiln and timber outbuilding on land off Station Approach, Braintree (EHER 80483)

Trial trenching revealed the fragmentary remains of a 19th century brick kiln which had been demolished by the end of the 19th century. A possible timber outbuilding was also identified.

April 2011. Trial trenching and geo-archaeological test pitting. The only features of note encountered were the fragmentary remains of a 19th century brick kiln in the Western half of Trench 3 and the scant remains of a possible contemporary timber out-building, perhaps used a brick-making or drying shed, in the East. The kiln was probably in use in the first half of the 19th century but appears to have become redundant by the time of the first edition Ordnance Survey map (c.1876) and it had been demolished by the end of the 19th century. <1> <2> Geoarchaeological evidence. The gravels on site are difficult to assign to any stratigraphic level with certainty, but they are likely to be Kesgrave Sands and Gravels, associated with the Bures Member, possibly reworked downslope. A glacial outwash origin cannot be ruled out nor a locally higher terrace of the Brain. No palaeolithic lithics or sediments of palaeoenvironmental interest were seen and the likelihood of such material being present elsewhere on the site is estimated to be low. <1>