Great Tey, Braziers Farm (GTEBZ98)
This site is located 1.5km south-west of Great Tey, 100m north of Braziers Farm, on alluvial gravels on the south bank of the Roman River. An area of 8 x 6m was excavated. The northern half of a prehistoric ring-ditch lay within the pipeline easement, represented by a curved ditch [1], 1.0-1.6m wide and 0.45m deep, with steep sides, filled with pebbly sandy silt with occasional burnt clay and charcoal inclusions. The ditch contained a few sherds of flint-gritted pottery, unfortunately not closely datable. No internal features were recorded, but a series of small post-holes [13], [15] and [17] cut the outer edge of the ditch, as seen on other ring-ditches in Essex, notably at Langford, near Maldon. A second ditch [6] immediately to the north was broad and shallow, at 1.5m wide and 0.1m deep, and was filled with clay-silt. It is undated but was most likely related to the ring-ditch, possibly as an enclosure ditch. A second ring-ditch beside the Roman River has previously been recorded near Teybrook Farm 1.5km to the east of the site and a Late Bronze Age socketed axe head has also been found in this area (EHER 8800, 8597).<1><2>