20th century structures and agricultural land use at land east of Mill Road (EHER 81103)

The recorded remains comprised linear ditches, a pit and structural remains. All were of late Postmedieval to modern, or else unknown, date. Some clearly related to a mid 20th-century structure, since demolished, that formerly occupied the north-west of the site. Others, predominantly the linear ditches, probably related to past agricultural land use. A single sherd of Roman pottery was recovered from a ditch in the east of the site, but is almost certainly residual in a later feature.

2024. Evaluation. A number of ditches, some discrete pit-like features and a brick-built structure were recorded. Their investigation produced very little dating evidence; where this was recovered, it was of generally of late post medieval or modern date. A single sherd of Roman pottery was recovered from the ditch in Trench 7, but this was almost certainly residual. The majority of the recorded features were concentrated in the north of the site, but a single shallow pit was encountered in the south in Trench 30. None of the recorded linear ditches are shown on historic mapping, from the 1840 Tithe Map onwards. The only ditch that can be reasonably confidently accorded a postmedieval date is the recut linear ditch in Trench 13, on the eastern edge of the site. The Tithe map does show a number of east to west orientated strip plots or fields surrounding the site and this ditch might be a manifestation of a division of these shown to the east. From the 1940s until the 1960s maps show a large square-shaped structure in the north-west of the field. The shallow pit-like features and layer of made ground in Trench 3 closely coincide with it and are almost certainly part of it. Its function is uncertain. The brick-built structure and iron pipes in Trench 1 are assumed to relate to the square structure and are also clearly of 20th-century date. These, however, are not shown on the 1940s to 1950s mapping. The various ditches recorded in Trenches 2, 4, 5, 7 and 9 are all undated. All but one in Trench 2 and that in Trench 7 extended across the site on varying NNE/SSW orientations. These were all narrow and shallow, often with flat bases. They are presumed to have had an agricultural function and are perhaps likely to have been of post-medieval date. As noted previously, none of them are shown on historic mapping from the mid 19th century onwards. The date and function of the seemingly isolated, partially-exposed pit in Trench 30, in the south of the site, are unknown. <1>