Anglo-Saxon sunken featured buildings and post-built structure at Orsett 'Cock' (EHER 1860)

Excavations at the Orsett 'Cock' enclosure in 1968, 1976-1979 and 1979-1980 recovered evidence for probable Anglo-Saxon settlement, and re-use of the Roman landscape (EHER 1859). At least four sunken featured buildings (Grubenhauser) were excavated during the 1976-1979 rescue excavations and subsequent re-analysis of the results of the excavation by Carter also concluded that the evidence pointed to a fifth building. One of the sunken featured buildings was dug into the latest fill of the Roman enclosure ditch, whilst the others appeared to respect its alignment, suggesting the ditches survived as landscape features into this period. Also recorded was one post-built structure. The finds are in Thurrock Museum and include rusticated, stamped and grass-tempered pottery. The pottery types included globular and sub-globular bowls, small cups with footring bases and globular pots with rusticated century, most belonging to the sixth century. Sunken featured buildings are also recorded at Loft's Farm (EHER 5223).

Simple Saxon pottery sherds came from the upper fills of the enclosure ditches, "showing that these survived as slight hollows in the post-Roman period" (see EHER 1859). Various sub-rectangular cropmarks (see EHER 5159) in the area could be sunken featured buildings (grubenhauser). A shallow pit was found in section in a gas-pipe trench excavated in 1968. This too could have been a sunken featured building from its orientation and finds of `grass-tempered' Anglo-Saxon pottery. Finds in Thurrock Museum. <1> <2> <3> 1976-1979. Archaeological excavation. Excavated in advance of A13 dualling. Possible Saxon structures comprised four sunken featured buildings and a post-holed building. One of the sunken featured buildings was dug into the latest fill of the enclosure ditch. Others were oriented in the same way as ditches, subdividing the Roman enclosure (see EHER 1859). It could be that the enclosure had survived as landscape features with hedgerows. So all four sunken featured buildings could have lain close to boundaries. None were dated accurately, though two became backfilled and disused after around 500 AD. Rectilinear boundary ditches near the enclosure were more likely to be post-Roman than earlier (see EHER 1861). <4> <5> "A fourth Saxon sunken hut dug into the fill of the south-west corner of the Phase II enclosure was excavated". Its gable post holes were 3m apart. Rusticated, stamped and grass-tempered sherds were found. Late ditch fills of the enclosure produced pottery, including "an Argonne-type roller-stamp on a grey ware sherd". Finds in Thurrock Museum. <2> <6> <7> Aerial photographs: <8> - <21>. Plot of cropmarks in SMR. <22> See TQ68-050, 0000 for adjacent cropmarks, TQ68-070, EHER 0000 for a nearby excavated example. Carter's re-interpretation of the 1976-1979 excavations identified a further sunken featured building; making a total of five. Pottery included globular and sub-globular bowls, small cups with footring bases and globular pots with rusticated surfaces, most belonging to the sixth century. <5> It is evident that only a part of the Saxon settlement was investigated. Earlier excavations by Mr Bingley of Thurrock Museum had located one possible sunken featured building. <1> A further three sunken featured buildings, undoubtedly part of the same settlement, were excavated at Barrington's Farm to the east (EHER 5223). See also <23> - <26>. Note: The mapped polygon depicts the location of the monument and does not necessarily reflect its extent.