Monument record 3158 - Roman Settlement/Farmstead, land off Caldecott Road

Pre-construct Archaeology undertook archaeological evaluation in 2025, which confirmed the presence of an area of settlement activity in the field at the western end of the site, in the form of an enclosure system belonging to a farmstead, that was previously identified from cropmarks and was recorded by a subsequent geophysical survey.

{1} Enclosure cropmarks recorded in 1983. Some may be geological features. NCCAP:SP9969/009.

[2} A possible rectilinear enclosure of unknown date is visible on aerial photographs and was mapped as part of the Bedford Borough NMP project. The enclosure is located south of Chelveston, centred at SP 99005 69217 and measures about 50metres by 27metres across with a possible annexe enclosure on the southwest side.
Parallel linear ditches are visible as cropmarks on aerial photographs north of Caldecott and were mapped as part of the Bedford Borough NMP project. They trend northwest-southwest and are about 100metres apart and are centred at SP 99010 69107 and SP 99025 68975. They appear to underlie medieval-post medieval ridge and furrow and could be associated with the possible enclosure recorded to the north.

{4} Geophysical survey undertaken in 2025 found anomalies in this area that corroborate the cropmarks. Groups of enclosures are located within the survey data. These enclosures clearly extend further to the south and also the west of the site. The interior of the enclosures contain anomalies that would be consistent with archaeological features and appear to form subdivisions. A handful of archaeological pit anomalies have also been recorded. The enclosures looked to be grouped around a possible trackway or major boundary, that is orientiated in a northeast to southwest direction.

{5} Evaluation undertaken in 2025 identified a farmstead that extends to the south and west beyond the proposed development area. Pottery recovered from the ditches has been dated to the later Roman period, specifically to the mid 2nd to 4th centuries AD. Medieval or post-medieval agricultural furrows and a headland, the remains of an open field system, was also identified in the western part of the site. Some additional features not picked up or ill-defined by the geophysical survey were identified in the trenches. The type of features in the trenches were overwhelmingly ditches and no evidence was found for discrete features associated with settlement. These features are the remains of a farmstead consisting of a complex of rectilinear enclosures with field boundary ditches and possible trackways on its periphery.

<1> Foard G., 2000, Oral report to SMR, (31/8/83) (Oral Report). SNN100433.

<2> Aerial Photograph, EARTH.GOOGLE.COM JUN-2005 ACCESSED 19-OCT-2018 (Photographs). SNN112974.

<3> Bedford Borough Council HER, Undated, Bedford Borough NMP, MD003015 (Archive). SNN113023.

<4> Emma Browning, 2025, Chelveston, Wellingborough, Northamptonshire, Geophysical Survey. (Report). SNN116838.

<5> Sandy Pullen, 2025, LAND OFF CALDECOTT ROAD CHELVESTON, NORTHAMPTONSHIRE: AN ARCHAEOLOGICAL EVALUATION (Report). SNN117008.

Record last edited

Mar 11 2026 9:43AM