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24 Smoklands Avaws RCHM Cambridge CB2 2BU ING LAND TeIçhonc: 01223 324010

IU A 'RED mui AT CANVEY ISLAND,

An Earthwork Survey by The Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of

EAST THAMES CORRIDOR PROJECT

June 1994

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ROYAL COMMISSION9500S ON THE HISTORICAL MONUMENTS OFENGLAND

(C) RC}-IME CROWN COPYRIGHT (ijon'. 10'1 -1O4-

A '' SITE AT CANVEY ISLAND, ESSEX TQ 78 SE 15 JUNE 1994

INTRODUCTION

There are approximately three hundred known 'red hill' sites distributed along the Essex coast, characterised by mounds composed of a distinctive red earth. Sporadic excavation has suggested that the mounds represent the remains of late pre-Roman Iron Age or early Roman salt production, concentrated in areas that are, or once were, low-lying tidal marsh (3).

During June 1994, staff from the RCIIME Cambridge Field Office surveyed a 'red hill' at NGR TQ 7795 8425, the last known surviving site on Canvey Island, now under potential threat of development as part of the 'East Thames Corridor'. Due to its abraded condition, the mound was surveyed both as a hachured earthwork plan (interpretive) and as a contour plot (objective).

ARCHAEOLOGICAL HISTORY

The mound was first identified as a 'red hill' by auger borings in 1970 (4, 1). Subsequent excavation, carried out by Warwick Rodwell on behalf of Canvey Island Urban District Council and the Department of the Environment, was limited to establishing the extent of the site; fourteen short trial trenches, excavated and backfilled on 14 April 1972, traced the edge of a large, cigar-shaped mound which had originally stood roughly 3.5m above the Roman ground surface (4, 1). The mound had apparently been reused as a settlement site during the medieval period (1, 3).

As a result of Rodwell's recommendations, the mound and the surrounding area were scheduled as an ancient monument (Essex 154). The site was included in gazetteers of Essex 'red hill' sites compiled by Rodwell (number 119) (5, 170) and later by the Archaeological Group (number 280) (3, 65). DESCRIPTION

NGR TQ 7795 8425 The 'red hill' is situated on low-lying ground (below lOm OD) near Dutch Village, a modem housing development on the western edge of Canvey Island. Prior to seventeenth century drainage schemes, the area was salt marsh on the north bank of the ; the historic coastline lies 1.5 km to the north at . Most of the site is contained within an L-shaped field, corresponding to the scheduled area, owned by Mr. R J Norris of Great Russell Head; this field is managed grassland. However, the eastern edge of the 'red hill' lies within the playing field of the School and the modern drainage ditch which separates the two fields has cut north to south across the body of the mound.

The 'red hill' has been subjected to extensive disturbance in the past, with the result that the present earthwork bears little resemblance to the original shape. In its present form, the mound in Norris' field is roughly 60.Om square and stands up to 1. im high. Although the bulk of the mound has been preserved intact, the profile has been abraded, producing broad, spread edges. The summit can be divided into a relatively flat platform in the south, contrasting with a raised area to the north. No internal features were recorded.

The earthwork appears to flatten near the eastern edge of Norris' field, but it is clear that the 'red hill' continued eastwards into the school playing field. A smaller mound, situated against the western edge of the playing field and measuring roughly 15m north to south by lOm, represents the north-eastern corner of the site. A shallow rectangular depression (a) in the summit of this mound appears to be Rodwell's excavation trench XI (4); the hollow is oriented east to west and is 6.2m long and 3.2m wide. A smaller hollow, 4.Om long and 2.8m wide, situated immediately to the south, may also be the result of excavation although this is not recorded on Rodwell's plan of the site. In the past, several small trees, planted to ornament the edges of the playing field, appear to have stood on or near the mound, but these have now been removed. At least one tree- hole is still clearly visible.

