Monument record 2590/0/1 - Prehistoric trackway/boundary system

Cropmarks of of two parallel ditches, with traces of a third in two places, orientated roughly east to west. Excavation showed that the all three ditches had been recut and small amounts of Iron Age pottery were recovered. These multiple ditched boundaries may have been land divisions or used as tracks or droveways.

{2}Two parallel ditches, with traces of a third in two places, orientated roughly east west. Their west ends terminate on the edge of the steep river cliff above the Nene but on the east their relationship to the Roman road is obscure. These may be compared with similar ditches at Peterborough formerly described as tracks but subsequently excavated and interpreted as defensive ditches probably dating from the Iron Age.

{3} Trench 11: Ditch F1047 was 150 x 2 x 0.35m, linear in plan with straight parallel edges and aligned north west south east. It had moderatley steep sides and a flatish base. Its fill contained occasional flat angular limestone fragments but no finds.
Trench 12, 15, 17 and 19: Ditch F1027 was 350 x 3.3 x 0.7m, linear in plan with straight parallel sides and aligned north west south east. It had shallow sides becoming moderate in trench 12, becoming irregular and steep in trench 15, and a flat base. Its fills contained sub-angular and angular limestone fragments and struck flints, animal bone and prehistoric pottery.
Trench 12, 15 and 17: Ditch F1021 was 275 x 2.24 x .037m, linear in plan with straight parallel edges and aligned east west. It had irregular stepped sides which changed from vertical to moderate to steep down to a flat base. Its fill contained flat annular limestone fragments and struck flint.
Trench 17: Ditch F1014 was 30 x 2.10 x 0.55m, linear in plan with straight parallel edges and aligned north west south east. It had moderately steep sides and a flat base, and contained no finds.

{5} Two parallel ditches, 4m apart, forming a possible droveway. The northernmost of these ditches had been recut.

{10} Further archaeological investigation to the west of the earlier excavations identified the triple ditch boundary system again. Similar to the 2007 excavation, the ditches lay c3m apart. Unlike the 2007, however, there was no evidence that any of the ditches had been recut. No finds were recovered.

<1> Northamptonshire SMR Collection of Aerial Photographs, Used with NMR & CUCAP collections (Aerial Photograph(s)). SNN104822.

<2> Royal Commission on The Historical Monuments of England, 1975, An Inventory of The Historical Monuments in The County of Northampton, p.106/Site 10 (unchecked) (Series). SNN77379.

<3> Pole C., 2007, Proposed Processing Plant, Elton Estate, Northamptonshire: An Archaeological Evaluation, p.14 (unchecked) (Report). SNN105984.

<4> Newton A., 2006, Proposed Processing Plant, Elton Estate, Northamptonshire, (unchecked) (Report). SNN105872.

<5> Barlow, G., 2008, Proposed Processing Plant, Elton Estate, Northamptonshire: A 'Strip, Map and Sample' Archaeological Excavation Interim Site Narrative, p.15 (unchecked) (Report). SNN106249.

<6> Stone, Pip, 2008, Proposed Processing Plant, Elton Estate, Warmington, Northamptonshire: Archaeological Excavation Post Excavation Assessment and Updated Project Design, p.11 (unchecked) (Report). SNN106248.

<7> Stone, Pip, 2008, A Beaker Burial and Iron Age droveways on the Elton Estate, Warmington, Northamptonshire, (unchecked) (Note). SNN106232.

<8> Stone, Pip, 2008, The Proposed Processing Plant, Elton Estate, Warmington, Northamptonshire: Archaeological Excavation Research Archive Report, (unchecked) (Report). SNN106247.

<9> Stone, Pip, 2015, A Beaker burial and Iron Age droveway on the Elton Estate, Warmington (Article). SNN110321.

<10> Podbury, L, 2022, Elton 2, Warmington, Northamptonshire, Extension to existing plant site: Archaeological evaluation and 'strip, map and sample' excavation, https://doi.org/10.5284/1112556 (Report). SNN115184.

Record last edited

Jul 23 2024 2:58PM