Possible medieval tile kiln at Claypits Farm (EHER 1478)

Possible foundations of a Roman house were found in 1913 on Claypits Farm; however, the site was re-evaluated by the Victorian County History and the Ordnance Survey, and both conclude it is more likely to be a medieval or later tile kiln. Summary from record 1479: Possible medieval tile kiln.

Monument description derived from merging EHER 1478 and 1479. Original HER entry merged with NRHE data import: Foundations of Roman dwelling house found in 1913 on Claypits Farm, south-east of Thaxted. Hadn't been excavated in 1916. <1> "One afternoon (about 1910) I took some school boys from the Friends School, Saffron Walden and dug some trial trenches in the large field south-east of Claypits Farmhouse, Thaxted. One of the trial trenches (approximate site TL 616306) exposed a flue constructed of tiles, the edges of which were vitrified. Time did not permit more trenching and insufficient of the remains were exposed to establish whether they were part of a villa or tile kiln". <2> - <4> Victorian County History considered that as the tiles were vitrified the site represents a kiln rather than a hypocaust, not necessarily Roman, but Roman building material was observed on the farm. <5> April 1975. Field survey. The field centred TL 61613066 is under plough, with a light, even scatter (no concentration) of tile fragments. Much of the tile is of poor quality indicating 'wasters', and is medieval or later in character. A few pot sherds found were definitely medieval. A sparse scatter of cinder can be found in most parts of the field, but no Roman material could be identified. <6> <7> See also: <8> - <13>