ENN109810 - Harpole to Weedon pipeline, phase 1, 2020 (Trial trench)

An archaeological evaluation and subsequent excavation was undertaken by Oxford Archaeology on behalf of Anglian Water Ltd in advance of installation of a new water pipeline between Harpole and Weedon, running alongside the M1 motorway. 13 evaluation trenches were excavated, with archaeological remains identified in eight trenches. Subsequent excavation targeted three areas. The work revealed Late Iron Age to Roman activity, including a probable Roman ladder-style enclosure system, associated boundary and drainage ditches, a charcoal-rich pit, peripheral settlement activity, and a probable limestone-built Roman structure. Evidence suggests activity began in the Late Iron Age/Early Roman period and continued into the Late Roman period. Later remains comprised post-medieval ridge-and-furrow cultivation and drainage features