Colchester Archaeological Trust

CAT Report 672: summary

Interim assessment report on Stage 2 archaeological excavations, Alienated Land S2 cross-over, Area S2 (north) Site K, Berechurch Dyke, Colchester Garrison, Colchester, Essex - September-October 2012
by Stephen Benfield, Robert Masefield (with contributions from -)

Date report completed: January 2013
Location: Alienated Land Area S2 (north) Site K, Berechurch Dyke, Colchester Garrison, Colchester, Essex
Map reference(s): TL 9972 2207 (c)
File size: 2,281 kb
Project type: Archaeological excavations
Significance of the results: **
Keywords: Berechurch Dyke, dyke, Iron Age, revetment, bank, ditch, post-holes, medieval, post-medieval, hollow-way

Summary. An excavation on the line of the Berechurch Dyke located the dyke ditch over its full width. Part of the dyke bank, or an area of natural sand beneath the former bank, was located on the western edge of the excavation. A line of post-holes on the western side may represent part of a timber revetment fronting the dyke bank, although a date for the post-holes later than the dyke cannot be excluded. There is some evidence that a large post-medieval ditch or hollow-way may have followed the line of the dyke ditch here.