Undated post hole at Jacks Lane Crossing, Priors Green (EHER 82120)

Trial trenching in 2006 revealed one undated post hole.

May 2007. Trial trenching. As part of an ongoing programme of construction works associated with a housing development in the Priors Green area of Takeley, Essex County Council Field Archaeology Unit was commissioned by RPS Planning to evaluate by trial trenching the eastern crossing point of Jacks Lane and the proposed location of Balancing Pond 2. A single staggered trench was excavated across Jacks Lane and its ditches either side. Two modern consolidation layers were identified on the lane itself and both the northern and southern ditches showed episodes of re-cutting. However, the layers on the lane and the fills within the ditches were all relatively modern in origin, suggesting that the route has been regularly maintained. Although it is conjectured that Jacks Lane is medieval in origin, no evidence for this was uncovered within this trench. Two of the trenches contained possible features of the three possible features investigated it seems likely that only one, post hole 615 in Trench 1, was archaeological, the remaining two being of natural origin. No dating evidence was recovered from any of the features. Overall, the potential for significant archaeological remains to be present within the area of the Balancing Pond is low. <1>