Monument record 15/0/1 - Prehistoric Enclosure, Probably Iron Age (Morphed Aerial Archaeology Interpretation)

Crop/soilmark+Earthwork: Non-destructive fieldwork

{1} The main enclosure covers just under 3 hectares and was presumably once bounded by a massive bank and external ditch, perhaps with an original entrance in the south east corner. The whole of the east part is now under permanent arable and the surviving rampart is no more than 10cm high with no trace of a ditch. Air photographs show three alignments of the rampart here, two of which, on the north and east, have been straightened by being used as headlands in medieval times. All trace of the ridge-and-furrow has now disappeared except on the north side. A short section of the rampart in the north west has been less damaged as the ridge-and-furrow to the north stopped short of it and to the south ran east-west below it. Here the rampart is 1m high above the land to the north and 1m high above the interior. There is no ditch, any trace presumably having been destroyed by the adjacent ridge-and-furrow. The west side is now reduced to a broad slightly curving scarp 2.5m high. The assumed outer ditch does not survive, again obliterated by the adjacent ridge-and-furrow, here running north-south. The scarp itself has been used as a headland during the ploughing of the interior of the fort and its top is extremely uneven where the ridge-and-furrow rides over it. The south west corner of the fort is now only a simple scarp 1m-1.5 m, curving first south east and then east before fading out. The mound to the south of it shown on OS 1:2500 maps is part of another medieval headland (as shown on plan). The south side of the fort now hardly exists, for the west part has been ploughed down into ridge-and-furrow which in turn has had a windmill mound built over it. Immediately to the east of the windmill mound is a small gap which may be an original entrance, for beyond it to the north east is the end of an original bank, 0.5 m. high. The west half of the interior of the fort is covered by well-marked ridge-and-furrow running approximately east-west, up to 0.5 m. high, and obscuring any original feature.

{2} The principle vallum is 296yds in length running north-south. Near the village is a second higher embankment almost parallel to the first, bur of less extent. This appears to have been connected with the first vallum. To the east parts are still traceable. The circular mound is part of the vallum once surmounted by a windmill.

{3} The complex comprises: a hexagonal enclosure; a rectangular annexe on its south west side; a possible further annexe or extension of the last to the north; a north-south bank 150m away on the west side; another bank 200m further west still. The siting and hexagonal plan of the enclosure, and the finding of an iron Age coin here suggest that this part of Arbury banks may be Belgic. The annexes could be of any date. The two banks could be plough headlands.

{5} Hillfort; NCC Aerial Photo:SP4948/???; Fieldname: Arbury Banks.

{6} Plan.

{10} Major MacPherson Pre 1883.

<1> Royal Commission on The Historical Monuments of England, 1982, An Inventory of The Historical Monuments in The County of Northampton, p.27/Site 2 (checked) (Series). SNN77382.

<2> Beesley J., 1841, History of Banbury, p.30 (unchecked) (Extract). SNN280.

<3> Ordnance Survey, 1950s/1960s, Ordnance Survey Record Cards, SP44NE2 (checked) (Index). SNN443.

<4> Ordnance Survey, 1955, 1950s/60s Ordnance Survey 6 Inch Mapping Series (SP44NE), (unchecked) (Map). SNN61128.

<5> 1809, MAP, (unchecked) (Map). SNN10761.

<6> TAYLOR C.C., 1974, FIELDWORK IN MEDIEVAL ARCHAEOLOGY, /57 (unchecked) (Uncertain). SNN58049.

<7> 1846, The Archaeological Journal (2), 2/82 (unchecked) (Journal). SNN60478.

<8> 1980, CORRESPONDENCE, (unchecked) (Correspondence). SNN57275.

<9> Dryden H.E.L., 1842-1895, Dryden Collection, Drawer: Earthwork 2 (checked) (Archive). SNN115.

<10> Dryden H.E.L., 1842-1895, Dryden Collection, Parish Files (checked) (Archive). SNN115.

<11> Doubleday H A (ed), 1902, The Victoria History of the Counties of England: Northamptonshire, p.200 (unchecked) (Series). SNN100368.

<12> Northamptonshire SMR Collection of Aerial Photographs, Used with NMR & CUCAP collections (Photographs). SNN104822.

Record last edited

Jun 22 2021 12:35PM