Archaeological Test Pit Excavations in Writtle, Essex 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014 Catherine Collins ii Carenza Lewis & Catherine Ranson Archaeological Test Pit Excavations in Writtle, Essex 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014 Catherine Collins 2017 Access Cambridge Archaeology Department of Archaeology and Anthropology University of Cambridge Pembroke Street Cambridge CB2 3QG 01223 761518 [email protected] www.access.arch.cam.ac.uk (Front cover image: Working shot at WRI/13/2, Copyright ACA) iii iv Contents 1 SUMMARY .............................................................................................................................................. 10 2 INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................................... 11 2.1 ACCESS CAMBRIDGE ARCHAEOLOGY (ACA) .................................................................................... 11 2.2 THE HIGHER EDUCATION FIELD ACADEMY (HEFA) ......................................................................... 11 2.3 TEST-PIT EXCAVATION AND RURAL SETTLEMENT STUDIES .............................................................. 12 3 AIMS, OBJECTIVES AND DESIRED OUTCOMES ......................................................................... 13 3.1 AIMS .................................................................................................................................................. 13 3.2 OBJECTIVES ....................................................................................................................................... 13 3.3 OUTCOMES ........................................................................................................................................ 13 4 METHODOLOGY ................................................................................................................................... 14 5 WRITTLE ................................................................................................................................................. 15 5.1 THE VILLAGE TODAY ........................................................................................................................ 15 5.2 GEOLOGY AND TOPOGRAPHY ............................................................................................................ 18 6 ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND HISTORICAL BACKGROUND ............................................................ 19 6.1 HISTORICAL BACKGROUND ............................................................................................................... 19 6.2 ARCHAEOLOGICAL BACKGROUND..................................................................................................... 25 6.2.1 Prehistoric .....................................................................................................25 6.2.2 Romano-British .............................................................................................27 6.2.3 Anglo Saxon .................................................................................................29 6.2.4 Medieval .......................................................................................................29 6.2.5 Post Medieval ...............................................................................................30 6.2.6 Modern and Undated ....................................................................................30 7 RESULTS OF THE TEST PIT EXCAVATIONS IN WRITTLE ......................................................... 32 7.1 2009 EXCAVATIONS .......................................................................................................................... 33 7.2 2010 EXCAVATIONS .......................................................................................................................... 41 7.3 2011 EXCAVATIONS .......................................................................................................................... 53 7.4 2012 EXCAVATIONS .......................................................................................................................... 67 7.5 2013 EXCAVATIONS .......................................................................................................................... 81 7.6 2014 EXCAVATIONS .......................................................................................................................... 93 8 DISCUSSION ........................................................................................................................................ 106 8.1 PREHISTORIC ................................................................................................................................... 106 8.2 ROMANO-BRITISH ........................................................................................................................... 107 8.3 ANGLO SAXON ................................................................................................................................ 108 8.4 MEDIEVAL ....................................................................................................................................... 108 8.5 POST MEDIEVAL AND LATER ........................................................................................................... 110 9 CONCLUSION ...................................................................................................................................... 112 10 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ............................................................................................................... 113 11 REFERENCES ................................................................................................................................. 114 12 APPENDICES ................................................................................................................................... 116 12.1 POTTERY REPORTS – PAUL BLINKHORN .......................................................................................... 116 12.1.1 Pottery Types .............................................................................................. 116 12.1.2 2009 Results ............................................................................................... 120 12.1.3 2010 Results ............................................................................................... 123 v 12.1.4 2011 Results ............................................................................................... 126 12.1.5 2012 Results ............................................................................................... 130 12.1.6 2013 Results ............................................................................................... 133 12.1.7 2014 Results ............................................................................................... 137 12.2 OTHER FINDS – CATHERINE COLLINS .................................................................................................. 1 12.2.1 2009 Finds ..................................................................................................... 1 12.2.2 2010 Finds ..................................................................................................... 6 12.2.3 2011 Finds ....................................................................................................12 12.2.4 2012 Finds ....................................................................................................19 12.2.5 2013 Finds ....................................................................................................25 12.2.6 2014 Finds ....................................................................................................30 12.3 MAPS ................................................................................................................................................. 36 List of Figures Figure 1: Map of England with insert of East Anglia and the approximate location of the village of Writtle highlighted in red ......................................................................................15 Figure 2: The extent of the parish of Writtle highlighted. © Crown Copyright/database right 2017. An Ordnance Survey/EDINA supplied service, 1:40,000 ..........................................16 Figure 3: The extent of the Writtle conservation area (highlighted). © Crown Copyright/database right 2017. An Ordnance Survey/EDINA supplied service, 1:10,000 ...17 Figure 4: A close up of the Writtle conservation area in the east of the village (highlighted). © Crown Copyright/database right 2017. An Ordnance Survey/EDINA supplied service, 1:10,000 .............................................................................................................................17 Figure 5: Map of Writtle, based on the tithe map of 1839 (© Heritage Writtle) ....................23 Figure 6: The projected Roman roads around Writtle (© Heritage Writtle Report No. 41) ...28 Figure 7: The six years of test pitting in Writtle (NB test pits not to scale) © Crown Copyright/database right 2017. An Ordnance Survey/EDINA supplied service ...................32 Figure 8: Location map of the Writtle test pits from 2009 (NB test pits not to scale) © Crown Copyright/database right 2017. An Ordnance Survey/EDINA supplied service ...................33 Figure 9: Location map of WRI/09/1 ...................................................................................34 Figure 10: Location map of WRI/09/2 .................................................................................35