Possibly Roman earthwork bank (possibly southern wall of Second Walled Enclosure) at Rectory Orchard, Great Chesterford (EHER 83288)

In 1934 L. Cobbett observed tree felling in Rectory Orchard and recorded that it revealed large quantities of pottery and many coins. The description of the pottery is suggestive of a Saxon date rather than Iron Age-Roman, but the coins suggest the latter. He also recorded that a bank running along the river produced Roman material and may be the southern wall of the Second Walled Enclosure (EHER 13922). In 1996, the Great Chesterford Archaeology Group dug four trenches at right angles to the river to locate the wall. They concluded that, whilst there was disturbance along the edge of the river, it is unclear if this is post-medieval robbing of a Roman wall or remnants of a post-medieval feature associated with the mill race.

1934. Antiquarian observation and chance finds. In 1934 tree felling and levelling operations in Rectory Orchard, to the south of Rectory Field, were observed by L. Cobbett. He recorded that it revealed ‘broken pottery in an uncommon abundance, mostly broken through the ravages of time and man. Much of it is likely Celtic in date with strange globular protrusions and crude comb engraved patterns. The labourers have found many coins, some bore the names of Honorius, Arcadius and the Constantines’. The description of the pottery is more consistent with Saxon buckler urns than Celtic pottery. He also states that ‘a bank running along the river bank contained Roman brick and mortar, is likely to have been the southern wall of the Danish camp’ (EHER 13922). <1> Note: The mapped location of the feature is the postulated location of the earthwork bank/southern wall, as source <1> does not provide any mapped extent of the earthwork. 1996. Trial trenching. In an attempt to locate the southern and eastern sides of the enclosure, the GCAG dug four trenches at right-angles to the river and a fifth in the north-east corner of Bishop’s House garden (EHER 17432). Trenches 1–4 found post-medieval garden features and a mixture of Roman and post-medieval finds. In general, the evidence suggested that there was line of disturbance along the edge of the river, but it is unclear whether this is post-medieval robbing of a Roman wall or the remnants of a post-medieval feature associated with the mill race. Trench 1 contained Roman pottery. Trench 2 contained Roman material in the backfill of a post-medieval gully. Trenches 3 and 4 are not described as containing Roman material in this source. <2>