Monument record 9583/1 - Late Saxon ironworking site and medieval occupation, south of Chapel Road

Archaeological excavation of land to the rear of Chapel Road in 2001. Earliest remains recovered were an end scraper, possibly Bronze Age, and two sherds of Iron Age pottery. The first structural evidence revealed related to iron working during the 9th-10th centuries and included a smelting furnace. This phase was dated to between 840-980 AD by archaeomagnetic dating. After an apparent hiatus in activity, a building was constructed in the later 12th-13th century. The assemblages associated with it suggested an industrial function. At an uncertain date the building was abandoned. However, by the mid-late 15th century the area had been re-occupied and a drain and corn-drier inserted in the remains of the structure. A further period of abandonment occurred during the 16th and 17th centuries before it was re-used as a component of a dairy farm.

{1} An archaeological excavation was undertaken to record features of Saxon to medieval date prior to development. The earliest feature was a late Saxon sub-oval shaped furnace pit was found that measured 2m long x 0.9m wide and was orientated N-S. The furnace had a thick layer of slag coating the base and walls (normally they are found 'clean') and maybe the result of an accident. As found the furnace had a rounded base with reasonably vertical walls. The internal back wall was curved but the sides were fairly straight and tapered towards the south-facing tapping arch. Contained within the furnace pit were an in situ fired clay bowl, two distinct linings and a fairly broad and long dark reddish brown slag tapping channel, possibly leading to a pit, although this was never defined as the area was truncated by a later medievall wall. During the excavation of the furnace a large quantity of collapsed furnace lining was recovered with clear evidence for 'repairs' over deeply vitrified faces.
A large number of iron smelting sites have been identified in the northern part of Rockingham Forest. However, this is the first furnace to be recorded in Little Weldon, although there are reports of 'considerable quantities' of slag and cinder to the west of the Church.
The furnace recorded at Little Weldon falls in to Bellamy et al's Type 3, a cylindrical clay shaft built on or near the surface of the bedrock with an adjacent pit or channel for tapping the slag, usually on a slightly lower level. It is unlikely that this was the sole furnace on the site, considering the quantity of slag present.

A circular pit may be the remains of an earlier tapping pit possibly associated with an earlier different furnace. Other possibly associated features were a pit with a single sherd of St Neots ware pottery and an east-west gully with a single sherd of Stamford Ware pottery. A series of layers with very large slag content were found in associated with a later phase building. Although located within and to the south of the building these layers were associated with the iron smelting and appeared not to have been greatly disturbed.

A potential location for a smithing hearth has been proposed (where plate scale is more abundant) but the evidence is equivocal. However, the evidence does seem to suggest that specialised irons were produced and processed on site before being exported elesewhere.

There appears to have been a hiatus on the site until the later 12th-13th century, when a limestone and mortar structure, comprising foundations and walls, measuring 17.41m long x 6.29m wide was built in the northern part of the site. The walls measured up to 1.08m high and 0.67m high. An internal wall was constructed within the building creating a small room in its western half. This wall was not tied-in to the main structure suggesting that it is a later alteration. An entrance to the building was not revealed, perhaps, due to the later robbing of stone from the southern wall and alterations to the northern wall.
Stone built structures appear to have become widespread during this period, although generally belonging to manors or churches. The building at Little Weldon does not appear to be associated with either of these, although the probable moated site 150m to the northeast, or the medieval manor house c. 350m southeast may be related in some way, although it is not known if they were contemporary.
The function of the building remains uncertain. The associated oven and limited domestic assemblage suggests a commercial undertaking, although it may have simply been servicing the manors above.
Beresford and Hurst have noticed that in almost all stone producing areas timber buildings were being replaced by stone structures during the 13th century. However, although stone quarrying was a major industry in Weldon no obvious timber predecessor to this building was recorded, although the later building may have erased any evidence of a precursor.
The period of utilisation of the building is unclear. Ceramic roof tiles of probable 13th - 14th century date were recovered and suggest part of the period of use of the building. Stone tiles were also found and may be later than the ceramic ones.
There was a hiatus of activity from the later 12th-13th century until the mid-later 15th century. Placed within the eastern half of the building was a drain, and a sequence of industrial build-up, floors, postholes and burnt deposits. These appear to pre-date the roughly hewn corn-drier and associated limestone drain running north-south. It is not known in what state of repair the building was in at this time, but for it to have been re-used suggests that a significant proportion of the structure remained. Furthermore a map of Weldon dated 1587 depicts a building on the site at that time.
The interpretation of the roughly hewn limestone feature as a corn-drier rather than a malting oven is based purely on the environmental evidence retrieved from the samples taken from the structure. The size of the drier suggests a commercial use rather than domestic use although this cannot be confirmed. The artefact assemblage retrieved from tis phase was very limited with pottery entirely in the form of jars, further reflecting the industrial nature of the site.
The life-span of the corn drier is not known although post-abandonnment build-up layers and dumped deposits dated to the 18th century were recorded from within the structure. It is likely that the structure fell out of use prior to this, though these deposits do give an indication that it was not used after that time. Further evidence of the decline of the building comes from the robbed out southern wall, with the backfill also containing 18th century artefacts.

A further period of abandonment occurred during the 16th and 17th centuries before it was re-used as a component of a dairy farm. The only feature dated to this phase was a large pit which contained tankards, pancheon fragments and parts of butterpots suggesting that dairy farming occurred in the vicinity of the site. Furthermore the pottery is probably from a relatively short time span in the early 18th century and is comprised of vessels and wares that were in contemporary use. Subsequently, the final usage of the site was as an allotment prior to this latest development.

{2} Geophysics showed that the iron-working activity did not extend north along the bridleway. The furnace was identified, but adjacent areas were contaminated by modern metallic objects. The survey indicated however that the furnace and possible related anomalies lie on a different trend to the excavated walling, suggesting that iron working activity occurred on site prior to the construction of the building. The survey also identified other clusters of positive data which may relate to iron working activity.

<1> Rayner T., 2003, Archaeological Excavation of Land to The Rear of Chapel Road, Weldon, Northamptonshire (Report). SNN104750.

<2> Vernon R.W., 2001, Report On Geophysical Surveys At The Weldon Iron Smelting Site, Corby, Northamptonshire, p.8 (checked) (Report). SNN101216.

<3> Trimble D., 2001, Archaeological Evaluation At Dash Farm Close, Chapel Road, Weldon, Near Corby, Northamptonshire, 2001, (part checked) (Report). SNN100727.

<4> Foard, G, 2001, Little Weldon ironworking (Photographic prints (COL)). SNN110836.

Record last edited

Mar 31 2022 5:22PM