Archaeological features on land at Great Baddow (EHER 80855)

Geophysical survey in 2023 detected two groups of weakly positive linear and curvilinear anomalies in the NE and SE corners of Field 3c, which may represent ditched enclosures. A very weak curvilinear anomaly in Field 7 may be a ring ditch. Nineteenth century field boundaries have been detected in Fields 3, 5 and 7.

January 2023. Geophysical survey. The survey has detected two groups of weakly positive linear and curvilinear anomalies in the NE and SE corners of Field 3c, of possible archaeological origin. The Northern group forms could be interpreted as representing three sides of an open-ended ditched enclosure, measuring 18m x 24m, while the Southern group could represent rounded sections of ditch, although whether these would form part of a second enclosure is unclear. It is worth noting that the weak and diffuse nature of the anomalies is similar to geological responses elsewhere in the survey area, and this makes their interpretation doubtful. Furthermore, the Southern group of anomalies lies immediately West of the site of an old gravel pit recorded on Ordnance Survey Six-inch mapping from 1887, and so may relate to these works. A very weak curvilinear anomaly sited in the Eastern half of Field 7, measuring about 9.5m in diameter, is positioned between two relatively large expanses of geological variation. Whilst this anomaly may represent a ring ditch, it is so weak and indistinct that further investigation may determine this too to be geological. Historic field boundaries that feature on Ordnance Survey Six-inch mapping dating from 1887 have been detected during the survey. These appear as fragmented linear collections of dipoles resulting from metal debris that accumulated in the infill of the boundary ditches. Two examples can be seen in Field 5, with one lying West of and parallel with the stream and the other crossing the Southern tip of the field before being lost in the magnetic halo from a WWII pill box. Further examples have been detected in Fields 3 and 7. <1>