Romano-British field system at Lapwoods Nursery, Nazeing Mead (EHER 3425)
Please read our guidance about the use of Essex Historic Environment Record data.
Summary
A series of Romano-British field enclosure ditches, aligned north-west to south-east and at right angles thereto, was found during rescue excavations at Nazeing in 1975-6. This field system is closely linked to the Iron Age to Roman farmstead identified during the same excavations (EHER 3424).
Map
Location
| Grid reference | Centred TL 3862 0654 (286m by 184m) |
|---|---|
| Civil Parish | NAZEING, EPPING FOREST, ESSEX |
Type and Period
Description
A series of Iron Age - Romano-British field enclosure ditches, aligned northwest-southeast and at right angles thereto, was found in a 7 acre gravel extraction site at Nazeing. <2>
The corresponding Romano-British farm started in the Iron Age (EHER 3424), undergoing extension then reorganisation and eventual abandonment, as domestic occupation moved to the northeast of the site. . The distance between the northwest-southeast ditch 12 and the parallel ditch 6 is exactly 1 actus (35.5 meters).
Field systems and evidence of domestic occupation were found but no actual building plans recovered. Most of the finds date to before AD 160. Only a very few sherds of 3rd-4th century AD date provide the evidence for the final phase. Also included the skeleton of a (possibly drowned) ox.<5>
Other refs: <1> <3> <4> <6>
Roman pottery was also found in the fill of nearby Anglo-Saxon graves (see EHER 3429).
Finds
- LOOMWEIGHT (Roman - 43 AD to 400 AD)
- VESSEL (Roman - 43 AD to 400 AD)
- KEY (LOCKING) (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
- QUERN (Roman - 43 AD to 400 AD)
- ANIMAL REMAINS (Roman - 43 AD to 400 AD)
- TWEEZERS (Roman - 43 AD to 200 AD)
- PIN (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
- BROOCH (Roman - 43 AD to 100 AD)
- PIN (Roman - 43 AD to 200 AD)
- BEAD (Roman - 43 AD to 200 AD)
- BOWL (Roman - 43 AD to 200 AD)
- COIN (Roman - 346 AD to 350 AD)
Sources
- <1> SEX4 DESC TEXT: Unknown. 1960 onwards. SMR form unknown.
- <2> SEX52658 RECORD SHEET/FORM: Ordnance Survey. 1950-1990. OS cards. TL30NE34, 1977.
- <3> SEX6748 Article in serial: Couchman, C. (ed.). 1977. Excavations in Essex, 1976. Essex Archaeology and History. 9. 95-106. p 102.
- <4> SEX12434 Article in serial: Goodburn, R. (ed). 1976. Roman Britain in 1975. Britannia. 7. 290-392. Huggins, P.J., pp.344-345.
- <5> SEX12426 Article in serial: Huggins, P.J.. 1978. Excavation of Belgic and Romano-British farm with middle Saxon cemetery and churches at Nazeingbury, Essex, 1975-6. Essex Archaeology and History. 10. 29-117. pp 29-117.
- <6> SEX12443 Artifact: Waltham Abbey Historical Society. unknown. ARTEFACT Waltham Abbey Historical Soc.
Related Monuments/Buildings (2)
Other References
- Old SMR Number: TL30-009