Monument record FEX 057 - Adjacent to Trimley St Mary 9

T-shaped extent of trackway with rectilinear field boundaries leading off (S1)(S2).

Also ovoid enclosure, FEX 096, and ring ditches, FEX 097 & 098.

A possible partly unenclosed settlement of late prehistoric date is visible as a range of ditched features located alongside the T-junction of a ditched trackway on a promontory overlooking a tributary of the River Deben in Felixstowe parish, at circa TM29663671.

The main axis of the track is roughly west to east and can be seen for almost 700 metres before disappearing towards the valley side. The side-road is orientated roughly south-west and is visible for circa 130 metres from the junction at circa TM29663671. A second phase of trackway may also be visible continuing north from the junction and taking a dog-leg to the east.

Field boundaries or enclosures are aligned upon the trackway at roughly 90 degrees, as at circa TM29903665, and five ring ditches of varying size are also visible in the immediate area (see FEX ???). It is possible some of the ring ditches are the remains of Bronze Age barrows but some are probably the remains of Iron Age or Roman period round houses. A large D-shaped ditched enclosure with evidence for a possible second ditch or palisade is situated alongside the road near the tip of this promontory, at circa TM30003662 (see FEX 096).

A second possible phase of land use can be seen in the orientation of two narrower possible trackways on a general south-west to north-east alignment. The first is intermittently visible from circa TM29853662 to TM29993673, and the second follows the contour of the hill and is centred on circa TM30123664. (S1, S3-5)

Light grey polished flint axe (S6) and other worked flints. Sherds of hand-made pottery tempered with burnt flint, probably of Iron Age date and a cut quarter of a gold stater of Early Uninscribed British series, as Hobbs no 36 (S7). Roman coins, mainly of 3rd and 4th century. Found by metal detecting. Included in the Proceedings of the Suffolk Institute of Archaeology and History annual round up of individual finds and discoveries for 2012 (S8).