Monument record 2148/3/1 - Late Iron Age/ early Romano-British Enclosure (Morphed Aerial Archaeology Interpretation)

Crop/soilmark: Good quality photography

{1} Enclosure I encompassed an area of 60m by 65m (internal) defined by a large, recut ditch (Group 3). Late pre-Belgic and Belgic periods. At the single south facing entrance, evidence was found suggesting an entranceway. Initially a four post system comparable with that of Enclosure at Wakerley. Later reduced to a simpler pair of double posts.

{3} The ditch enclosed a roughly rectangular area approx 68m by 67m. It had been recut once in the north west and twice to the south. This could be explained by the land sloping southwards so rainwash would silt up the southern ditch more quickly. The internal features were thought to be contemporary with the enclosure.
No evidence of a bank was found beside the ditch: the configuration of internal features do suggest a bank but some of the internal features were excavated in the space where a bank would be expected.
A large number of Belgic sherds were found indicating the date of backfilling but too few sherds were found in the primary silts to indicate date of cutting or how long the ditch was open.
The entrance to the enclosure was defined by the butt ends of the enclosure ditch: it faced south and the gap left was 3.5m at minimum. Within it was found a group of features indicating the presence of a timber gateway and other features associated with an entrance. This entrance way was used throughout the life of the enclosure and was its only entrance.

<1> Windell D., 1983, Clay Lane 1980: Interim Report - An Iron Age and Roman Rural Settlement at Clay Lane, Earls Barton, p.38 (checked) (Article). SNN40207.

<2> Northamptonshire SMR Collection of Aerial Photographs, Used with NMR & CUCAP collections (Photographs). SNN104822.

<3> Windell D., 1982, Excavations at Clay Lane 1980 Level III: Structural Evidence, p.13 (checked) (Report). SNN75685.

<4> Brown A.E. (ed.), 1981, Archaeology in Northamptonshire 1980, p.200 (checked) (Article). SNN100418.

Record last edited

May 15 2012 12:16PM