A mysterious hole in the ground could be the 500-year-old kiln of a fearsome Tudor king famed for his lavish banquets.
Archaeologists believe they have unearthed the kiln used in the construction of King Henry VIII's Palace of Beaulieu.
Researchers were given the go-ahead for the excavation before work begins on a new housing development in the area.
Revealed: 500-year-old kiln could shed light on the construction of Henry VIII's Tudor palace in Essex
Researchers believe kiln was used when building Palace of Beaulieu
Archaeologists were scouring the site prior to a new housing development
The kiln would have been used to produce lime (calcium oxide) for use in mortar, concrete and plaster by burning limestone, or in this case, chalk
By Libby Plummer For Mailonline
16 September 2016
A mysterious hole in the ground could be the 500-year-old kiln of a fearsome Tudor king famed for his lavish banquets.
Archaeologists believe they have unearthed the kiln used in the construction of King Henry VIII's Palace of Beaulieu.
Researchers were given the go-ahead for the excavation before work begins on a new housing development in the area.
Excavation at the Beaulieu development in Chelmsford, Essex where archaeologists believe they have unearthed the oven of King Henry VIII
The ancient oven was found Oxford Archaeology East which, along with engineering firm AECOM, was given permission by developers Countryside and L&Q to carry out a programme of archaeological evaluation in advance of development.
This season's dig at the Beaulieu development in Chelmsford, Essex, began at the end of August, while the ongoing excavation has been going on for the past three years.
The kiln was uncovered on Tuesday, with initial estimates stating that it dates back to either the 16th or 18th century.
'The kiln itself would have been used to produce lime (calcium oxide) for use in mortar, concrete and plaster by burning limestone, or in this case chalk', confirmed developer Countryside in a joint statement with its co-developer L&Q and Oxford Archaeology East, which carried out the dig.
'The date of the kiln suggests that it may relate to the construction or later development of Henry VIII's Palace of Beaulieu, which is now known as New Hall.'
New Hall School is an independent boarding school.
Archaeologists believe they have unearthed the oven of King Henry VIII, the fearsome Tudor king known for his love of food
Researchers were given the go-ahead for the excavation before work begins on a new housing development in the area
Chelmsford Museum manager Nick Wickenden said: 'The county council are aware of this. They are keeping tabs on the situation and are currently excavating the site. They had to apply for planning permission to do so'.
Mr Wickenden told MailOnline that the museum would receive any portable finds from the dig.
'However, a structure the size of this oven would most likely be left in place and covered over', said Mr Wickenden.
It is understood that the excavation at the Beaulieu development in Chelmsford, Essex, began during the first weekend of September
Henry VIII built one of his first palaces nearby the excavation site (pictured). It is now the site of New Hall School, an independent boarding school
The new homes which are to be built in the area
A map showing the location of New Hall School, which now uses the site of Henry VIII's Palace of Beaulieu, near Chelmsford in Essex
The firm developing the land would be under no requirement to protect the Tudor oven unless it was scheduled as an ancient monument by authorities, which is unlikely in this case, said Mr Wickenden.
The site where the oven was found is closed off to the public for health and safety reasons.
'Further scientific dating and analysis of the structure will help to provide a more precise date for the kiln and aid our understanding of how it fits into the story of Beaulieu,' confirmed Countryside in a joint statement.
In February 2009 Channel 4's Time Team visited New Hall to film a documentary called Henry's Lost Palaces.
King Henry VIII reigned from 1509 until 1547 and was known for his love of rich food and for his six wives.
REVEALED: FACE OF DOOMED SAILOR FROM MARY ROSE
Almost 500 years after she sank, Henry VIII's Mary Rose is still giving up her secrets.
This artist's impression shows a powerfully-built sailor believed to be the ship's carpenter – a man in his mid to late 30s, who was around 5ft 8in tall and died below deck.
This artist's impression shows a powerfully-built sailor believed to be the Mary Rose's carpenter
But the identities of hundreds of other drowned sailors remain a mystery, which British scientists hope to solve with help from international academics.
By assembling bones retrieved from the depths of the Solent, they already know the carpenter's teeth were rotten, with a major abscess, and he had arthritis and skull pitting suggesting scurvy.
His remains were found in a cabin used to store cable, he wore a tool belt, and the remains of a dog, a brown Jack Russell cross experts nicknamed Hatch, were discovered nearby.
Examination of his skull was used to create an image of a man with a broad face, deep-set eyes, thin lips and a boxer's nose.
While he is depicted with light brown hair and blue eyes, only DNA analysis would confirm this.
And by photographing and scanning thousands of other unidentified bones, experts hope to piece together whole skeletons by putting them online.
