Colchester Archaeological Trust

CAT Report 439: summary

Iron Age, Roman, medieval and post-medieval remains at Heybridge Hall, Heybridge, Maldon, Essex: evaluation September 2007
by H. Brooks, B. Holloway (with contributions from S. Benfield, J. Curl)

Date report completed: December 2007
Location: Maldon Essex
Map reference(s): TL 8594007689
File size: 3,862KB kb
Project type: Evaluation
Significance of the results: *
Keywords: Iron Age, Medieval, Post-Medieval, medieval ditch, listed building, medieval timber framed building

Summary. Heybridge Hall was a fine 13th-century and later listed building, which burnt down in 2004. An archaeological evaluation by ten trenches around the hall site in 2007 revealed evidence for occupation in the Late Iron Age and Roman periods, and possibly in the Middle Iron Age. An evaluation in 1991 had located an area of medieval activity to the east of the hall site, and beyond the eastern boundary of the 2007 evaluation. It is believed that this may have been the site of a timber building, either a predecessor of the now destroyed 13th-century hall or an ancillary building. Trenching in 2007 also found a medieval ditch to the east of the site of the 13th-century hall, but no structural evidence such as post-holes or slots. Nevertheless, the few sherds of medieval pottery from this ditch and other (residual) contexts support a 12th- or 13th-century date for the foundation of the medieval hall complex.