Colchester Archaeological Trust

CAT Report 1640: summary

Archaeological investigation by trial-trenching and excavation at The Sweyne Park School, Sir Walter Raleigh Drive, Rayleigh, Essex, SS6 9BZ March 2021
by Mark Baister (with contributions from Howard Brooks and Laura Pooley)

Date report completed: March 2021
Location: The Sweyne Park School, Sir Walter Raleigh Drive, Rayleigh, Essex, SS6 9BZ
Map reference(s): TQ 80155 91685 (centre)
File size: 3085 kb
Project type: Archaeological evaluation and Excavation
Significance of the results:
Keywords: Sweyne Park School, Sir Walter Raleigh Drive, Rayleigh

Summary. An archaeological evaluation (one trial-trench) was carried out on land at The Sweyne Park Secondary School, Rayleigh, Essex, in advance of the construction of a new school block. Six prehistoric features were excavated, originating from two distinct phases of activity. Towards the south end of the trench was a ditch aligned north-west/south-east, containing Late Bronze Age-Early Iron Age pottery. The centre of the trench contained a group of features centred around a Late Iron Age curvilinear ditch, including several postholes. These features together may represent the western extent of a roundhouse. Reinforcing this interpretation is the recovery of several large fragments of fired clay, interpreted as being from a wattle-and-daub structure.