Fieldwalking on the site of a proposed new mineral extraction area on land south of Fingringhoe Ballast Quarry revealed a light scatter of prehistoric flints in the main southern area of proposed extraction. The flints include a number of tool types of the early Neolithic to Bronze Age.<1>
12 trenches were located in areas of the site identified by fieldwalking as having high concentrations of archaeological material. A number of features were recorded, including pits, postholes and a number of ditch and linear features, though the majority were undated.<2>
In addition to two boundary ditches on the western side of Tower Field and numerous tree hollows, the programme of archaeological monitoring and recording in Tower Field revealed an undated pit and ditches, all but one of the latter were undated. A large quantity of oyster shells were contained in the pit, and a single Romano-British sherd of Southern British grog tempered ware was from the fill of a ditch. Two of the ditches were curvilinear and may represent the remains of an enclosure.<3>
Further monitoring comprising the observation of soil reduction across a narrow band of land revealed no further features or finds.<4>
Phase 5 (May 2010): excavation revealed 35 archaeological features the majority of which were boundary or enclosure ditches and drainage gullies, pits and tree hollows. The principle features were one grave and two cremations (undated). Finds included struck flint flakes and sparse Iron Age pottery.<5>