Archaeological Evaluation: Land South of Bedwell Road, Ugley, Elsenham, Essex

The evaluation comprised the investigation of ten trenches across the south and east of the c. 1.42ha site, each measuring 30m long by 1.80m wide. They were excavated using a mechanical excavator equipped with a toothless ditching bucket, under direct archaeological supervision. Archaeological remains were found in three trenches (6-8), comprising ditches, loosely concentrated in the east and south-west. Very few finds were recovered from the identified archaeological remains, consisting only of a single small sherd of Late Iron Age/early Roman pottery and two small fragments of post-medieval brick. As a result, it is difficult to assign the features to any specific period of land use. Preservation of the archaeological horizon was generally good with some disturbance noted from post-medieval/modern agricultural practices, geotechnical testing, and bioturbation from large trees concentrated around the site boundaries and blackthorn bushes. Thus, it seems unlikely that further archaeological remains are present elsewhere on the site.