Archaeological Update No. 2 - July 2008

Archaeology on the Plain

Our work was designed to explore a number of subjects related to the archaeology and landscape of the Plain in Wanstead Park. For example, further evidence for the Roman Villa is one obvious objective, but we also wanted to learn more about the relative heights of the natural geological surfaces under the Park, the extent and character of any archaeological remains pre-dating the 18th century landscaping and evidence for the 18th century landscaping itself. We were also mindful of more recent activities in the area, not least possible disturbance caused by early 20th century works to the Heronry pond.

The programme of geophysics was most informative. It revealed a complex confusion of features, the majority linear and some extending almost right across the study area, as well as some circular features. It looked possible that some of these could belong to the Roman villa phase of activity, although the circular features did not fit a Roman profile. Unfortunately, to a certain degree the interpretation of archaeological geophysics results on such a complex site is a subjective process and confirmation of the nature of the features was required. This can only be done through excavation.

A limited programme of evaluation trenching was carried out. Details of the results for each trench will be included in the final report, but in summary, the results for the programme as a whole were as follows.

Natural Taplow gravels were seen in a number of places. This material was firm and well-layered but lacked a natural soil horizon above it. Where horizontal natural gravels were seen these were overlaid immediately by a layer of disturbed, evidently redeposited gravel. The latter contained post-medieval material.

In three trenches, the natural gravel had been cut by features. The trench sizes did not permit accurate identification of the exact nature of the features but correlation with the geophysics results suggested that they were ditches. Trench 2b revealed a broad ditch containing Late Bronze Age (LBA) or Iron Age (IA) ceramics in its backfill and Trench 3a contained similar material as well as some Roman fragments, including a sherd of Samian ware and some flue-tile fragments. Trench 3b contained two small parallel ditches, one of which contained LBA/IA ceramics.

In all cases where archaeological features were seen cutting the natural gravel there was no evidence for any accumulations or land surfaces above their fills. The corollary of this, as well as the lack of a soil horizon above horizontal, uncut natural gravel would suggest that extensive removal of the landscape had been carried out, evidently immediately before the process that resulted in the deposition of redeposited gravel. As mentioned above, the latter contained post-medieval material. It can, with confidence, be associated with the 18th century landscaping of the park. It is likely that the truncation of the landscape occurred at the same time.

Unfortunately, direct evidence for structures that made up or were adjacent to any villa complex was not found. The reason for this, working so near to the area examined with some limited success by Frank Clark, is not clear. It is possible that the Roman material related to the villa is contained physically on a man-made terrace on the southern edge of the Plain and that our recent work was located above that terrace - which itself had been truncated in the 18th century. Another interpretation is that the zone of the Roman complex is well-contained to the south of the Plain. Further work should be developed to address this.

The recent programme of work has added much to our knowledge of the archaeology of the Plain. It is evident that this part of the Park holds more than just the remains of a villa. The geophysics and the evaluation excavations have revealed a multi-period and complex archaeological landscape. The presence of the LBA/IA features, and we can perhaps project that a number of the other geophysical anomalies will be of the same date, gives us a phase of activity never before identified here. It would be broadly contemporary with the earliest phases at Uphall Camp, on the east side of the Roding between Ilford and Barking, hitherto regarded as a regional centre of activity. We might have an associated site here at Wanstead Park.

It is worth taking note at this stage, however, of the absence of certain phases of activity. Medieval material from the Saxon period to the 16th century is very rare - only a single border ware sherd was identified in the recent programme of work. It is perhaps likely that the answers to questions about those periods lie under the village of Wanstead itself.