Prehistoric and Romano-British remains at Malyons Farm, Hullbridge, Essex

Between 16th April and 18th July 2019 Oxford Archaeology East carried out an archaeological excavation on land around Malyons Farm, Hullbridge, Essex (TQ 807 946, Fig. 1). A total of 4.8ha in three separate areas (A-C) was machine stripped to investigate areas of interest identified in the earlier evaluation phase.
Early land-use was evident from residual Neolithic flints in later features and Early Bronze Age pottery in a small number of Early Iron Age features in Area B, while a single large pit of Late Bronze Age date was located in Area A. In the northern part of Area B, part of a ditched field system was also thought to be of Middle or Late Bronze Age origin.
The northernmost part of the site (Area B) revealed an area of unenclosed Early Iron Age settlement, including at least seven post-built structures. Other features included scattered pits and postholes and a large waterhole. The finds assemblage included pottery from the Late Bronze Age and Early Iron Age, along with animal bone, calcined bone, possible briquetage fragments (associated with salt making) and cylindrical fired clay weights of Late Bronze Age date. Waterlogged plant remains and pollen from the lower fills of the waterhole indicate pastoral farming and arable activity associated with the settlement, sitting within a broader landscape of hedgerows, and oak and lime woodlands.
In Area A, an area of Late Iron Age - Early Romano-British settlement was identified, consisting of a double rectilinear enclosure and other ditches, and a large number of pits, many possibly for clay extraction. Finds from these features included pottery – mostly Romano-British with a smaller component of Late Iron Age – along with animal bone, oyster shell and triangular Iron Age loomweights. Also in Area A were two small unurned Late Iron Age - Romano-British cremations, each containing less than 500g of calcined bone.
Close to the eastern edge of investigation, in Area C, was a single north to south aligned medieval ditch, originally identified in the evaluation. Moderate quantities of medieval pottery were recovered from the ditch and the overlying subsoil.
Several post-medieval to modern field boundary ditches aligned with the extant field system cut across the Iron Age settlement in Area B.