Description

Wessex Archaeology was commissioned by Videotext Communications Ltd to carry out archaeological recording and post-excavation analysis on an archaeological evaluation by Channel 4’s ‘Time Team’ in the village of St Osyth, Essex. St Osyth is located in the Tendring district of north-east Essex, approximately five miles west of Clacton-on-Sea. The village, which developed around the site of the medieval Priory, lies on the crest of a low spur of land, centred at NGR 612500 215800, that rises approximately 19m aOD (above Ordnance Datum) from the St Osyth creek to the south.
The aim of the evaluation was to gain an understanding of the evolution and development of St Osyth with its relationships to the development of the Priory and examine the role of the creek in the economy of the town. To achieve this, a number of techniques were employed, including geophysical survey, fieldwalking, trial trenching and dendrochronology. The work was undertaken between the 11th and 14th May 2004. Spoil from all of the archaeologically significant trenches was metal detected by approved operators.