Bronze Age trackway and enclosure, Brightlingsea east side (EHER 2292)

Linear cropmarks, showing curving double-ditched trackway with associated linear features and a series of large rectangular pits. Partly excavated.

Linear cropmarks, showing curving double-ditched trackway with associated linear features and a series of large rectangular pits centred around TM09501675. <1>-<3> 19 trenches were excavated over part of the cropmark site along Robinson Road, near Granville Way. Some of the archaeological features correlated closely with the cropmarks, others constitute previously undetected below ground remains. Where dated, the recorded remains were of prehistoric, medieval and postmedieval origin. The curving linear cropmarks that cross the middle of the site can be demonstrated to be produced by the remains of a prehistoric ditched trackway. Others identified prehistoric remains, probably of Bronze Age or early Iron Age date, are scattered across the southern and western parts of the site and comprise occasional pits and a possible ring-ditch. Remains of later medieval and /or postmedieval rectilinear enclosure system also extend into the site. Medieval and later rubbish pits, ditches and possible quarry pits in the northeast of the site are located alongside Robinson Road. <4> Site was excavated and publication in preparation 2017. <5> Excavations were carried out on the site in 2014 and 2015 Late Bronze Age settlement of the site was confirmed by the presence of flint-tempered pottery. Most of the probable Late Bronze Age pits were found to the south of a track or drove-way represented by two parallel, curvilinear ditches, corresponding to cropmarks as previously uncovered during evaluation. The Bronze Age track-way and enclosure were overlaid by a large, ditched enclosure as discussed in above in the evaluation results. The excavations clarified that although there is no conclusive dating evidence, this later enclosure is thought most likely to have been of Roman date. The enclosure measured at least 111m long (north-west to south-east, extending beyond the eastern edge of excavation) by 75m wide (at least 0.8ha). There was considerable evidence for medieval occupation, concentrated in two distinct areas in the north-eastern, western and southern parts of the site. Also recorded in EHER 80607. Medieval activity in the north-eastern part of the site was represented by a dense cluster of pits, ditches/gullies, a possible well and some quarry pits. Two broad phases of activity are suggested by the stratigraphic sequence and pottery dating evidence, although in reality there was probably uninterrupted occupation in this area from the late 12th century to the late 15th or 16th century. A few features and deposits have been assigned to a later phase of medieval activity (possibly extending into the early post-medieval period), on the basis of pottery forms and fabrics, the presence of occasional roof tile fragments and some stratigraphic relationships. In the western part of the site medieval occupation was demonstrated by a dense concentration of features that included at least one timber structure, small, rectangular ditched enclosures, refuse pits and quarry pits. The intercutting of some of these features provides clear evidence for multiple phases of land use, but the lack of precise dating for many of the features has made it difficult to construct a detailed chronology. There was little activity in the southern area of the site consisting only of two shallow and elongated refuse pits which contained pottery dated to the late 12th–14th century. In the earlier post-medieval period new ditches were dug, dividing the area of the site into at least five rectangular fields. Three of the ditches, oriented NNE to SSW. Pottery from the post-medieval field ditches ranged in date from the 16th- to the early 19th century. <6>