Roman features, Land at Heath and Sunnymead Farms/ South of Englishes Farm (EHER 81848)

The area was surveyed via geophysical survey in 2015 and trial trenched in 2016, named as Land at Heath and Sunnymead Farms. A total of 40 trenches were excavated across the 65ha site extent, of which twelve were identified to contain archaeological remains. The features included an early Neolithic or Late Broze Age pit (EHER 17564), late Iran Age/ Early Roman ditches and a medieval pit and a post medieval enclosure system (EHER 81849).

Cropmarks of linear features which appear to be extensive field boundaries were marked on the NMR. <1> <2> <3> September 2016. Trial trenching. Area named as 'land at Heath and Sunnymead Farms. A total of 40 trenches were excavated across the 65ha site extent, of which 12 were identified to contain archaeological remains. Most of them were discovered in the site's NW quadrant, close to the Sixpenny Brook. The features included an early Neolithic or Late Broze Age pit (EHER 17564), late Iron Age/ Early Roman ditches, a medieval pit and a post medieval enclosure system (EHER 81849). <5> <6> The various NNE/SSW aligned ditches recorded across Trenches 28 to 31, together with the adjacent WSW/ESE geophysical anomalies interpreted to be archaeological in nature, probably represent parts of a rectilinear field system, perhaps belonging to a Late Iron Age/Early Roman farm, along the east side of the Sixpenny Brook. Few discrete features such as pits and postholes have been encountered in this western part of the site to indicate that these enclosures were occupied. It is perhaps likely that they were agricultural fields. However, the majority of the recovered Late Iron Age/Early Roman pottery comes from ditch [28/004] and may imply that this lay close to a domestic occupation site.