| Name: | Springfield Cursus-West Terminal |
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| SMR Number: | 5781 |
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| Type of record: | Monument |
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| Grid Reference: | TL 729 069 |
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| Map Sheet: | TL70NW |
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| Parish: | CHELMSFORD, CHELMSFORD, ESSEX |
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Summary
In 1980 Roman features, including a single ditched enclosure were excavated, 3 sides of the enclosure being confirmed.
Full description
In 1980 Roman features, including a single ditched enclosure were excavated, 3 sides of the enclosure being confirmed. <1> Roman features examined, 1980, during excavation of neolithic cursus (see 5778). Roman pottery was found in the top 20cm of the cursus ditch, suggesting it survived into this period when the earthworks were finally destroyed by ploughing. The Roman features excavated at the west end of the cursus comprised ditches, pits, a post hole and 3 sides of a ditched enclosure. One of the ditches was V-shaped, with a shallow slot at the bottom. It was dated to the 1st century, from pottery found in the lower layers and it had been cut by later Roman features. The enclosure was maily V-shaped in profile also. This was dated to the 4th century from pottery found in the primary silts. Finds included coins (a probably 2nd century As or Dupondius, a barbarous radiate of c270-290, a commemorative coin of Helena c337-340), an iron knife blade point, lava rotary quern fragments, glass fragments including half a 'melon bead', fired clay and pottery. Iron age and Roman pottery comprised c500 sherds, mostly small and abraded. Dating was largely dependent on fabrics though few of these could be related to a known place of manufacture, meaning that only a broad date range could be suggested for most feature fills. The Roman pottery spanned the whole period and included Samian, early colour-coated wares, later colour coated Oxford ware, Nene Valley mortarium rim, late Roman shell-tempered ware, Rettendon type wares. Plant remains from a Roman pit "composed a fairly typical Roman cereal assemblage". Cereal remains from a post hole suggested it related to Roman activity. The cereal remains are evidence for farming in the area but the precise type could not be determined. A cobbled surface suggests a nucleus of settlement lay south west of the excavated area. The V-shaped ditch showed on APs (the only one to do so) and is probably part of an extensive field system. The enclosure's function could not be determined but it is an addition to the gazetteer of dated Essex enclosures. It is the first to be dated to the later Roman period. Although the cereal remains suggest an economy partly based on cereals, the Chelmer flood plain is likely to have been used for stock in the Roman period "and it is tentatively suggested that the enclosure was constructed close to this grazing area for stock control". A similar, larger enclosure is visible on APs, 300m to the east <2> <3> <4> Plan of excavated site in SMR <5> See 5778 for AP refs.
CUCAP, 1976, BXR 10,16,8,9 (AP). SEX53856.
unknown, 1976, K17AL 100-106 (AP). SEX64667.
NMR, 1976, TL7206/1/33-6 (AP). SEX64670.
NMR, 1976, TL7206/2/37-41 (AP). SEX64668.
NMR, 1979, TL7206/4/246 (AP). SEX64669.
<1> Hedges, JD and Buckley, DG in Eddy, MR, 1981, Excavations in Essex, 1980, Vol 13, p54 (DESC TEXT). SEX19615.
<2> Hedges, JD and Buckley, DG in Priddy, DA, 1983, Work of Essex County Council Archaeology Section 1982, Vol 15, pp135-141 (EXCAV REPORT). SEX19621.
<3> Buckley, DG, unknown, SMR (DESC TEXT). SEX138.
<4> Hedges, JD and Buckley, DG, unknown, Excavations at the Springfield Cropmark Complex...79-80. The Roman Features (EXCAV REPORT). SEX19617.
<5> unknown, unknown, Springfield Cursus. West Terminal (MENTION). SEX19622.
Monument Types
- DITCH (C1, Roman - 43 AD to 100 AD)
- DITCH (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
- FEATURE (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
- FIELD BOUNDARY (C1, Roman - 43 AD to 100 AD)
- FIELD SYSTEM (C1, Roman - 43 AD to 100 AD)
- PIT (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
- POST HOLE (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
- DITCH (C4, Roman - 300 AD to 409 AD)
- RECTANGULAR ENCLOSURE (C4, Roman - 300 AD to 409 AD)
- STOCK ENCLOSURE (C4, Roman - 300 AD to 409 AD)
Associated Finds
- KNIFE (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
- MELON BEAD (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
- PLANT REMAINS (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
- ROTARY QUERN (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
- VESSEL (Roman - 43 AD to 100 AD)
- VESSEL (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
- COIN (Roman - 100 AD to 200 AD)
- COIN (Roman - 270 AD to 290 AD)
- VESSEL (Roman - 300 AD to 400 AD)
- COIN (Roman - 337 AD to 340 AD)
Associated Events
- SALV EXCAV by Hedges, JD and Buckley, DG, (Ref: ?)
