Archaeological Evaluation. Land North of London Road, Billericay, Essex

One hundred and sixty-six trial trenches were excavated across the c.24.9ha site. 32 trenches contained archaeological remains, comprising linear ditches and gullies, pits and possible postholes. The majority of these were gully-like features relating to late post-medieval/modern land drainage, as demonstrated by the geophysical survey, and not considered to be archaeologically significant. A low density and low complexity of ditches and pits of Late Iron Age/Early Roman (1st century AD) date was identified at three locations within the site; north-east (Trench 61) and middle (Trenches and 125). The significance of these remains was uncertain due to their low quantity and dispersed nature as exposed within the trenches. They may have represented outlying activity to known settlement further to the north or east. A small number of ditches found in the west and south-west of the site probably related to agricultural land use associated with the farmstead that formerly occupied this vicinity.