Read more: 500-year-old kiln could shed light on the construction of Henry VIII's Tudor palace in Essex | Daily Mail Online
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook
Time Team Special
Henry VIII's Lost Palaces: Beaulieu Palace
Just off the A12 outside Chelmsford in Essex is New Hall. Today it is a bustling private Catholic school, but this imposing building with its impressive Elizabethan facade hides quite a secret: it was here that Henry VIII built his first palace, Beaulieu.
Henry certainly set out to make a statement. The palace was huge - contemporaries describe it as having eight courtyards with a 550-foot wide facade. And at the centre of this splendour stood two massive gatehouse towers.
When Henry came to the throne in 1509 aged eighteen, he inherited several palaces from his father, including Richmond, Greenwich and Woodstock. So why, seven years into his reign, did he feel the need to build Beaulieu?
In 1516, Katherine of Aragon gave birth to Henry's first child, Princess Mary (later to become Bloody Queen Mary). At the time, Mary was Henry's only heir and it seems that as far as he was concerned, she was to get the very best of everything. Just a month before her birth, Henry ordered the construction of Beaulieu Palace.
And nearly 500 years later, Time Team would uncover exactly how far Henry went when it came to lavishing luxury on his firstborn. The western range shown on later plans of the palace interested landscape surveyor Stewart Ainsworth because it overlooked the fancy privy garden - a prime spot. It was clearly intended for someone very important. Could it have been where the king stayed?
In fact, the results were more intriguing than anyone had expected. At the end of three days, the team had revealed an intricate series of Tudor drains where the western range would have stood, pointing to a kitchen or laundry area. But if this was such an important part of the palace, why have a separate laundry here away from the main service areas?
As architectural historian Jonathan Foyle suggested, this wing was meant for someone special, someone who needed a lot of care and attention. It looked like the team had inadvertently stumbled across the nursery for young Princess Mary.
Time Team was beginning to uncover a different side of Henry VIII: a doting father who thought nothing was too good for his new daughter. And elsewhere in the palace, the team were discovering what else was important to the young Henry.
A trench over the imposing gatehouse towers revealed the scale of the front of the palace. This was a building intended to impress. And it was certainly built in the latest style, based on a series of 'perfect squares' - architectural ideas that were beginning to come across from Rome.
Beaulieu Palace was the first in a long line of major building projects undertaken by Henry VIII, and even at this early stage in his reign we can see what was important to him: family and magnificence. It was much later that these concepts would take on a life of their own and result in the fantasy palaces of Henry's later reign.
Archaeologists believe they have unearthed the kiln used in the construction of King Henry VIII's Palace of Beaulieu.
Researchers were given the go-ahead for the excavation before work begins on a new housing development in the area.
Revealed: 500-year-old kiln could shed light on the construction of Henry VIII's Tudor palace in Essex
Researchers believe kiln was used when building Palace of Beaulieu
Archaeologists were scouring the site prior to a new housing development
The kiln would have been used to produce lime (calcium oxide) for use in mortar, concrete and plaster by burning limestone, or in this case, chalk
By Libby Plummer For Mailonline
16 September 2016
A mysterious hole in the ground could be the 500-year-old kiln of a fearsome Tudor king famed for his lavish banquets.
Archaeologists believe they have unearthed the kiln used in the construction of King Henry VIII's Palace of Beaulieu.
Researchers were given the go-ahead for the excavation before work begins on a new housing development in the area.
Excavation at the Beaulieu development in Chelmsford, Essex where archaeologists believe they have unearthed the oven of King Henry VIII
The ancient oven was found Oxford Archaeology East which, along with engineering firm AECOM, was given permission by developers Countryside and L&Q to carry out a programme of archaeological evaluation in advance of development.
This season's dig at the Beaulieu development in Chelmsford, Essex, began at the end of August, while the ongoing excavation has been going on for the past three years.
The kiln was uncovered on Tuesday, with initial estimates stating that it dates back to either the 16th or 18th century.
'The kiln itself would have been used to produce lime (calcium oxide) for use in mortar, concrete and plaster by burning limestone, or in this case chalk', confirmed developer Countryside in a joint statement with its co-developer L&Q and Oxford Archaeology East, which carried out the dig.
'The date of the kiln suggests that it may relate to the construction or later development of Henry VIII's Palace of Beaulieu, which is now known as New Hall.'
New Hall School is an independent boarding school.
Archaeologists believe they have unearthed the oven of King Henry VIII, the fearsome Tudor king known for his love of food
Researchers were given the go-ahead for the excavation before work begins on a new housing development in the area
Chelmsford Museum manager Nick Wickenden said: 'The county council are aware of this. They are keeping tabs on the situation and are currently excavating the site. They had to apply for planning permission to do so'.
Mr Wickenden told MailOnline that the museum would receive any portable finds from the dig.
