Monument record NDM 042 - Late Bronze Age/Early Iron Age and Iron Age activity, Land at Barking Road

The earliest activity on the site was evidenced by a late Bronze Age-Early Iron Age boundary ditch present in the north of the site. This potentially delineates an area of activity concentrated on the higher ground to the north, beyond the limits of the current evaluation. Further features were identified in the northern part of the site, suggesting that thus was the focus of activity in the later prehistoric period. Iron Age features were also identified in the southern part of the site which may indicate the presence of a second area of activity, or merely that activity throughout the site was relatively diffuse, The lack of finds, however, is indicative that the features present on the site are not located in close proximity to contemporary settlement areas. The former site of Spires Hall dwellings was only identified by the presence of demolition rubble within the topsoil. The field boundaries associated with Spires Hall, as seen on the 1842 Tithe Map, were still present on the site. These contained plentiful amounts of clearly modern artefacts which were not retained (S1).