Brightlingsea excavation ends on a high point

Yesterday (8th August), the Trust finished our excavation at Brightlingsea Quarry. We have been conducting the excavation for several weeks, and during the hottest weather of the year. Trust archaeologists Ben Holloway and Mark Baister have recorded quite a lot of archaeology and retrieved some interesting finds on the site. The evidence indicates two areas of activity, ie agricultural (the ditches of a field system) and domestic (pits and the bases of two huts). The two areas date to the late Saxon-early medieval period and to the Anglo-Saxon period. The site is in the Moverons area of Brightlingsea, at the highest point of the peninsula and former island of Brightlingsea, overlooking both the River Colne and Alresford Creek.

‘… Moverons was described as Moverons, otherwise Morehams, and Moverons, otherwise Morehous. The ‘s’ of Morehams may mean that a man named Moreham once owned it, or it may have got there by mistake.

Morehous suggests a Saxon’s homestead, and possibly is derived from mor, a hill and hus a house. If the ‘s ‘ of Morhams is a mistake, then ham is the Saxon ham, a house or village. The house or village on the hill is an apt enough name for such, where Moverons stand. At Aldborough Point [nearby] there is a field called Aldborough. Ald is probably Saxon, meaning old, while borough is the Saxon burh. A burh was a Saxon fortified place, a castle, town, village, or house. Whether village or dwelling house, it was placed there to protect the landing place and the river. The name old burh suggests a new burh, but there is no indication where it was, if it did exist. There are other indications of habitations near this part. Quantities of oyster shells have been turned up by the plough in two fields between Aldborough and Moverons, suggesting the kitchen middens of some ancient houses …’ – from The history of the town of Brightlingsea, a member of the Cinque Ports, by Edward Dickin, 1913; published by T W Barnes; printed by Wiles & Son, Trinity Printing Works, Colchester.

It was very exciting for us to discover the evidence for two Anglo-Saxon huts at the very end of the excavation, as we don’t find many. Ben and Mark also retrieved some interesting finds, such as fragments of Thetford ware pottery, a bone comb and a complete sickle.

The images show Mark working on the site of one of the Anglo-Saxon huts; Ben with the base of the other hut fully excavated, yesterday; and an image of one of the huts, showing six structural post-holes (this was photographed by Dr Tim Dennis: copyright Dr Tim Dennis).

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