Iron Age to Roman settlement and red hills/salterns at Leigh Beck (EHER 9660)

At least two red hills were recorded at this location with salt drying ovens and Iron Age and Roman briquetage and pottery dating from the 1st to the 4th century. A Roman coin and tiles were found.

Original HER entry merged with NRHE data import: Late Roman settlement. Building material and pipe clay statuette found, 1965-6. <1> Two or more red hills have been noted at Leigh Beck, Canvey Island, containing many hundreds of Roman potsherds of the 1st - 4th century together with briquetage and Belgic and Gallo-Belgic wares. There is a large proportion of Samian ware (some 20 different forms have been noted) including some very fine pieces of decorated bowls. Brief excavations in 1964 revealed a typical 'Red Hill' overlayed by a settlement of the 2nd-4th century. Finds included a sestertius of Commodus and a scatter of building materials including flue tile. There are also traces of medieval occupation. <2> - <4> Further finds include a Samian base, f18/31, from the settlement site overlooking the red hill, with potters stamp A - MIILVROF (MELLVRO an Antonine potter of Heddernehim), four pieces of base, feet and legs of a pipe clay figurine of Venus found on the settlement site. Another red hill has been located immediately to the south of the above site. <5> Further finds from the Leigh Beck mainly on the 'red hill' and settlement sites; including plain and decorated Samian with various stamps. Also a bronze sestertius possibly of Hadrian and an intaglio from a finger ring, of glass paste imitating Nicolo, incised with a figure of winged Victory. All finds from this and earlier work in Southend Museum. <6> <7> 1978. Excavation. Excavations within a 'red hill' in 1978 revealed a 'salt drying oven' consisting of two 'kiln-like' clay-lined chambers placed side by side and served by common stoke-pit. <8> 1982. Excavation. Continued excavations revealed two, possibly three further oven-like structures on the mud flats. No finds were recovered but the features are assumed to be connected with late Iron Age/Romano British salt production. <9> 1993. Excavation. Fieldwork carried out in summer of 1993 produced a red hill dump, a shell midden, a set of 3 or 4 clay settlement tanks and a complete salt working unit. <10> - <12>