Visit an archaeological dig at Cudmore Grove

Built in 1543 under Henry VIII’s reign, dig volunteers will help explore the defensive strategies of the blockhouses which were part of a coastal military defence programme to defend the mouth of the Colne estuary.

Located at Cudmore Gove, the blockhouse is the only example in Essex with upstanding earthworks instead of the typical stone structure, as the defences were constructed of ‘earth and board’.

Currently, there are 27 examples of Tudor blockhouses surviving in various states of repair, but most have been destroyed or incorporated into military constructions.

The blockhouse at Mersea held a small artillery garrison of 12 guns. Its cannons were removed in 1553, but the fortification was repaired to counter the Armada in 1588 and in 1648 it played a part in the Civil War.

It was also used briefly as a court, where local fishermen were prosecuted for dredging oysters out of season, before Cromwell ordered its demolition. It survived because the landowner forbade its destruction.

Place Services at Essex County Council have been working in partnership with Historic England to organise the excavation, while the Colchester Archaeological Trust will create a record of the site before it is lost to coastal erosion.

The excavation - funded by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and supported by the Countryside Stewardship Heritage Service – is being carried out by volunteers from the local community and former members of the armed forces as part of Operation Nightingale.

Founded in 2011, Operation Nightingale is a UK Ministry of Defence initiative that uses archaeological excavations to aid the recovery of wounded, injured and sick military veterans.

Adrian Gascoyne, Essex County Council Head of Place Services, said: “The excavation of the Tudor blockhouse at Cudmore Grove Country Park is a unique opportunity for volunteers to help better understand the history and archaeology of Henry VIII’s fortification of the English coast against the threat of invasion.

“The blockhouse is a rare survivor from that period and must be recorded now so that this unique part of our nations story is not lost forever to the sea.”

During the excavation, from Tuesday 21  to Friday 31 July, people will be able to visit the dig site between 10.00am to 1.00pm and 1.30pm and 3.00pm, and ask the team more about what they’re doing and their recent finds.

Check @cudmoregrove on Facebook for updates.

Images courtesy of Colchester Archaeological Trust and Essex County Coucil's Place Services.