Rodwell's report points to the existence of 'ridges and various other minor earthworks', which he attribut&I to seventeenth to nineteenth century drainage schemes and agricultural practices. Three ridges (r), oriented east to west, are still visible in Norris' field, although they are now much reduced and could only be recorded by the contour survey. Each ridge is delimited by furrows 0.8m wide and 0. lm deep, running parallel on either side. In total six furrows, spaced 20m apart, were recorded running east to west across the field; a further two run north to south at right angles to the others. In addition, a large number of subsidiary furrows (not shown on plan) were observed cutting north to south between the southernmost east to west furrow and the drain following the southern edge of the field; this fact makes it likely that all these earthworks are the result of drainage operations.

The furrows seem to have been the main factor influencing the current shape and preservation of the 'red hill'. Furrows have defined and straightened the northern and southern edges of the mound and have probably also affected the appearance of the other two sides. A third furrow cuts east to west across the mound itself, dividing the raised area to the north from the platform to the south; the latter area seems likely to have been deliberately flattened.

The existing earthwork must be regarded as a truncated remnant of the original 'red hill', which Rodwell suggested was a cigar-shaped mound oriented north-east to south- west. Some traces of the larger mound are still visible on the surface. Immediately to the south-west of the main earthwork is a flattened, roughly circular mound (b), roughly 0.3m high and 10.Om in diameter. The north-eastern extension was not recognized as an earthwork, but was revealed by the contour plot, giving the original mound a total length of approximately lOOm north-east to south-west.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

1//I Huggins P 1974 Archaeology in Essex 1972-73, Essex Archaeol Newsletter 48 2//I P Struth & J Kenney JUN-94 RCHME Field Investigation 3/Il Fawn A, Evans K, McMaster I & Davies G 1990 The Red Hills of Essex. Colchester Archaeological Group 4//I Rodwell W 1972 Report upon the investigation of 'Red Hill' XIII, Canvey Island, Essex, typescript held in Essex SMR, 5//I Rodwell W 1979 Iron Age and Roman salt-winning on the Essex coast,

Invasion and Response . BAR British ser 73, 133-75 METHODOLOGY

The survey was carried out by Paul Struth and Jane Kenney of RCHME using a Wild TC1610 Electronic Theodolite with integral EDM, the data captured electronically on a Wild GRM 10 Rec Module. This data was subsequently transferred to a PC, and a plot at 1:500 scale was obtained on a Calcomp 3024 plotter. The report was researched and written by Paul Struth and edited by Peter Topping. The site archive has been deposited in the National Monuments Record Centre in Swindon (NMR TQ 78 SE 15).

Crown copyright: Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England. FIELD/RECORDING (Primary/Detailed) INPUT FORM

1:10000 NAR No Lin No Part of PRN TGL 025 03 04 LB Grade Guardianship No Height OD 05 06 07 Site Name and Main Features 08 'Rtà H\\' ScuEk- eo..5E 0? Gb. Rvsseh I-QoJ Confidential 09 County Local Authority Parish 10 ESsEX 11 CPsTLE PoNT 12 CASTLC PoitJT Type Period Date start Date end Form 13 14 15 16 17 EAKTH- SPiCt Moutjt> Re WORK

100 KM Square NGRE NGRN Qualifier No./Digits 18 TQ, 19771S 20 S'i-2S 21 FCE 22 SMIR No. County SAM No Sub-letter SM county SM status 23 774- 24 ESSEX 25 1St 26 27 ESSEX 28 Area Status 30 Excavation Index PRN Event 31 32 EXCAV Date start Date end Name 33 t°112. 34 lila 35 R0DWELL, vJJ Owner NorrCS, R 3 (RUSSELL kEA 0269 1%3S7 36 Corne\;uS VeJ-MujJtr Sekoot 02&- 68son Occupier 37

Area Condition Date of Report 38 39 40 3uN-t Survey scale Antiquity Model 41 .500 42 Surve-9eJ Ground photo(s) 43

Finds noted 44

Recommended publication mode 45 ScxtkworKs (NR) Land class 46 GrcsoinJ, kicE\arJ 3 Description see accompanying text

References 47-51 see accompanying text

Compiler No Compiler Date Ref no 52 Fl 53 SfrrvIk,? 5" S ROYAL COMMISSION thONEHISTORICAL MONUMENTS °1ENGLAND