Monument record 3186 - Late Iron Age to early Romano-British Settlement

A Late Iron Age and early Roman settlement is partially visible as cropmarks on aerial photographs east of The Ferrers School. A wider area east and south of the school was part of a geophysical survey in 2007. Excavation revealed a settlement dating to the Late Iron Age and early Roman, with a shift in settlement foci. A small area was also excavated previously in 2002 as part of the archaeology assessment prior to the construction of the A6 Higham Ferrers/Rushden by-pass.

{1} Cropmark of possible ditch at SP965681;

{2} Possible Romano-British settlement comprising surface scatters of pottery recovered by field walking. Probably equals HER Mon 5354.

{3} Romano British settlement and associated field system with possible Iron Age antecedents. The discovery of a settlement in asociation with its field system is of some importance, although it is likely to have suffered some damage from ploughing.

{6} The evaluation, which comprised geophysical survey and trial trench excavation, demonstrated the presence of a late Iron Age/early Roman settlement extending across the proposed development area on a north-east to south-west axis. The remains comprise a complex series of inter-cutting enclosures, gullies and ditches, largely clustered in the northern part of the agricultural field and the south-west corner of the playing field, with a long boundary ditch and several small rectangular enclosures in-between. Earlier phases of occupation were near the crest of the slope at the northern end of the agricultural field, and in the south-west corner of the playing field. They were overlaid by the more rectilinear appearance of the Romano-British enclosure system.

The majority of the Iron Age assemblage can be dated to the 1st century BC, although some material of earlier origin is present. Much of the Roman pottery appears to be of local origin and broadly ranges in date through to the mid 2nd century.

{7} Geophysical survey of land to the north of the school identified a sinuous boundary ditch which was traced for a length of c. 140m and appeared to form the continuation of a north-east/southwest orientated anomaly recorded by an earlier geophysical survey.

{8} Trial trench evaluation on land to the north of the school identified the boundary ditch containing late Iron Age pottery. This boundary defines the northern extent of the settlement.

{6, 12, 13} A Late Iron Age and early Roman settlement is partially visible as cropmarks on aerial photographs and was mapped as part of the Bedford Borough NMP project. The settlement is located east of The Ferrers School and is centred at SP 96551 68118 and comprises curvilinear enclosures. A wider area east and south of the school was part of a geophysical survey in 2007 which identified far more features than was visible on the aerial photographs. Some trenches were placed over the settlement and dated the settlement to the Late Iron Age and early Roman, with a shift in settlement foci. A small area was also excavated previously in 2002 as part of the archaeology assessment prior to the construction of the A6 Higham Ferrers/Rushden by-pass.

<1> Northamptonshire SMR Collection of Aerial Photographs, NCCAP:9668/003 (Aerial Photograph(s)). SNN104822.

<2> CHAPMAN A.; SHAW M., 1996, A6 Rushden And Higham Ferrers Bypass: Archaeological Desk Top Assessment, p.3 (checked) (Report). SNN63072.

<3> Masters P.; Shaw M., 1997, A6 Rushden and Higham Ferrers Bypass Evaluation: Stage 2 Fieldwalking and Geophysical Survey, (checked) (Report). SNN43755.

<4> Chapman A., 1996-97, Archaeology in Northamptonshire 1996-7, p215 Rushden to Higham Ferrers (Checked) (Notes). SNN104580.

<5> Lawrence, S., 2004, Land East of The Ferrers School, Higham Ferrers: Archaeological Evaluation Report (Report). SNN104821.

<6> Carlyle S.; Flavell N., 2007, Late Iron Age and Roman Settlement at Ferrers College, Higham Ferrers, Northamptonshire, (unchecked) (Report). SNN105993.

<7> Sumo Services, 2017, Land at Higham Ferrers, Northamptonshire (Report). SNN111378.

<8> Moosbauer, A, 2018, Land at Higham Ferrers, Northamptonshire: Archaeological Evaluation (Report). SNN111377.

<9> Crank, N. (Editor), 2019, South Midlands Archaeology (49), p. 69 (Journal). SNN111755.

<10> Butler, A and Fisher, I, 2003, A Geophysical Survey at Higham Ferrers, Northamptonshire, October 2003 (Report). SNN112514.

<11> Cotswold Archaeology, 2022, Images and GIS Data from Archaeological Evaluation of Land at Higham Ferrers, Northamptonshire August 2018, https://doi.org/10.5284/1090514 (Digital archive). SNN113135.

<12> Oblique Aerial Photograph, NHC 1827/10 31-JUL-1980 (Aerial Photograph(s)). SNN111738.

<13> MUDD A., 2003, A6 Rushden-Higham Ferrers Bypass, Archaeological Watching Brief: Post Excavation Assessment and Updated Project Design (Report). SNN103306.

<14> Bedford Borough Council HER, Undated, Bedford Borough NMP, MD003015 (Archive). SNN113023.

Record last edited

Feb 3 2025 7:37PM