Test Pit 29

Test Pit 29. Larch House, Heckfield Green

Property description and location

Larch House lies at the junction of Chickering Road and Denham Road, although not listed, is assumed to be of at least mid 19th century date as it appears to be depicted on the Tithe map (the plot is not numbered on the map so no apportionment description is available) and 1st Edition OS. The property is likely to have formerly lain within Heckfield Green which Skynner shows as open space, considerably larger than the modern layout, connecting the various road junctions. The boundary of the Green probably followed the line of the linear ditch, c.10m east of the modern edge of Denham Road, which forms part of the Three Ponds moated complex (HXN 050), before cornering behind the property and heading east parallel to Chickering Road.

Test Pit description

Pit 29

The pit was placed on the front lawn of the property, c.4m from the road edge, which is raised c.0.3m above the road level. A very dense, compacted and relatively dense topsoil, Context 1, was seen to a depth of c.0.25m before excavation was abandoned due to the presence of substantial tree roots.

Test Pit finds summary

Small quantities of post-medieval artefacts were recovered, including a small fragment of pottery dating to the 19th century.

Test Pit Discussion

Unfortunately the pit did not establish the depth of the topsoil and so it is unknown if it has been artificially built up/imported or if it represents the original post-medieval groundlevel in which case its clean nature may support the suggestion that it lay within the Green until at least the mid 18th century.

Table of Finds

Spit No Context No Sieved? Display/ Keep? Pottery Post Med/ modern Medieval CBM Fired Clay Mortar/ Plaster Clay Pipe Glass Flint Slate Plastic Iron Nails Iron Other Other Metalwork Animal Bone Oyster Shell Land Snail Comments
1 1 Unknown Yes Yes Yes Yes
2 1 Unknown Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes ?Slag

Details of Pottery Finds

Spit No Context No Display/ Keep? Post Med/ modern Medieval Details
2 1 Yes 1 tiny sliver 19th C + (IRST)?