Roman settlement at Braintree Bypass (EHER 9014)

Excavations in 1987 in advance of bypass construction uncovered the possible site of a Roman villa, however only part of the area was excavated.

Original HER entry merged with NRHE data import: 1987. Excavation. Excavations in 1987 in advance of bypass construction uncovered the possible site of a Roman villa, however only part of the area was excavated. Phase 1 consisted of an enclosure containing a wooden rectangular building and possibly an Iron Age style round house; dated to the late 1st to early 2nd century AD. Phase 2 consisted of a rectilinear enclosure and grave shaped pits which may have contained inhumations; other uninterpretable features such as pits, post-holes and gullies are assigned to this phase; dated to the mid to late 2nd to early 3rd century AD. Phase 3 consisted of the possible remains of an enclosure; an area of burning and a dense rubble spread deposited in the late 3rd century AD, possibly for resurfacing or building foundations. The tile in this rubble spread consisted of flue tiles dated to the period AD 120-30 and probably came from a high status building in the vicinity, possibly the bath house of a villa. A late Neolithic/early Bronze Age arrowhead and a small quantity of late Bronze Age/early Iron Age tempered pottery were also found. <1> - <5> ES 58 Listed as the possible site of a Roman villa. <6>