Probable Neolithic to Bronze Age barrow cemetery, Langford Hall Reservoir (EHER 7871)

A watching brief in 1984 during the construction of an agricultural reservoir in an area of a cropmark complex at Langford Hall Farm (see EHER 7870) recorded a small Middle Bronze Age pit. The pit contained 12 undecorated body sherds of pottery and one flint flake. In 1995-1996, an archaeological excavation at the site of the cropmark complex recorded two Late Neolithic-Middle Bronze Age funerary monuments. These monuments, apparently round barrows defined by ring-ditches, stood close to each other, but their extant remains are markedly different. The western barrow is represented by a single ring-ditch with a possible palisaded entranceway. The eastern monument comprised a double ring-ditch, though it was probably originally defined by a single ditch (the original inner ring), before being replaced, possibly in the Middle Bronze Age, by two narrow, concentric ditches. Both barrows were accompanied by cremations.

1984. Watching brief A small pit was identified during a watching brief and excavated. It contained 12 undecorated body sherds in a heavily flint-gritted fabric and one flint flake. The pottery probably dates to the Middle Bronze Age. The finds are in the Colchester Museum. A number of features were almost certainly geological in origin and could be responsible for the 'pits' visible on APs of the cropmark complex. <1> <2> <3> <4> Plan and section drawings of the Bronze Age pit are in the EHER, as well as a location plan showing the reservoir and cropmark complex. <5> <6> <7> 1995. Geophysical survey and archaeological excavation. A ring ditch 25m in diameter with some internal features and the SW return of a known enclosure Iron Age ditch (see EHER X) were identified in Excavation Area 1. In Excavation Area 2, three significant linear anomalies were located, one of which was not shown on aerial photographs. Undiagnostic prehistoric pottery was recovered from most features, although that which could be dated appears to be from the Neolithic/early Bronze Age period. Further analysis of the dating evidence will take place after completion of the final stage of excavation. The principal features were two ring ditches which have been provisionally dated to the Neolithic/Early Bronze Age period. The smaller of the two had an entrance ‘causeway’ and contained internal post holes and a cremation pit. Possibly deliberately placed pots and un-urned cremations were recovered from the termini of the ditch. There were a large number of stake holes associated with this ring ditch: most were found around the internal and external edges of the ditch, around the central cremation pit, others formed a linear approach to the entrance. The second, larger ring ditch comprised two ditches, the wider internal one having been recut to form a narrow ditch on its internal edge. There was no entrance-way to this ring ditch, although the external ditch was very shallow along its northernmost edge. Several internal features were associated with this ring ditch, although they were all shallow and truncated. As with the smaller ring ditch a series of associated stakeholes were excavated. These stakeholes formed a roughly circular pattern on a slightly different alignment to the ditches, perhaps indicating a different phase (soil conditions meant that it was difficult to ascertain the relationship between some of the stakeholes and the ditches). One very small (about 0.12m diameter) pit containing cremated bone was found cutting the outer ditch. Possible 'satellite' cremations, however, have been noted nearby in the Phase 2 area. Full assessment and analysis of the results will be undertaken upon completion of the fieldwork. A further stage of excavation is expected to start shortly with the final phase following later in 1996. <8> March-April 1996. Archaeological excavation. Excavation, carried out in March-April 1996, of part of a cropmark complex on a gravel terrace of the river Blackwater identified Late Neolithic and Middle Bronze Age funerary monuments. This evidence is typical of the intensive prehistoric and later landscape development seen more generally along the lower Blackwater valley and its estuary. Excavation Area 3 did not reveal any further Neolithic to Bronze Age remains, but a more succinct account of that found in Excavation Areas 1 and 2 is provided below. In the Late Neolithic two funerary monuments were constructed in the NW of the site. These monuments, apparently round barrows defined by ring-ditches, stood close to each other, but their extant remains are markedly different. The western barrow is represented by a single ring-ditch with a gap to the NE, possibly an entranceway. This entrance may have been more clearly defined by a double palisade formed by stakes, although evidence for this is slight. The eastern part of this ring-ditch required recutting at least twice. Cremations were deposited in the termini of the ring-ditch and also in pits in the internal area of the ring-ditch. The eastern monument comprised a double ring-ditch, though it is postulated that the barrow was originally defined by a single ditch (the original inner ring), before being replaced, possibly in the Middle