Protected Status
- Historic Environment Character Zone: Chelmsford 2.14
- Historic Environment Character Area: Chelmsford 2
- Historic Environment Character Zone: Chelmsford 4.2
- Conservation Area: Chelmer and Blackwater Navigation (CHELMSFORD)
- Historic Environment Character Zone: Chelmsford 4.1
- Historic Environment Character Area: Chelmsford 4
- Historic Environment Character Zone: Chelmsford 2.11
Sources and further reading
| --- | AP: CUCAP. 1976. BXR 10,16,8,9. |
| --- | AP: unknown. 1976. K17AL 100-106. |
| --- | AP: NMR. 1976. TL7206/2/37-41. |
| --- | AP: NMR. 1979. TL7206/4/246. |
| --- | AP: NMR. 1976. TL7206/1/33-6. |
| <1> | DESC TEXT: Hedges, JD and Buckley, DG in Eddy, MR. 1981. Excavations in Essex, 1980. Vol 13, p54. |
| <2> | EXCAV REPORT: Hedges, JD and Buckley, DG in Priddy, DA. 1983. Work of Essex County Council Archaeology Section 1982. Vol 15, pp135-141. |
| <3> | DESC TEXT: Buckley, DG. unknown. SMR. |
| <4> | EXCAV REPORT: Hedges, JD and Buckley, DG. unknown. Excavations at the Springfield Cropmark Complex...79-80. The Roman Features. |
| <5> | MENTION: unknown. unknown. Springfield Cursus. West Terminal. |
Related records
| 5793 | Parent of: North of Bower's Farm (Monument) |
| 5785 | Parent of: Springfield Cursus-East Terminal (Find Spot) |
| 5784 | Parent of: Springfield Cursus-East Terminal (Monument) |
| 5783 | Parent of: Springfield Cursus-Eastern End (Find Spot) |
| 5786 | Parent of: Springfield Cursus-Ring Ditch to the West of (Monument) |
| 5787 | Parent of: Springfield Cursus-Ring Ditch to the West of (Monument) |
| 5782 | Parent of: Springfield Cursus-West Terminal (Find Spot) |
| 5788 | Parent of: Springfield Lyons (Monument) |
| 5789 | Parent of: Springfield Lyons (Monument) |
| 5790 | Parent of: Springfield Lyons (Monument) |
| 5791 | Parent of: Springfield Lyons (Monument) |
| 5792 | Parent of: Springfield Lyons (Monument) |
| 5780 | Part of: Springfield Cursus-West Terminal (Monument) |
Images
 SPRINGFIELD Pease Hall Farm , cropmarks; enclosure ect © Essex County Council |  SPRINGFIELD CURSUS air photograph of excavation © Essex County Council |
 SPRINGFIELD CURSUS air photograph of excavation © Essex County Council |  Springfield Cursus, Springfield, Chelmsford © Essex County Council |
 Springfield Lyons, Springfield, Chelmsford © Essex County Council |  Springfield Lyons, Springfield, Chelmsford © Essex County Council |
 Springfield Lyons, Springfield, Chelmsford © Essex County Council |  Springfield Lyons, Springfield, Chelmsford © Essex County Council |
 Springfield Lyons, Springfield, Chelmsford © Essex County Council |  Springfield Lyons, Springfield, Chelmsford © Essex County Council |
 Springfield Lyons, Springfield, Chelmsford © Essex County Council |  Springfield Lyons, Springfield, Chelmsford © Essex County Council |
 SPRINGFIELD CURSUS © Essex County Council |  SPRINGFIELD CURSUS © Essex County Council |
 SPRINGFIELD CURSUS © Essex County Council |  SPRINGFIELD CURSUS excavation © Essex County Council |
 SPRINGFIELD CURSUS excavation © Essex County Council |  SPRINGFIELD CURSUS excavation © Essex County Council |
 SPRINGFIELD CURSUS excavation © Essex County Council |  SPRINGFIELD CURSUS excavation © Essex County Council |
 SPRINGFIELD CURSUS excavation © Essex County Council |  SPRINGFIELD CURSUS excavation © Essex County Council |
 SPRINGFIELD CURSUS excavation © Essex County Council |  SPRINGFIELD CURSUS excavation © Essex County Council |
 SPRINGFIELD CURSUS excavation © Essex County Council |  SPRINGFIELD CURSUS excavation © Essex County Council |
 SPRINGFIELD CURSUS excavation © Essex County Council |  Springfield Cursus, Springfield, Chelmsford © Essex County Council |
 Springfield Cursus, Springfield, Chelmsford © Essex County Council |  Springfield Cursus, Springfield, Chelmsford © Essex County Council |
 Springfield Cursus, Springfield, Chelmsford © Essex County Council |  Springfield Cursus, Springfield, Chelmsford © Essex County Council |
 SPRINGFIELD CURSUS excavation © Essex County Council |  SPRINGFIELD CURSUS excavation © Essex County Council |
 SPRINGFIELD CURSUS excavation © Essex County Council |  SPRINGFIELD CURSUS excavation © Essex County Council |
 SPRINGFIELD CURSUS excavation © Essex County Council |  SPRINGFIELD CURSUS excavation © Essex County Council |
 SPRINGFIELD CURSUS excavation © Essex County Council |  SPRINGFIELD CURSUS excavation © Essex County Council |
 SPRINGFIELD CURSUS excavation © Essex County Council |  SPRINGFIELD CURSUS excavation © Essex County Council |
 SPRINGFIELD CURSUS excavation © Essex County Council |  SPRINGFIELD CURSUS excavation © Essex County Council |
 SPRINGFIELD CURSUS excavation © Essex County Council |  SPRINGFIELD CURSUS excavation © Essex County Council |
 SPRINGFIELD CURSUS excavation © Essex County Council |  SPRINGFIELD CURSUS excavation © Essex County Council |
 SPRINGFIELD CURSUS excavation © Essex County Council |  SPRINGFIELD CURSUS excavation © Essex County Council |
 SPRINGFIELD CURSUS excavation © Essex County Council |  SPRINGFIELD CURSUS excavation © Essex County Council |
 SPRINGFIELD CURSUS excavation © Essex County Council |  SPRINGFIELD CURSUS excavation © Essex County Council |
 SPRINGFIELD CURSUS excavation © Essex County Council |  SPRINGFIELD CURSUS excavation © Essex County Council |
 SPRINGFIELD CURSUS excavation © Essex County Council |  SPRINGFIELD CURSUS excavation © Essex County Council |
 SPRINGFIELD CURSUS excavation © Essex County Council | |
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