Roman pits and finds assemblage (inside the Second Walled Enclosure) probably at the Country Club site (now called Bishops House), Great Chesterford (EHER 4958)

The Hon. R.C. Neville (also known as Lord Braybrooke) inspected the foundations for the 'National School' (probably at Bishops House, EHER 25355) in 1847 and recorded a 'cavity' which was probably a backfilled pit. The pit was approximately 2m deep and contained coins of Theodosius the Great and a bronze chain. A mixed finds assemblage also came from the area and included a portion of a lock, an iron knife, a coin each of Trajan, Claudius, Gothicus and Gratian and numerous fragments of iron, one of which was circular and ‘principally composed of curiously shaped rings’ also came from the area.

Location: The Country Club (Old Vicarage) and adjoining land, including the present vicarage and three houses. In 1847 the Hon.R.C. Neville inspected the foundations for the 'National School' (now the Country Club). Coins of Trajan, Claudius Gothicus and Gratian were recorded. The bronze chain (described as a 'scourge' in <1>) found in a pit was associated with coins of Theodosius. A number of pits seem to have been discovered. The adjoining buildings have recorded much Roman pottery, at least three Constantiniaus and one Arcadius coins. This area is clearly very important and deserves attention before development. <1> - <4> See also <5>. Map of area on back of old EHER sheet. <6> Site Assessment: Area clearly important, deserves attention before development. Development is quite likely. <1> In 1847, the digging of foundations for the school adjoining the north-east corner of the churchyard revealed a ‘cavity’ (it is not clear whether this was a genuine cavity or simply an infilled pit). This was recorded by Braybrooke as being 7 feet (2.13m) deep. From it came some 3rd-century coins of Theodosius the Great, much defaced, and a bronze chain variously described as a scourge, part of a horse harness or a lamp or steelyard suspension chain. A portion of a lock, an iron knife, a coin each of Trajan, Claudius, Gothicus and Gratian and numerous fragments of iron, one of which was circular and ‘principally composed of curiously shaped rings’ also came from the area. There had been a pond on this site which was infilled in 1844 prior to the digging of the foundations. <7> Note: Source <3> describes the area as 'land abutting on the south-eastern extremity of the church-yard' whereas source <7> describes this as 'adjoining the north-eastern corner of the churchyard' and is probably an error. The 'National School' mentioned in <3> is not possible to trace using historic maps, but appears to have been equated by source <1> to Bishops House (EHER 25355), which has previously been referred to using the name 'Country Club' and had formerly been listed as 'Old Vicarage'. It is not to be confused with the listed building on the north-east of the churchyard, EHER 25354, which is similarly named 'Old Vicarage', although this may have been where the error in <7> has arisen. Other pits with similar finds assemblages were also excavated nearby by Neville, see EHER 4951 and EHER 83318.