{"id":23,"date":"2025-12-12T20:37:16","date_gmt":"2025-12-12T20:37:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/uklidar.com\/?p=23"},"modified":"2025-12-12T20:44:31","modified_gmt":"2025-12-12T20:44:31","slug":"roman-research-in-the-barstable-hundred","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/uklidar.com\/?p=23","title":{"rendered":"Roman research in the Barstable Hundred"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Great Burstead \/ Billericay \u2013 Blunds Walls & Hilltop Roman Site<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n

Parish:<\/strong> Great Burstead & Billericay
Category:<\/strong> Settlement, Enclosure, Burial Ground, Artefact Scatter
Sources:<\/strong> Early Essex directories; mid-19th-century antiquarian reports<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

1. Blunds Walls \u2013 Ancient Enclosure & Landscape Earthworks<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Historic Notes (rewritten)<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

About a mile west of Billericay lies Blunds Walls Farm<\/strong>, historically connected with the medieval Blund family<\/strong>. The latter part of the name reflects an ancient enclosure or entrenchment<\/strong> on the site. Early descriptions record a ditch and substantial rampart<\/strong> forming an enclosure of roughly four acres<\/strong>, part of which extended directly into the modern farmyard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The rampart was noted as being conspicuously higher<\/strong> than the surrounding fields, although several small internal mounds\u2014likely artificial\u2014were already being levelled in the 19th century.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Interpretation<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Although no definite Roman artefacts are recorded from within the enclosure, its form and position suggest:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  • a prehistoric or Roman-period defended enclosure, OR<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • an early medieval homestead\/stock enclosure later reused.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

    Given the density of Roman finds on the nearby ridge, a Roman-period function is entirely plausible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    LiDAR Indicators to Check<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
      \n
    • Surviving rampart crest around the 4-acre perimeter<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Ditch infill hollow visible as a smooth depression<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Internal platforms or levelled areas<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Any rectilinear edges hinting at Roman reuse<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Hollow-way traces connecting the site to Burstead\/Billericay ridge<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
      \n\n\n\n

      2. Hill Between Great Burstead & Billericay \u2013 Roman Station & Cemetery<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

      Historic Notes (rewritten)<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

      On the prominent hill between Great Burstead and Billericay, repeated discoveries were made over many decades. Finds included:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        \n
      • fragments of urns<\/strong>, paterae<\/strong>, and other Roman vessels<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • Roman copper coins<\/strong> and two silver coins<\/strong> of Trajan<\/strong> and Hadrian<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • pottery and vessel fragments found roughly three feet below the surface<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • a major discovery in 1847<\/strong>, when a large number of vases, urns, and other ceramics<\/strong> were unearthed<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

        Together these finds strongly indicate the presence of:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          \n
        • a small Roman settlement or roadside station<\/strong>, and<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        • an associated burial ground<\/strong> on the hilltop or slope.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

          The mixed domestic pottery and funerary vessels match typical Roman roadside ribbon settlements found elsewhere in Essex.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          Interpretation<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

          This hilltop location is classic Roman strategy:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            \n
          • near a route across the ridge<\/li>\n\n\n\n
          • commanding wide visibility<\/li>\n\n\n\n
          • dry, well-drained soil<\/li>\n\n\n\n
          • gentle slopes for settlement, sharper slopes used for burial<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

            This was almost certainly a small Roman station (mansio\/farmstead cluster)<\/strong> with its associated cemetery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            LiDAR Indicators to Check<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
              \n
            • Slight terraces or platforms along the ridge<\/li>\n\n\n\n
            • Small circular or oval depressions representing levelled burial pits<\/li>\n\n\n\n
            • Linear alignments suggesting a trackway<\/li>\n\n\n\n
            • Subtle boundary banks on the slope leading toward Great Burstead<\/li>\n\n\n\n
            • Variations in micro-topography caused by past digging or ancient field divisions<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
              \n\n\n\n

              3. Modern Archaeological View<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

              Putting all of this together, the area around Billericay\u2013Great Burstead ridge<\/strong> appears to be:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                \n
              • a minor Roman settlement zone<\/strong>,<\/li>\n\n\n\n
              • with a road or track<\/strong> running along the high ground, and<\/li>\n\n\n\n
              • with funerary use<\/strong> of the slopes and crest.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

                The density and variety of pottery finds imply long, low-intensity occupation \u2014 common in the hinterland of Roman Chelmsford (C\u00e6saromagus).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                <\/p>\n\n\n\n

                Billericay \u2013 Market Town on a Roman Ridge Route<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n

                Parish:<\/strong> Chapelry of Great Burstead
                Category:<\/strong> Settlement, Roman Road, Artefact Scatter
                Sources:<\/strong> Early 19th\u201319th-century directories and antiquarian notes (rewritten)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                \n\n\n\n

