ENN19743 - Manor Farm, 1998 (Watching brief)

{1} An archaeological watching brief was undertaken by Northamptonshire Archaeology in June 1998 during conversion of barns at Manor Farm, Preston Capes. The purpose of the watching brief was to determine whether the remains of the scheduled motte and bailey castle, adjacent to Manor Farm or the Clunic Priory extended onto this site. A JCB mechanical excavator dug a single trench, 1.2m deep and 0.55m wide at the northern end and 2.1m deep and 0.8m wide at the eastern end. The depth of topsoil was 0.4m over most of the trench with a thin band of sub-soil less than 0.2m thick lying on natural clay. Behind the farm buildings modern concrete rested directly onto rubble some 1m thick. The rubble sandstone layer continued for 25m to the end of the trench. Below the sandstone was natural clay. There were no archaeological features seen in the trench and no artifacts were recovered from the spoil heaps.