ENN110813 - 24 Main Street, 2016 (Observation)

This report presents the results of a programme of archaeological supervision and recording undertaken on land to the rear of 24 Main Street, Rockingham, Northamptonshire. The project was commissioned by Carillion Ltd in order to monitor groundworks associated with the installation of cabling for broadband supply. The site lies within the historic core of the village, approximately 250m south of Rockingham Castle, a medieval building which lies within an area protected as a nationally important Scheduled Monument (SM 1010647. Rockingham Castle was first constructed as a wooden Motte and Bailey by William the Conqueror in the aftermath of the Norman invasion of 1066. The timber structure was replaced in stone in the following decades. There is no evidence for a Saxon settlement in Rockingham and the village grew up around the castle in the medieval period, acquiring a market during the 13th century. The market and church were cleared during the Civil War to provide unencumbered lines of fire for the garrison stationed at the castle. The only deposit recorded during the investigation was a layer of dark brownish grey stone and sand layer (100) forming the extant stone trackway and parking area.