Probable site of Roman building, Shenfield (EHER 5485)

Possible site of Roman building. The site lies on a gentle North-facing spur under plough and is marked by an area of black soil some 100m NE-SW by about 50m transversely. Finds within this area include a moderate 10 sherds per square metre. scatter of Roman brick, flanged tile, Romano-British pottery and a slight scatter of Iron Age and medieval sherds. The heaviest concentration of Roman debris appears to lie on a distinct rise in ground within the occupation area. Surface finds from the fields to the East of St Mary's Church, Shenfield included Roman brick, tile, a tessera, a mortarium rim sherd, probably 4th century and a sherd of post medieval pottery. Finds from the churchyard included Roman pottery, a sherd of medieval pottery and one of post medieval pottery. The finds are in Chelmsford Museum.

Presumed site of RB building. The site lies on a North-south spur. The land falls away to the North with extensive views, is bounded by wet valleys on the East and West. The Western one is sharp and planted with white poplars. The Eastern one, into which the Eastern side of the site shelves, is bracken covered waste. Roman pottery, brick? and tile found. Annotated map with sketch location is attached to the SMR sheet. Finds included one tessera, found on a previous occasion at TQ 60739532. Others were found in 1980. <1> Nothing visible on air photographs. <2> <3> Another SMR sheet has details of Roman sherds and brick fragments found at TQ 607953. <4> <5> September 1975. Field survey. A probable Roman building site located during field investigation. The site lies on a gentle north facing spur under plough and is marked by an area of black soil some 100.0m NE-SW by about 50.0m. transversely. Finds within this area include a moderate 10 sherds per square metre. scatter of Roman brick, flanged tile, Romano-British pottery and a slight scatter of Iron Age and Medieval sherds. The heaviest concentration of Roman debris appears to lie on a distinct rise in ground within the occupation area. Surveyed at 1/2500. <6> Field around 200yds East of Shenfield parish church appeared to contain large amounts of tile, broken pottery and debris scattered over an area of 100 square yds. Provisionally dated as Roman-late medieval. <7> Roman pottery found, including two mortarium sherds, probably 2nd century, and a plain Samian sherd, a form 27 cup (common in the 1st century but made into the mid 2nd century). <8> Surface finds were collected from the field to the East of St Mary's Church, Shenfield. Five fragments of Roman brick, two fragments of Roman tile. A tessera and a very abraded mortarium rim sherd, probably a 4th century Oxfordshire product, found at TQ 60739532. <9> TQ 607944, TQ 60739532, TQ 60589511. Mrs E Sellers collected surface finds from the fields to the east of St Mary's Church, Shenfield and finds in the churchyard. The finds from the fields included Roman brick, tile, a tessera, a mortarium rim sherd, probably 4th century and a sherd of post medieval pottery. Finds from the churchyard included Roman pottery, a sherd of medieval pottery and one of post medieval pottery. The finds are in Chelmsford Museum. <9> [From NRHE data transfer]. 1994. Trial trenching. In 1994 nine trial trenches were excavated within the limits of the proposed extension to the burial ground of St. Mary's Church, Shenfield. Archaeological deposits were identified in three of the trenches, although unstratified Roman pottery was retrieved from all trenches. Two trenches contained features: a gully and a pit; the latter contained pottery dating from the mid-third to early 4th centuries AD. In another trench a natural hollow had been infilled with a buried loam containing fragments of Roman tile. The unstratified pottery collected from the surface of the trenches ranged in date from the mid-2nd century to the early 4th-century AD. <10> Original HER entry merged with NRHE data import.