South East Essex has a very rich and fascinating archaeological heritage, dating back to the Pleistocene (Ice Ages), about 350,000 years ago. There is evidence of occupation by early prehistoric hunters and gatherers and, later, by farming communities that dates from prehistoric times to the present day. The easily cultivated brickearths of the Southend to Shoebury and Wakering areas were especially attractive to the early farming communities in later prehistory. Roman occupation is widespread while the evidence for occupation in the succeeding Saxon period has increased markedly over the past decade or so. The presence of some fine medieval buildings, both ecclesiastical and secular, from the Middle Ages is supplemented by below-ground archaeological discoveries of more ephemeral remains of settlements, some dating back to the Norman Conquest.
For more information on what can be found in Southend-on-Sea please see 'Related Downloads'.