Colchester Archaeological Trust

CAT Report 1233: summary

Archaeological evaluation at Hammonds, land north of Elmstead Road/east of Swan Close, Colchester, Essex, CO4 3BL: February 2018
by Dr Elliott Hicks (with contributions from Stephen Benfield, Lisa Gray, Laura Pooley, Ben Holloway, Sarah Carter)

Date report completed: March 2018
Location: Hammonds, land north of Elmstead Road/east of Swan Close, Colchester, Essex, CO4 3BL
Map reference(s): TM 02235 24422
File size: kb
Project type: Evaluation
Significance of the results:
Keywords:

Summary. The second phase of an archaeological evaluation begun in 2014 (two trial-trenches) was carried out at Hammonds, land north of Elmstead Road/ east of Swan Close, Colchester, Essex in advance of the construction of eighteen residential units and associated works. The site is located near to a series of Late Iron Age and Roman ditches, pits and burials, medieval ditches and pits, and pottery spreads dated to the medieval and post-medieval periods. The 18th-century Salary Brook Farm is also situated close by. Five medieval ditches, one medieval gully, one medieval pit, one medieval pit or ditch and an undated pit were uncovered, evidencing activity and occupation at this site over two phases which, considered alongside other evidence of medieval activity within this area, indicates that a small hamlet might have stood here during this period.