Monument record BRK 136 - IA/Roman and medieval field systems, B1113 Stowmarket to Great Blakenham Underground Cabling

Fieldwork was carried out on part of the route of the B1113 Stowmarket to Great Blakenham underground cabling. Two sites of archaeological interest were identified, both on relatively high ground in the vicinity of the Saxon Park and Brick Kiln Caravan Parks, Barrett's Lane, Barking. At Site 1, part of a prehistoric or Roman field system was represented by four shallow, parallel ditches spaced about 4-5m apart. These contained occasional small and abraded sherds of black, hand-made pottery in fine sandy and flint-tempered fabrics. The prehistoric/Roman ditches were overlaid by a rectilinear ditch system and associated pitting with two clear phases of use dating to the 13th-14th century. Although the function of the ditch system is unclear the presence of moderate amounts of relatively unabraded pottery and an environmental assemblage that included charred cereals and peas suggest that there was a settlement in the immediate vicinity. The ditches also contained residual Anglo-Saxon and earlier medieval pottery, indicating earlier phases of activity at this site. Site 2, located approximately 200m southeast of Site 1, contained only an charcoal and burnt clay rich undated pit (S1).