Colchester Archaeological Trust

CAT Report 553: summary

Archaeological monitoring and excavation at Lundishes, Blackmore, Essex: May 2010
by Adam Wightman and Howard Brooks

Date report completed: June 2010
Location: Lundishes, Blackmore, Essex
Map reference(s): TL 60328 01902
File size: 1,958 kb
Project type: Archaeological monitoring and excavation
Significance of the results: **
Keywords: medieval features

Summary. The site is on the Green, Blackmore, in the centre of the historic village. The material identified by this monitoring project has a bearing on the origins of Blackmore, which was originally located at Fingrith Hall, and moved south to its present focus in the second half of the 12th century. The standing building at Lundishes is of 15th-century date (with later alterations), but the presence here of thirteenth-century pottery and features indicates that the site is older than the building. The excavated features were presumably associated with a building on this site (possibly an earlier phase of Lundishes which is no longer apparent in the standing fabric), and are supportive of the 12th-century origin of Blackmore. Post-medieval features include a ditch which probably defined two edges of the plot associated with Lundishes. A single piece of Roman tile is among the finds. It may have been brought here in manure scatter from the Roman buildings (presumably a farm) located 450m to the south-west.