Cropmarks of Bronze Age circular enclosure, east of Bombose Farm (EHER 9399)

A sub-circular enclosure is visible as a cropmark on air photographs at Ferriers Farm, Bures Hamlet. About 26 metres in diameter, it features an entrance to the southeast. It has in the past been described as a possible henge, although the cropmark also resembles late Bronze Age circular enclosures such as the sites at Mucking and Springfield Lyons. This appears to have been confirmed in 1991 when the site was visited by an English Heritage fieldworker and staff of Essex County Council Archaeology Section. A local resident had reported damage to the site, and it was discovered that a number of trenches had been dug in the area of the cropmark. A single feature was visible in section in one of the trenches which, when excavated, proved to contain several late Bronze Age pottery sherds.

Original HER entry merged with NRHE data import: Cropmarks centred on above NGR; penannular ring ditch. <1> TL 89613440. Cropmark situated north of Ferriers Farm gravel pit at Bures Hamlet. It is approximately 84 feet in diameter and comprises a ring with a south east entrance (15 feet wide) and a ditch (10 feet wide). <2> NGR given as TL 894344. <3> Described as a probable henge. No additional information. <4> Ferriers Pit. TL 89653442 (sic). Roughly circular cropmark with single entrance situated at about 69m above OD. Diameter about 25.9m. Insufficient information is available but it is unlikely to be a henge. <5> August 1976. Field visit. The feature is clearly visible on OS AP 74/090/327: May '74. It is situated on the crest of a hill which slopes down to the River Stour 1/2 km. to the East. The field was under stubble at the time of visit and no surface features were visible. The ring ditch is 84 feet in diameter, comprising s ring ditch with a SE entrance (15 feet wide) and a ditch (10 feet wide). Surveyed from AP at 1:2500. <6> <7> 1991. Field visit. Following information provided by a local resident concerning damage to a circular cropmark, a visit was made by two officers. This was followed by a visit by an English Heritage fieldworker with a view to possibly scheduling the site under the emergency procedures of the Ancient Monuments legislation. Following that visit it was discovered that a number of trenches had been excavated in the proximity of the cropmark. A single feature was visible in the section of one of the trenches. When the feature was excavated several pottery sherds of late Bronze Age date were found. The site is situated on the crest of a south-east facing hill sloping down to the River Stour and comprises a circular cropmark 26.5m in diameter with a ditch about 3m wide and an entrance way 4.5m in width on the south-eastern side. The finds suggest the feature is of Bronze Age date, possibly similar to the enclosure at Springfield, near Chelmsford, although smaller in scale. The cropmark is now scheduled and is being monitored in case of further damage. <8> Aerial photographs: <9> - <14> See also: <15>