Land North of Maldon, Essex

Countryside Properties has commissioned Oxford Archaeology East to undertake an archaeological Desk-Based Assessment examining the archaeological resource across a 211 hectare site located on land north of Maldon, Essex (584280, 209167) and across the surrounding 1km landscape.
Evidence for archaeological remains (in the form of cropmarks, features and findspots) from the Palaeolithic through to the post-medieval period have been identified within a 1km radius of the Landholding. This report demonstrates that there is high potential for archaeological remains within the Proposed Development Area, in particular of the Iron Age and Roman periods. Remains of Neolithic, Bronze Age, Anglo-Saxon and medieval date are also considered likely but to a lesser degree.
The majority of the Proposed Development Area has been subject to little modern disturbance, and as such archaeological deposits are likely to be in a good state of preservation, although they may have been affected by arable farming techniques from the medieval and post-medieval periods.
The construction of the proposed residential housing, school, roads, buried services and associated infrastructure have the potential to affect archaeological deposits. A mitigation strategy comprising intrusive works, initially in the form of an archaeological trial tench evaluation, would highlight the nature, survival and significance of any archaeological deposits which may be affected by the proposed development plans.