Prehistoric and Medieval activity along the route of the Wormingford to Abberton pipeline

Between January and March 2011 five targeted open area excavations were carried out by Oxford Archaeology East in advance of the construction of a water pipeline by Essex and Suffolk Water. These were located at Staunches Farm, Wormingford; Fosset's Lane, Fordham; Turkey Cock Lane, Stanway; Maldon Road, Heckfordbridge and Birch Park at Birch.
The excavation at Staunches Farm located a field enclosure system of Bronze Age date running north-east to south-west and a medieval field system on an east to west alignment.
At Fordham several Bronze Age features including a pit and a curvilinear ditch were revealed, thought to originate from domestic occupation. A large medieval field boundary was also located running north-east to south-west across site.
The site at Turkey Cock Lane revealed a curvilinear ditch of prehistoric date, which may have formed an animal enclosure. A late medieval field system was evident within the southern part of the excavation, where several large pits of the same date were also found, that are likely to have been for extracting the natural gravel.
At Maldon Road several rectilinear field systems were recorded. The first phase of use may date to the prehistoric period, while two separate medieval phases of field
system, one on a north-east to south-west alignment and one on a further north to south orientation, were identified.
The site at Birch Park revealed a prehistoric enclosure at the northern edge of the excavation. Further to the south a later medieval field system was present.