Colchester Archaeological Trust

CAT Report 321: summary

An archaeological watching brief at 10/10a East Street, Coggeshall, Essex: April 2005
by Benfield, S

Date report completed: 06/06/2005
Location: Coggeshall, Essex
Map reference(s): TL85072256
File size: 2670 kb
Project type: Watching brief
Significance of the results: Neg
Keywords: medieval, post-medieval, ceramic building materials, metalled surface

Summary. A watching brief was carried out on groundworks for the construction of a small dwelling in the garden at the rear of the property at 10/10a East Street, Coggeshall, Essex. The new dwelling replaces a store building which occupied the area. The property is situated on the south side of the main road through the town (which follows the line of a Roman road) and is close to the medieval centre of the town located around Market Hill. The garden of the property slopes down toward the edge of the flood-plain of the River Blackwater. The west side of the footprint of the new dwelling was found to have been disturbed by modern services, and the south side by the remains of a former swimming-pool. Within the construction trenches over the central and north-eastern parts of the footprint of the new dwelling were the remains of a gravel surface and several clay-packed post-holes which represent a previous out-building. These features were encountered at a depth of approximately 0.7 m below the present ground-level. The poor quality of the gravel surface suggests a yard, although, in conjunction with the post-holes, it may represent a covered surface belonging to the out-building. Peg-tiles sealing the gravel surface possibly originate from demolition of the roof of the out-building supported by the post-holes. Although the majority of the pottery finds securely associated with the surface are of the medieval period (13th-14th century to 15th century), pieces of bricks recovered from the surface suggest that it is almost certainly of post-medieval (17th- to 18th-century) date.