Colchester Archaeological Trust

CAT Report 913: summary

Archaeological excavation on land to south-east of 'The Dell', Meadow Farm Lane, Hollesley, Suffolk, IP12 3RQ: January 2016
by Laura Pooley (with contributions from Stephen Benfield, Val Fryer, Ben Holloway)

Date report completed: December 2016
Location: land to south-east of 'The Dell', Meadow Farm Lane, Hollesley, Suffolk, IP12 3RQ
Map reference(s): TM 351 444 (c)
File size: 9,242 kb
Project type: Archaeological excavation
Significance of the results: *
Keywords: Late Iron Age/early Roman, ditch, field system, prehistoric

Summary. An archaeological excavation was carried out on land to the south-east of The Dell, Meadow Farm Lane, Hollesley, Suffolk in advance of the construction of a new house and associated infrastructure. In total, 33 features were excavated, including a modern pit and five modern post-holes. The remaining 27 features revealed a Late Iron Age/early Roman agricultural landscape dating from the late 1st century BC to the late 1st century AD. Seven ditches represent at least three phases of a co-axial field system laid out to form separate fields or paddocks. Domestic waste found in eight pits also suggests that the site was located on the periphery of an unlocated settlement or farm. Of further interest were four pits containing burnt flint and stone, and a quantity of this material was also found residually in Late Iron Age/Roman features. Commonly associated with the prehistoric period, these features and finds may represent an earlier phase of activity on the site.