Site of 19th century barn, St Mary's Road, Aingers Green (EHER 81801)

Excavation uncovered a sequence of land use and development dating from the 13th to the 19th centuries. Remains of 19th century date included an east/west aligned boundary ditch, an L-shaped brick structure, and yard and path surfaces. The ditch and the brick structure, believed to be the corner of a barn, are depicted on the 1839 Great Bentley Tithe Award map along with two other structures of which there was no direct archaeological evidence.

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 medieval and modern occupation details are recorded in EHER 47474 and 81801. 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. Remains of modern (19th century) date included an east/west aligned boundary ditch, an L-shaped brick structure, and yard and path surfaces. The ditch and the brick structure, believed to be the corner of a barn, are depicted on the 1839 Great Bentley Tithe Award map along with two other structures of which there was no direct archaeological evidence, although brick rubble of 19th century date was recovered from an area of probable later roadside quarrying that may have derived from their demolition. The site had reverted to simple agricultural usage by the 1870’s as no buildings are depicted on the 1st edition Ordnance Survey map and the area of the site is seen to be subsumed within a larger field. <1>