Post-medieval agricultural remains at Elms Farm, Heybridge (EHER 81917)

Archaeological excavation in 1993 and 1994-1995 recorded post-medieval land use at the Elms Farm site, specifically the continued agricultural use/management of both the upper and lower terraces. This mainly comprised boundary ditches, land drainage features and pits.

The following is a brief description of the work which has been undertaken at the site (see note below). 1993-1994. Archaeological excavation. While settlement on the gravel terraces evidently ceased at the end of the 5th century, it is highly likely that this part of the landscape continued to be utilised, if only as grazing. Continued agricultural use/management of both upper and lower terraces is more tangible in the post-medieval period, though largely restricted to simple boundary structures, land drainage and dump/levelling deposits. During the 18th and 19th centuries that part of the lower terrace within the Elms Farm site is divided into the four fields that endure to the point of its development, although during this time their layout is disrupted first by the imposition of the Chelmer and Blackwater Navigation (constructed 1793-7, EHER 15085) and then by the Witham and Maldon Branch of the Great Eastern Railway (constructed 1848, EHER 18507) and its subsequent, later 19th century, improvements. On the upper terrace, the excavation recorded a single pit or ditch on the defunct watercourse to the east and a field boundary, drainage features and a post-hole alignment to the west. <1> <2> Note: This record provides a broad summary of the character of the activity at Elms Farm during the post-medieval (and post-abandonment) period. For a more detailed discussion of the excavated evidence from the 1993 and 1994-1995 excavations please refer to the Open Access monograph <2> and <1>. It should also be noted that it is not possible to confidently ascribe a discrete division between each phase of occupation at this site and, as such, the information described here should be considered alongside the other records for Elms Farm (EHER 17444-17446 and EHER 81912-81917). The remaining is a general description of the site gathered from several sources. See also other published works and reports <3> - <6>. See newspaper articles <7> - <11>. See aerial photograph <12>. Area = roughly 13ha. Note: Post-medieval activity was also recorded during excavations at Crescent Road to the north of the Elms Farm site, see EHER 7798 and EHER 81901.