Colchester Archaeological Trust

CAT Report 586: summary

Evaluation by trial-trenching at 9 Dorset Road, Burnham-on-Crouch, Essex - March 2011
by Adam Wightman (with contributions from -)

Date report completed: March 2011
Location: 9 Dorset Road, Burnham-on-Crouch, Essex
Map reference(s): TQ 59519 19516
File size: 56 kb
Project type: Evaluation by trial-trenching
Significance of the results: neg
Keywords: -

Summary. A single archaeological trial-trench was excavated along the long axis of the footprint of the proposed buildings. The trench was 9m long and it was the width of a toothless ditching bucket. The trench was excavated under archaeological supervision using a tracked excavator. Modern turf and hoggin overlay a dark grey/brown clayey silt topsoil 330mm-410mm thick. The topsoil contained charcoal and brick inclusions, as well as fragments of modern pottery and building materials. Beneath the topsoil was a layer of light brown sandy clay 150mm-190mm thick. This layer contained stones derived from the natural geology below and had no inclusions other than a few fragments of peg-tile which did not appear to be within cut features. The natural geology was a light orange/brown sandy clay with frequent gravel patches. No archaeological deposits were identified during the removal of the overlying soil by the mechanical excavator and no archaeological features were identified during the hand-cleaning of the natural clay. The only artefacts identified were modern building materials, pottery fragments and peg-tile.