Post-medieval trackway and field boundary ditch at Bardfield Road, Finchingfield (EHER 80819)

Archaeological excavation in 2022 recorded a medieval trackway, which continued in use into the post-medieval period as evidenced by its continued maintenance and consolidation. As a possible response to environmental conditions and muddy ground, the track was metalled and possibly adorned by a raised pathway to one side. Once it fell out of use, probably in conjunction with a change in the alignment of Bardfield Road to its modern path, a 19th century boundary ditch was instated across it.

March 2022. Archaeological excavation. The post-medieval period contributes to the story of the landscape and subsequent history of the kiln site (see EHER 80818). The road was maintained into the post-medieval period, with a metalled surface and consolidation, and a possible raised pathway to one side. It has been suggested that the area may have been muddy and these alterations may have been in response to the environmental conditions. Once the track went out of use, a boundary ditch was created across it, probably in the 19th century, and perhaps linked to a change in the alignment of Bardfield Road. The line of Bardfield Road now runs further to the East, across a more recent causeway. <1> <2>