| Abstract: |
The volume is a result of a combination of a series of separate fieldwork projects undertaken in the late 1990s and early 2000s brought about by gravel extraction works. All four projects are linked by their location within a narrow `strip parish' called Ridge that stretches from the river Colne in the north to Arkley in the south (now in Greater London), a distance of 10.1 km (6.3 miles). Three of the four projects (all with prehistoric to modern era finds) were located in the north of the parish while the fourth was located in the south of the parish towards Arkley. Part 1 concerns a programme of archaeological mitigation on a gravel quarry about 1km north of Junction 22 of the M25. The project revealed a sequence of land-use change and alignments associated with agrarian activity, tile production, garden features, buildings and brick enclosure walls belonging to the manor house and later mansion of Tyttenhanger. An early medieval field system and two corn dryers were identified, as were two late manorial enclosures to the south of the present house. The first of these comprised an inner courtyard whose entrance was flanked by the foundations of projecting gatehouses and towers. Within the second enclosure was evidence for domestic buildings, stables and kilns. Further to the south were several hollows resulting from the extraction of raw materials for the manufacture of tiles. In the early post-medieval period the production of tile appears to have ceased on the site and was replaced by a formal garden and tree avenues. In addition to the gardens a range of post-medieval agricultural and domestic outbuildings were erected at the northern end of the site. All the buildings were later dismantled and buried in the later-eighteenth century, when the grounds were emparked. Part 2 concerns an archaeological evaluation and survey undertaken on a field to the southeast of Tyttenhanger House. A total of 173 flint objects were recovered. the finds were predominantly blades, flakes, cores and core fragments, with some retouched forms. Typologically these almost certainly date from the Mesolithic period, though it is possible that some pieces represent Later Neolithic or Bronze Age activity. Part 3 reports on an excavation carried out in an area south of Coursers Road. A ring ditch that had been identified by aerial photograph and subsequent evaluation was found to be in a poor state of preservation with no surviving internal features. Some sherds of Late Iron Age pottery were found in the upper horizons of the circular ditch, although the ditch itself is believed to belong to the Bronze Age. Finally, Part 4 reports on a desk-based assessment and landscape survey of land at Saffron Green. Results suggest that the area is part of an ancient landscape that has retained its pastoral character, despite changing patterns of land use. A rectilinear system of land division arranged on a co-axial basis has been tentatively identified and may be of pre-Roman date, possibly even belonging to the Bronze Age; however many of the existing field boundaries are of post-medieval date although imposed on an older, more extensively arranged, pastoral system. By combining the four projects it is hoped that their value will be enhanced and that they will contribute towards a better understanding of the evolution of the local landscape. Includes contributions on |
