Medieval ridge and furrow, land West of Southminster Road (EHER 81313)

Trial trenching and excavation in 2017 recorded a series of parallel gullies extending ENE/WNW across the Early/Middle Iron Age features (see EHER 49137) and probably constitute the remains of a strip field system. Other recorded medieval remains were a ditched enclosure, sporadic pieces of medieval or later roof tile and a large spread of medieval pottery.

June-July 2017. Trial trenching and archaeological excavation. A series of gullies in the NW part of the excavated area and Trench 35 represented a strip field system. They extended across the Early/Middle Iron Age features (see EHER 49137) and were probably in use during the medieval period. Eight gullies ran parallel to each other on an ENE/WNW alignment and a ninth ran perpendicular to these on a NNW/SSE alignment. Other recorded medieval remains were a ditched enclosure, sporadic pieces of medieval or later roof tile and a large spread of medieval pottery. The large assemblage of 13th-14th century pottery was discovered lying between topsoil and natural in the North end of Trench 46. An associated cut, such as a pit, was not apparent and so it might have been the base of a midden heap, which had been subsequently truncated by ploughing. A copper-alloy brooch is its only non-ceramic item recovered. If organic objects had been part of the heap, then these have not survived. <1>