Medieval to post-medieval remains at land west of Main Road, Broomfield (EHER 80868)

Medieval to post-medieval activity was largely agricultural. Only one sherd of medieval pottery was discovered.

2017. Trial trenching. An archaeological trial-trench evaluation carried out by Archaeology South-East at Land West of Main Road, Broomfield, Essex between 29 September and 26 October 2017. The fieldwork was undertaken as part of scoping works for the site’s potential residential development. A preceding geophysical survey of the site identified anomalies defining a possible field system and settlement within the north of the site against Main Road (a known Roman Road), as well as more sporadic evidence of potential field boundaries and enclosures within the west and south of the site. A total of 128 evaluation trenches were excavated across the c.25.64ha site extent, which was divided into four areas by the extant field system (Areas 1-4). Many of the trenches were targeted upon selected geophysical anomalies in order to test the validity of their various interpretation as indicators of the presence of probable or possible archaeological features, uncertain and natural features, and areas of truncation and disturbance. Below-ground archaeological remains were found in 104 trenches and a close correspondence between plotted geophysical anomalies and below-ground archaeological remains was demonstrated. Collectively, the greatest density of identified archaeological remains was located in the north-east of the site. A low density of remains were present across the south and west of the site. Very few remains were found in the east central part of the site. A low to moderate density of Medieval remains was present along the south-west edge of the site, alongside Woodhouse Lane. This is likely to have been rural settlement and agricultural activity, possibly focused upon two ditched enclosures. <1> 2017. Geophysical survey. Remains of ditches relating to relict parts of the historic post-medieval field system were present across much of the site. Plotted by both Lidar and the preceding geophysical survey, these are recorded on mid/late 19th century and later Ordnance Survey mapping and are understood to have passed out of use in the 20th century. <2> October 2018. Geotechnical test pitting. A single sherd of 12th to 13th century pottery was retrieved from a deposit of undetermined nature in Trial Pit 1. Some evidence of medieval activity was noted during the evaluation, largely concentrated in the south-west of Area 1. This was suggested to be indicative of agricultural land use activity. <3>