Colchester Archaeological Trust

CAT Report 991: summary

Archaeological evaluation on land to the rear of 16 High Street, Halstead, Essex, CO9 2AD: August 2016
by Laura Pooley (with contributions from Stephen Benfield)

Date report completed: August 2016
Location: land to the rear of 16 High Street, Halstead, Essex, CO9 2AD
Map reference(s): TL 81394 30733 (c)
File size: 1,340 kb
Project type: Archaeological evaluation
Significance of the results: *
Keywords: medieval, pit

Summary. An archaeological evaluation by trial-trenching was carried out on land to the rear of 16 High Street, Halstead, Essex in advance of the construction of four new dwellings. Historic mapping shows that the garden plot was in existence by at least 1838 and the buildings on either side date from the 16th to 18th centuries. A single medieval pit (13th-14th century) and residual medieval pottery sherds suggest activity on the development site during the period of the earliest origins of the town. Five later pits (three late medieval/post-medieval and two post-medieval/modern) are probably associated with the use of the development site as a yard/garden to the rear of the property fronting onto the High Street.