A watching brief and two seasons of excavation were carried out by Colchester Archaeological Trust during 2004 (Stage 1) and 2005-6 (Stage 2), in advance of an extension to the western side of the quarry. Archaeological monitoring in 2004 covered topsoil-stripping for an extraction area and the associated enabling works for Stage 1 of the quarry extension. As a result of this, a number of features of prehistoric, Roman and post medieval date were identified which required excavation. The further Stage 2 of the quarry extension in 2005-6 necessitated area excavation of part of the site of the Roman settlement.<1> Close to the Maldon Road, in the south-west part of the site (Area B), three pits (F7, F8, F9) were defined that contained various quantities of charcoal, burnt stone, and prehistoric pottery sherds. The pottery was tempered with fragments of crushed burnt flint and is dated as Middle to Late Bronze Age. A small ring-ditch (F81), c.8m in diameter, was defined near to the north edge of Area A. The only finds from the ditch fill were two worked flints, one of which was an axe-thinning flake dated to the Neolithic or Bronze Age. The ring-ditch is possibly the remains of a small Bronze Age barrow, the central cremation having been completely destroyed (truncation was severe on the site). The main area of Roman activity was defined by a concentration of features in Area A. The extent of these features corresponds with the eastern half of a surface scatter of Roman finds (which extends beyond Area A). A number of the Roman features contained pottery entirely or primarily of 1st- to early 2nd-century date (Phase 1a). These comprised a number of ditches, pits and post-holes, four possible inhumation graves (grave-shaped pits) and one very large pit (possibly a well). There were also a number of features which followed the arrangement of Phases 1a features but which contained pottery dating from the early 2nd to mid-late 3rd century. Prominent amongst these were three ditches on the central west part of the site, which possibly formed part of an enclosure. The arrangement of features containing late Roman pottery suggests a possible change in the aspect of this part of the settlement in the late Roman period. The group of six Roman cremation burials, located close to the north-east corner of the area (Area C), can be assigned to the early Roman period. The remains of four of these features (F1, F2, F10, F29) showed that they were urned cremation burials. Two other features (F5 & F6) contained only cremated bone. Associated with these features, there was a rectangular pit containing pyre debris (F4). Two other small circular pits (F27 & F28) with charcoal fills were probably also features with pyre debris. There was little post-Roman activity defined on the site, comprising a number of ditches used in the later post-medieval or modern periods. NB. This is the same event as ECC3532 (which was created by Essex CC HER)