'However, a structure the size of this oven would most likely be left in place and covered over', said Mr Wickenden.
It is understood that the excavation at the Beaulieu development in Chelmsford, Essex, began during the first weekend of September
Henry VIII built one of his first palaces nearby the excavation site (pictured). It is now the site of New Hall School, an independent boarding school
The new homes which are to be built in the area
A map showing the location of New Hall School, which now uses the site of Henry VIII's Palace of Beaulieu, near Chelmsford in Essex
The firm developing the land would be under no requirement to protect the Tudor oven unless it was scheduled as an ancient monument by authorities, which is unlikely in this case, said Mr Wickenden.
The site where the oven was found is closed off to the public for health and safety reasons.
'Further scientific dating and analysis of the structure will help to provide a more precise date for the kiln and aid our understanding of how it fits into the story of Beaulieu,' confirmed Countryside in a joint statement.
In February 2009 Channel 4's Time Team visited New Hall to film a documentary called Henry's Lost Palaces.
King Henry VIII reigned from 1509 until 1547 and was known for his love of rich food and for his six wives.
REVEALED: FACE OF DOOMED SAILOR FROM MARY ROSE
Almost 500 years after she sank, Henry VIII's Mary Rose is still giving up her secrets.
This artist's impression shows a powerfully-built sailor believed to be the ship's carpenter – a man in his mid to late 30s, who was around 5ft 8in tall and died below deck.
This artist's impression shows a powerfully-built sailor believed to be the Mary Rose's carpenter
But the identities of hundreds of other drowned sailors remain a mystery, which British scientists hope to solve with help from international academics.
By assembling bones retrieved from the depths of the Solent, they already know the carpenter's teeth were rotten, with a major abscess, and he had arthritis and skull pitting suggesting scurvy.
His remains were found in a cabin used to store cable, he wore a tool belt, and the remains of a dog, a brown Jack Russell cross experts nicknamed Hatch, were discovered nearby.
Examination of his skull was used to create an image of a man with a broad face, deep-set eyes, thin lips and a boxer's nose.
While he is depicted with light brown hair and blue eyes, only DNA analysis would confirm this.
And by photographing and scanning thousands of other unidentified bones, experts hope to piece together whole skeletons by putting them online.
Read more: 500-year-old kiln could shed light on the construction of Henry VIII's Tudor palace in Essex | Daily Mail Online
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook
Time Team Special
Henry VIII's Lost Palaces: Beaulieu Palace
Just off the A12 outside Chelmsford in Essex is New Hall. Today it is a bustling private Catholic school, but this imposing building with its impressive Elizabethan facade hides quite a secret: it was here that Henry VIII built his first palace, Beaulieu.
Henry certainly set out to make a statement. The palace was huge - contemporaries describe it as having eight courtyards with a 550-foot wide facade. And at the centre of this splendour stood two massive gatehouse towers.
When Henry came to the throne in 1509 aged eighteen, he inherited several palaces from his father, including Richmond, Greenwich and Woodstock. So why, seven years into his reign, did he feel the need to build Beaulieu?
In 1516, Katherine of Aragon gave birth to Henry's first child, Princess Mary (later to become Bloody Queen Mary). At the time, Mary was Henry's only heir and it seems that as far as he was concerned, she was to get the very best of everything. Just a month before her birth, Henry ordered the construction of Beaulieu Palace.
And nearly 500 years later, Time Team would uncover exactly how far Henry went when it came to lavishing luxury on his firstborn. The western range shown on later plans of the palace interested landscape surveyor Stewart Ainsworth because it overlooked the fancy privy garden - a prime spot. It was clearly intended for someone very important. Could it have been where the king stayed?
In fact, the results were more intriguing than anyone had expected. At the end of three days, the team had revealed an intricate series of Tudor drains where the western range would have stood, pointing to a kitchen or laundry area. But if this was such an important part of the palace, why have a separate laundry here away from the main service areas?
As architectural historian Jonathan Foyle suggested, this wing was meant for someone special, someone who needed a lot of care and attention. It looked like the team had inadvertently stumbled across the nursery for young Princess Mary.
Time Team was beginning to uncover a different side of Henry VIII: a doting father who thought nothing was too good for his new daughter. And elsewhere in the palace, the team were discovering what else was important to the young Henry.
A trench over the imposing gatehouse towers revealed the scale of the front of the palace. This was a building intended to impress. And it was certainly built in the latest style, based on a series of 'perfect squares' - architectural ideas that were beginning to come across from Rome.
Beaulieu Palace was the first in a long line of major building projects undertaken by Henry VIII, and even at this early stage in his reign we can see what was important to him: family and magnificence. It was much later that these concepts would take on a life of their own and result in the fantasy palaces of Henry's later reign.
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