Medieval activity on land at Limebrook Park West (EHER 81101)

Trial trenching and subsequent excavation identified two enclosures and a layer or midden of rubbish material. The midden produced a relatively large quantity of pottery with a date range from 1175-1300 which suggests it was probably made up of refuse material, and probably the grassy verge of a cultivated field which could be easily accessed from Maldon Road. A double-ditched enclosure in Area 1 had a clear rectangular layout and was probably used for keeping animals. A more securely dated enclosure in Area 2 may have enclosed a small farmstead.

September 2019-December 2021. Trial trenching and archaeological excavation. Medieval features comprised two enclosures and a layer or midden of rubbish material. A soil layer containing large quantities of medieval pottery was first identified during the course of the evaluation in Trench 5 and was fully excavated during the subsequent area excavation. Overall it measured approximately 15m in length and 5m in width but it still extended beyond the Western and Northern limit of excavation. The layer contained a relatively large quantity of pottery with a date range from 1175-1300 as well as fragments of brick and tile with a similar date range of 1100-1300. Environmental sampling produced an abundance of wood charcoal, a moderate assemblage of carbonised seeds predominantly representing weeds often found growing on cultivated soils, and a few cereal grains. The finds assemblage suggests that the layer was a midden made up of refuse material, probably on a grassy verge of a cultivated field and easily accessible from Maldon Road. A double-ditched enclosure was investigated in Area 1. This was exposed for a length and width of 50m x 35m and extended beyond the limit of excavation. It was dated to the medieval period based on its clear, rectangular layout and the presence of a very small fragment of pottery dating to the 11th–12th century in an adjacent natural feature. The lack of finds suggests that the enclosure was used for the keeping of animals. A more securely dated enclosure was located in Area 2. This was exposed for an area of 14m x 5m, extending beyond the Western limit of excavation. The Eastern arm of the enclosure had been re-cut and there was a possible internal subdivision. More than 50 sherds of pottery were retrieved from the ditch sections with a date range from the 11th–13th century. Many of the sherds showed signs of sooting, suggesting that the ditches could form the Eastern arm of a small farmstead enclosure. A small internal ditch within the enclosure extended beyond the Western limit of excavation and contained no finds. Three small pits were located to the East of the enclosure, one of which contained datable material in the form of a jug rim from the late 12th or possibly 13th-14th century. <1>