                1. Historic Overview (Modern Rewrite)<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

                Billericay is a small but long-established market town<\/strong> situated on a high ridge within the parish of Great Burstead<\/strong>. In the 19th century it had just over 1,200 inhabitants<\/strong> and stood on a prominent eminence<\/strong> with far-reaching views across the Thames valley, even as far as Sheerness and the Kentish hills on clear days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                The town occupies a strategic junction of roads<\/strong>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                  \n
                • Romford \u2192 Southend<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                • Chelmsford \u2192 Tilbury Ferry<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

                  This crossroads position has shaped the town from medieval times through to the present.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                  By the Victorian period Billericay had:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                    \n
                  • a weekly market<\/strong> (Tuesdays), granted by Edward IV in 1476<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                  • two annual cattle fairs<\/strong> (Aug 2nd & Oct 7th)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                  • a Town Hall<\/strong> holding Petty Sessions twice monthly<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                  • several inns, shops, and expanding housing<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

                    The town was noted in directories as clean, thriving, and a significant thoroughfare for travellers crossing mid-Essex.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                    \n\n\n\n

                    2. Roman Evidence Around Billericay<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

                    Find Locations<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

                    Early writers consistently recorded Roman artefacts<\/strong> on the north and west sides<\/strong> of Billericay, including:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                      \n
                    • pottery fragments<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                    • domestic ware<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                    • occasional coins<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                    • possible structural debris<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                    • material linked with the nearby cemetery site on the Billericay\u2013Burstead ridge (from your previous entry)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

                      Historic Interpretation (rewritten)<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

                      The steady stream of Roman material, combined with discoveries on the neighbouring hill, convinced 19th-century antiquarians that Billericay sat on or near a Roman station<\/strong>. The ridge-top setting and road alignment strongly support this. A Roman road is believed to have passed through or just beside<\/strong> the modern town, following the high ground between Chelmsford and the Thames-side settlements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                      Modern Interpretation<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

                      The combined evidence points to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                        \n
                      • a minor Roman settlement<\/strong> or roadside cluster on the Billericay ridge,<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                      • routine Roman traffic using the high ground route,<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                      • and a burial ground<\/strong> on the nearby crest between Billericay and Great Burstead.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

                        This fits the pattern of many small Roman waystations across Essex \u2014 lightly built, often agricultural in nature, with pottery scatters and small cemeteries marking their presence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                        \n\n\n\n

                        3. Landscape & LiDAR Notes<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

                        Why the Romans Chose This Spot<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

                        The Roman use of the ridge is highly typical:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                          \n
                        • dry, well-drained soils<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
                        • excellent sightlines<\/strong> in all directions<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                        • a natural transport corridor<\/strong> linking mid-Essex to the Thames<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                        • a junction of north\u2013south and east\u2013west<\/strong> routes<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

                          LiDAR Features to Examine<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

                          When you add this to uklidar.com<\/em>, highlight possible features such as:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                            \n
                          • slight terraces<\/strong> or platforms on the north and west slopes<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                          • hints of a linear alignment<\/strong> corresponding to a Roman track<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                          • traces of hollow-ways<\/strong> cut into the ridge by centuries of traffic<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                          • subtle changes in slope where settlement debris once accumulated<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                          • boundary banks or faint ditches marking the edge of Roman fields or plots<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
                            \n\n\n\n

                            4. Role in the Essex Roman Gazetteer<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

                            Billericay forms a key entry in the Gazetteer because it links:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                              \n
                            • the Burstead Roman cemetery<\/strong>,<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                            • the Blunds Walls enclosure<\/strong> to the west,<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                            • and the ridgeway road<\/strong> system that threads through central Essex.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

                              In short: Billericay is not a Roman \u201ctown\u201d, but a textbook example of a Roman hinterland settlement<\/strong> and route focus \u2014 exactly the kind of place where LiDAR analysis shines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                              Thundersley \u2013 Mixed Prehistoric Finds & Nearby Roman Burial Evidence<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n

                              Parish:<\/strong> Thundersley (with Thundersley Hamlet)
                              Category:<\/strong> Prehistoric Weapons, Roman Burial Goods (adjacent parish)
                              Sources:<\/strong> Early Essex directories & 19th-century antiquarian notes (rewritten)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                              \n\n\n\n

                              1. Historic Overview (Modern Rewrite)<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

                              Thundersley is a pleasantly situated village set on rising, undulating ground roughly 2\u20133 miles southwest of Rayleigh<\/strong> and 8 miles southeast of Billericay<\/strong>. The parish covers about 2,610 acres<\/strong> with a population of just under 600 in the mid-19th century. The separate area known as Thundersley Hamlet<\/strong>, lying about a mile east of the church, belongs partly to Rochford Hundred<\/strong> and accounted for about 220 inhabitants<\/strong> and 860 acres<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                              The landscape was noted for:<\/p>\n\n\n\n