ENN107144 - Chester Farm orchard, 2012 (Excavation)

Site codes: CFO12/CHO12. Small open area excavation within the historic orchard associated with Chester Farm, an area of the eastern sub-urb of the Roman walled town at Irchester, Northamptonshire. The purpose was to establish the impact of post Roman activity in particular garden cultivation, and to better characterise the type of survival of remains outside the walled area. The works were also to be carried out in such a fashion as to permit the involvement of school and amateur groups in the project as part of the broader aims of the development of Chester Farm as a heritage asset. The recovered remains included a Roman side road with properties fronting both sides, a possible late Saxon pit, ridge and furrow cultivation and limited recent garden remains. Information from OASIS Online Form. {1} The excavation area was positioned around the trenches opened a month earlier and formed a staggered cross-shaped open area. The longest area, aligned west to east, was 45m by 14m; to its north lay an arm 13m by 10m and to its south a further arm 11m by 13m. The total excavation area covered an area of c900m2.