Bramford to Twinstead Reinforcement Phase 1 (Area GSP1): Land at Butler's Wood, Bulmer and Twinstead, Essex

The evaluation fieldwork comprised the excavation of 18 trenches measuring 30m x 1.8m. The trenches were located in a grid to provide a representative sample of the site. Trenches were set out and overburden was stripped from the trenches by a mechanical excavator under archaeological supervision to the top of the natural substrate, which was the level at which archaeological features were first encountered. Discussions between National Grid and ECCPS decided that the safest and most expedient way of progressing with the evaluation was to open and backfill trenches in a single day, leaving no excavations open overnight. ECCPS was provided with the opportunity to monitor and sign off trenches prior to backfill. In March 2022, Cotswold Archaeology carried out an archaeological evaluation of the land at Butler's Wood, Bulmer and Twinstead, Essex. A total of eighteen trenches were excavated, three of which contained archaeological features, four ditches and a single pit. There were no artefacts recovered from any of the investigated features. Three of the ditches align with boundaries marked on 19th/20th century mapping and are undoubtably post medieval boundary markers. The only potentially early features were a shallow ditch and probable fire pit. Both were undated but are possibly prehistoric in origin.