Bronze Age, by two narrow, concentric ditches. Cremations associated with this monument lay on the western fringe of the structure, and possibly also to its east. To the south of the excavated barrows, two further circular features are plotted in the south-west corner of a Middle Iron Age enclosure. The excavators of the enclosure describe these as the remains of earlier prehistoric mortuary monuments, but as the excavation did not extend this far south, this interpretation is yet to be proved. The excavators also suggest the east-west aligned ditched trackway may have been a formalisation of a route with a significantly earlier origin, and which may have influenced the siting of the barrows themselves. <9> See aerial photographs <10> - <19>. Note: The two funerary monuments in Excavation Areas 1 and 2 were not recorded in the NMP cropmark plot prior to their excavation. The cropmark plot does, however record two further circular features of a similar size in the field immediately to the NW of the excavated barrows, which are also probably Neolithic/Bronze Age round barrows. These are situated alongside a series of small pit-like features which may be of the same date. These are recorded by NRHE record 1232938 below. To the NE of these, four further circular features may also be Neolithic/Bronze Age round barrows and a large cluster of pits are also probably associated with the excavated remains. These are recorded by NRHE record 380861 below. To the south, southeast and immediate south-west of Middle Iron Age Enclosure A (see EHER 45968) are three more circular features and a series of scattered pits which have been included in this record due to their similarity with the above described features. Two of these are recorded by NRHE record 1232942 below. NRHE summary description, 1232938: Two ring ditches are visible as cropmarks on air photographs. Both are around 8 metres in diameter. One of the ditches bears at least four causeways in its circuit, while the other appears to be a complete circuit, but features a central pit within the enclosed area. Some other pits are visible as cropmarks in the vicinity of both ring ditches. The causewayed ring ditch is listed in Harding and Lee's (1987) henge gazetteer, although they consider a henge interpretation unlikely. Note: these features were originally recorded as part of NRHE record 380861, see below. <20> NRHE data transfer, 380861: Cropmarks, enclosures, ring ditches, linear features, trackways. <21> - <27> October 1976. Field survey. The features visible on the above air photographs represent, three areas of ring ditches, labelled A - C: 'A', centred TL 8423 0955, a tight group of ring ditches associated with an irregular enclosure. 'B', centred TL 8406 0937, two ring ditches average diameter 8.0m. 'C', centred TL 8408 0918, ring ditch with approximate diameter of 20.0m. [This is the larger ring ditch excavated in 1995]. Nothing visible on the ground, the sites, possibly of Iron Age/Romano-British occupation adjacent to RRX 107b, lie on a gravel terrace under plough. <28> Of the four circular features, three are probably round barrows of Bronze Age date; only the one with a south-facing entrance is likely to be a house. <29> Aerial photographs taken for OS re-mapping show several groups of cropmarks within the field centred TL 842 093. The enclosure 'A' at TL 8423 0955 (<28> <29>) is clearly visible, as are three ring ditches within it, one cut by the west side of the enclosure. The diameter of the largest ring ditch is approximately 16m. Other ring ditches are scattered across the field. <30> See also <31>. NRHE summary description, 380861: An irregular enclosure (EHER 81846) and three ring ditches are visible as cropmarks on air photographs. Three ring ditches are visible - two wholly within the enclosed area and one overlapping the enclosure's western side. The largest of the ring ditches is circa 16 metres in diameter. All three are suggested to be ring ditches of probable Bronze Age date, while the enclosure is assumed to belong to the later Iron Age (EHER 81846). One source claims that there are four circular features associated with the enclosure, and that one of the four features a south-facing entrance and is therefore likely to be a round house associated with the enclosure. However, this fourth circular feature is not visible on the air photograph published by Harding and Lee (1987, page 147, <20>). A watching brief in 1984 during construction of an agricultural reservoir to the south of the cropmarks recorded several pits, one of which contained Middle Bronze Age pottery. Note: other cropmark features formerly recorded here are now recorded separately - see associated monument records for details. NRHE summary description, 1232942: An irregular enclosure (EHER 45968) and two ring ditches are visible as cropmarks on air photographs. The enclosure appears rectilinear in form and the western side appears to change course to avoid the ring ditches. The larger ring ditch is circa 25 metres in diameter. The smaller one, just a few metres to the east, is circa 8 metres in diameter. Note: these features were originally recorded as part of NRHE record 1232938. See that record for additional information and bibliography. <20>