Post-medieval field boundary and quarry pit at land east of Braintree Road (B1256), Great Dunmow (EHER 81019)

The only datable features on site were of post-medieval or modern date, representing mineral extraction, agricultural, and road construction activities dating to the 19th and 20th centuries.

March 2023. Trial trenching. The only datable features on site were of post-medieval or modern date, representing mineral extraction, agricultural, and road construction activities dating to the 19th and 20th centuries. At least one ditch in Trench 16 aligns with a known former field boundary that was filled in by the 1970s, while the pit recorded in Trench 23 correlates to the probable location of a Victorian quarry pit. Three undated linear features were recorded at the north end of the site, all in close proximity to each other. These were all shallow, with gently sloping sides and similar sterile fills. The likeness of their fills to the natural alluvial deposits found across the site, coupled with their lack of archaeological material could suggest natural origins. However, they could also be related to the post-medieval agricultural land use. <1>