The county's archaeologists have been celebrating a heat wave that has helped to create the perfect conditions to reveal hidden archaeological sites.

Aerial archaeology has been carried out in Essex since the 1970s.

This year, a further 20 new archaeological sites have been recorded in the county for the first time.

The Historic Environment team uses aerial photography of cropmarks to uncover buried archaeological features such as ditches and walls, which have been more visible in the parched landscapes.

Councillor Simon Walsh, the county council's cabinet member for the environment said: “We are very privileged in Essex to have such a rich history.

"It's fascinating to see aerial photography revealing our hidden past."

Over the 2018 season, 14 hours of flying have taken place with highlights have including new details of the Scheduled Roman Temple at Great Chesterford.

The lines of roads, possible temple, numerous pits and property boundaries within the Scheduled Roman Town of Great Chesterford also showed extremely well.

Shots of the The Waltham Abbey Royal Gunpowder Mills have also shown 44 rectangular drying stoves, surrounded on three sides by a blast containing earthworks.

Elsewhere in the county particularly good parch-marks within Tilbury Fort reveal the location and layout of former buildings.

Aerial archaeology in Essex is currently funded by Historic England and delivered by Place Services, a traded service of Essex County Council.