A fieldwalking and trial-trenching evaluation at Abbotts Hall Farm, Great Wigborough, Essex: October 2001

A fieldwalking evaluation of a 24 hectare area identified four significant clusters of finds: one concentration of Roman pottery (Roman site 1) and one of both Roman and medieval pottery (Roman site 2/medieval site 1). Two other clusters of Roman pottery, tile and briquetage were so closely grouped that they are probably parts of a single large archaeological site covering approximately 1 hectare (Roman site 3). Following the fieldwalking, the clusters were tested by trial-trenching in October 2001. Red earth was found in most of the trenches in Roman site 3. This helped to define the position of two red hills, one corresponding to a previously known red hill at TL 970 137, and a second, previously unknown red hill. Internal details in the red hills included clay-lined tanks, which are presumably examples of ‘settling tanks’ found on other red hill sites.