Medieval ditch on the Essex and Suffolk Water pipeline, South Woodham Ferrers to Hullbridge (EHER 80925)

archaeological evaluation and watching brief carried out by Archaeology South-East on the South Woodham Ferrers to Hullbridge Pipeline, Essex, in April-June and September 2018. The fieldwork was commissioned by Essex and Suffolk Water in advance of the installation of a new water pipeline.

2018. Monitoring and trial trenching. The archaeological watching brief was undertaken on groundworks associated with the laying of the pipeline and comprised monitoring the turf and topsoil strip of the site compound and the topsoil strip and excavation of pipeline trenches in two areas. No archaeological features were identified during these works. In addition, forty-four evaluation trenches, the majority each measuring 30m by 1.8m, were excavated across the site. A low density of simple intercutting archaeological features was identified in six of the forty-four excavated trenches (Trenches 16, 24, 27, 28, 30, 32). Excavated features comprised ditches/gullies and pits ranging in date from the Iron Age to medieval/post-medieval periods, all of which were cut into the natural deposits and were overlain by topsoil and subsoil, where present. <1>