137
FURTHER NOTES ON THE PILE-DWELLING
SITE AT SKITT'S HILL, BRAINTREE, ESSEX.
A REPORT ON THE EXCAVATION OF A PORTION
OF THE RELIC-BED, OCTOBER, 1900.
(With Plates XXVI. and XXVII. and numerous Illustrations)
By F. W. READER.
[Read November 26th, 1904.]
IN the report of Mr. Kenworthy's discoveries at Skitt's
Hill1 it was mentioned that there was a portion of the relic-
bed uncovered, which was shortly to be excavated. The hope
was expressed that the Essex Field Club would endeavour to
obtain permission to excavate this portion, in order to be able to
examine it more closely than was possible when it was merely
being dug to obtain the material for brick-making. Unfortu-
nately the time and resources of the Club were so absorbed in the
preparation of the Museum at West Ham that it was found to be
impossible to do anything in the matter at that time.
During the month of October, 1900, the brick-makers again
commenced digging, and on my hearing from Mr. Kenworthy
that a favourable opportunity had arrived for seeing the section,
I at once went to Braintree and watched the operations con-
tinuously for three days, when all the exposed bed at this level
was dug out.
During the time I was able to make several sketches and
photographs of the sections and had the opportunity of examining
the deposit with some thoroughness.
This observation proved to be in no way conclusive as regards
its being a pile-dwelling site, but revealed some points which
may be of use to those who in the future find opportunities to
interest themselves in the locality.
The most important result of my visit was to obtain a more
accurate section of the bed of the stream than that published in
the former report.
In the section previously published, the river bottom is
represented at about 10 feet from the surface. The brick-
makers dig to this depth, after which the digging is abandoned,
not because the bottom is reached, but in consequence of the
cutting becoming waterlogged.
1 Essex Naturalist, Vol. XI., pp. 94-126