In October 2011, Colchester Archaeology Group carried out a fieldwalking survey on the 2.44ha. Onion Field, which lies 200m east of Sandy Hill and down-slope from Lodge Hills. The survey was done to standard Essex methodology (i.e. 10% surface collection based on 2m-wide collection corridors spaced 20m apart: see Medlycott 2005). The collection corridors were aligned with the growing crops, rather than N/S-E/W. Finds were collected from five corridors (A-E) and from 56 ‘stints’ (or, 20m boxes).<1>

178 finds were collected (total weight 3,916g). Most were post-medieval peg-tile and pottery, probably derived from manure scatter (51% of the group by weight). Significant finds included 36 struck flints (16% of the group by weight), and 26 pieces of Roman brick/tile (33% of group by weight). The flints dated from the Neolithic to the Bronze Age, with one piece possibly from the Mesolithic. There were very few Roman or medieval potsherds (3 and 1 respectively). The Roman brick/tile on the northern edge of the field, however, confirms the earlier discovery of the same material which prompted this survey, and shows that there is a ‘site’ here (according to the author).