Remains of three Roman kilns were uncovered during contractors works (construction of a new road) for a new residential development at Oaks Drive. They were excavated and recorded over a weekend to avoid disrupting building work. Most of what was excavated was covered over and is now preserved beneath the road. The site was periodically visited during further contractors operations but no traces were detected of more features. The kilns date approximately to the second half of the second century. They are contemporary with the main group excavated in 1933 and 1959 (Hull 1963, pp.13-148) but lay some distance to the south. Kilns 1 and 3 seem to have operated as a pair. Only the bottom 0.3m or so have survived. They were similar in form to Colchester Kilns 17, 18, 24 and 30 (Hull 1963) and the Middleborough Kiln (CAR3, pp.182-184). Kiln 2 had been completely destroyed except for part of the floor. The surviving vertical faces of the kilns were vitrified. The pottery from the Oaks Drive Kilns indicates a range of products which with the notible exception of samian was similar to that produced by the main group (1933 and 1959). The commonest vessels seem to have been beakers of CAM 391a mainly rouletted rather than rough cast and motraria of form CAM 497 some stamped by 'MARTINUS'. Most of the indented body sherds probably derive from form CAM 406. Wasters or underfired sherds of hunt cups were found well stratified in each of the three kilns.<5> Other refs: <2> - <4><6> - <9>

NB. This is the same site recorded under the numbers MCC1226, MCC1227 and MCC1228 (MCC8077 recorded by Essex CC).