Site of possible post medieval windmill, Land off St Mary's Road, Aingers Green (EHER 81800)

Excavation uncovered a sequence of land use and development dating from the 13th to the 19th centuries. A series of post-medieval features and finds date to the 17th and 18th century and include a curving ditch in the north-west corner of the site that may have surrounded a structure of significance, such as a windmill. Several fragments of millstone were recovered in support of this theory, along with brick rubble and numerous oyster shells that point to a near-by demolished structure.

Archaeological evaluation and excavation was undertaken on land off St Mary’s Road, Aingers Green, Great Bentley, in advance of residential development. The field work revealed a sequence of land use and development dating from the 13th to the 19th centuries. The 13th and 19th century occupation details are recorded in EHER 47474 and Occupation and use of the site was not necessarily continuous and the remains are generally of a disturbed and piecemeal nature. Although there are possible prehistoric circular cropmarks to the north of the site (EHER 3105) no remains of this date were found within the excavated area. A series of post-medieval features date to the 17th and 18th century. The largest of these was a curving ditch in the north-west corner of the site that may have surrounded a structure of significance, such as a windmill. Several fragments of millstone were recovered in support of this theory, along with brick rubble and numerous oyster shells that point to a near-by demolished structure. In the south of the development area was a large boundary in-filled prior to 1839 and the remains of a possible shallow pond. <1>