Summary

Excavations in 1988, in advance of housing developments, revealed six phases in the local sequence of events.

Full description

Excavations in 1988, in advance of housing developments, revealed six phases in the local sequence of events. <1><2> Phase 1 was defined as Mesolithic/Early Neolithic and comprised flintwork, but no features. Phase 2 was Late Neolithic and most of the flintwork from WH3 (the site of the former Button Factory) belongs to this phase, also Grooved ware from the primary buried soil and from a shallow feature (107) other features amy also be Neolithic and the evidence points to domestic occupation.<1> At WH3 phase 3 represents domestic occupation during the Late Bronze Age and is represented by a sizeable group of LBA pottery from the primary buried soil. The presence of Neolithic and Bronze Age domestic-type occupation beside the river crossing, as established by the 1988 excavations, demonstrates that the Iron Age Hillfort was not built on a virgin site. <1>

Site Assessment = Most of the site is built over.

Chipping Hill Camp (TL 8197 1519)
Chipping Hill Camp is the preferred option for the site of the tenth century burh, as it would have been a dominant landscape feature at that period. However the only late Saxon evidence from the site consists of a sherd of St Neots ware, a sherd of Thetford-type ware and a tenth century penny. The location of the church and the late Saxon market town at Chipping Hill, immediately outside one of the entrances to the earthwork, is very reminiscent of the layout of the nearby late Saxon town of Maldon and lends support to the suggestion that this area remained the dominant focus of activity in the Witham area at this period.
The manorial hall (TL 8193 1523)
The location of the manorial hall is thought to have been on the site of Temple Farm (now The Grange), which was the only habitation located within Chipping Hill Camp (Rodwell, 1993).
<3>

<1> Rodwell, Warwick J, 1993, The Origins and early Development of Witham, Essex, Oxbow Monograph 26 (DESC TEXT). SEX26156.

<2> Rogers, P, 1988, 84.1,2 (AP). SEX38633.

<3> Medlycott, Maria, 1999, Witham Historic Town Assessment Report (DESC TEXT). SEX61565.

Monument Types

• SETTLEMENT (Late Neolithic to Late Bronze Age - 3000 BC to 701 BC)

Associated Finds

• VESSEL (Late Neolithic - 3000 BC to 2001 BC)

Associated Events

• PART EXCAV by Cottrill, F, (Ref: ?)
• PART EXCAV by Flook, R, (Ref: ?)
• PART EXCAV by Davison, BK, (Ref: ?)

Sources and further reading

Related records

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