Medieval field boundaries and refuse pit at Royal Oak Quarry, Danbury (EHER 80889)

The evaluations uncovered evidence for medieval activity, primarily in the west of the site. The remains comprised a small number of pits, postholes and ditches from which late 12th to 14th century pottery was recovered. The ditches are presumed to constitute a system of field boundaries, though their fragmented nature makes its overall form difficult to define. An extensive (up to 18m wide) refuse pit and possible associated fence lines lie alongside the Old London Road to the north of site and suggest an occupation area nearby.

April 2021. Evaluation. The majority of dated archaeological remains recorded on site are medieval, comprising a small number of ditches, a pit and postholes. The ditches likely constitute the remains of field boundaries, though the difficulty in tracing them across the site prohibits confident understanding of their wider form and layout. Small assemblages of pottery were recovered within the ditches which is perhaps indicative of manuring incorporating domestic refuse, a common practice in the period. Dates from the pottery imply the field system was in use through the 13th and 14th centuries; however, the recovery of a Shell-and-Sand-Tempered sherd and three sherds of Early Medieval Ware may suggest land use from as early as the 11th century. Within the speculated field system and perhaps particularly alongside the Old London Road, the presence of pits of various sizes, hint at extraction and/or rubbish disposal activities in the medieval period. The large pit found in Trench 15 may have been bounded to the east and west by fences, as indicated by postholes. The presence of this extensive pit, containing significant quantities of refuse material (67 pottery sherds and 19 tile fragments from a 2m x 1m slot) hints at domestic occupation in the near vicinity, possibly alongside the road between the village of Danbury with the town of Maldon. The extensive deposit of clay, brick and tile within Trenches 7, 17 and possibly the west end of Trench 3 appears to constitute the infilling of a hollow in the natural topography, sometime in the post-medieval period. A brick and tile production site has been recorded to the east part of Danbury/Runsell Green and may provide a source of the material, though the two kilns were slightly later in date, late 17th–18th century. Alternatively, the material may derive from the demolition of a 16th century building. The deposition of this material in the hollow may have occurred as late as the 19th century, as indicated by the tobacco pipe stem also collected from it. <1>