17th century walled garden features at New Hall School, Chelmsford (EHER 80626)

A programme of archaeological monitoring recorded features which may have formed part of a designed walk around the 17th century ponds of the walled garden at New Hall School. These comprised plant beds, pathways and a possible gatehouse entrance. Later use of the walled garden was characterised by miscellaneous built structures and greenhouses, whose culverted underfloor heating systems were observed. 19th century waste material was also recovered from a 'dumped' deposit used to landscape the area.

December 2018. Watching brief. A programme of archaeological monitoring recorded features which possibly relate to 17th century ponds at the site and which may have formed part of a designed walk around the ponds. Decorative planted borders were recorded along the Eastern side of the Southern pond, characterised by three ephemeral ditches that had formed through alignments of vegetation planted adjacent to one another. The features were sterile of artefacts and whilst it was not possible to date them, it was felt that they were suitably contemporary to the ponds to attribute a probable 17th century date. A gravel pathway was observed to the North of the pond area and may have been contemporary with the ponds and planted borders. Nearby, a possible gateway, which was formed of two brick 'plinths' and walls extending from them to the West, may have been related, though the pathways are on diverging alignments. The structure appears to date to the 17th to 18th centuries based on the analysis of the bricks. A possible walled pathway was observed to the South of the historic greenhouse wall (now a modern utility shed) and East of the possible gateway. This was present as the parallel foundations of two walls oriented E-W and comprised an alignment of crushed and broken bricks laid flat to form a hard surface or footing. The features dates to the 17th to 18th centuries and may have been related to the possible gateway. Later use of the walled garden was characterised by miscellaneous built structures and greenhouses, whose culverted underfloor heating systems were observed. 19th century waste material was also recovered from a 'dumped' deposit used to landscape the area. <1>