Monument record 4895/0/10 - Possible Prehistoric Trackway (Morphed Aerial Archaeology Interpretation)

Crop/soilmark: Good quality photography

{2} A double linear boundary, possibly a ditched trackway, consisting in places of a double row of pits and in part as a double ditch system. It runs down to meet Dalligton Brook at a point close to the present footbridge which may perpetuate the line of an earlier crossing.

Trial trenching revealed 6 pits, between 1.1m and 1.8m wide and 0.26m and 1.4m deep. The pits are likely to be part of the pit alignment that forms the boundary at this point.

{4} Three alignments of small discrete positive magnetic anomalies have been detected in the south-western part of the site. Two of these are parallel, 7-8m apart, and are aligned broadly north-south in Area 4, turning to the north-east in Area 1 as they enter the main area of settlement. The anomalies almost certainly reflect soil-filled pits, some possibly up to 2m in diameter. These may have been kept open during their period of use, or perhaps it is more likely that they housed large timber uprights, in either case defining an avenue or track which has been traced geomagnetically over a distance of 220m; the feature continues south-south-west beyond the limit of the survey. This possible avenue is interrupted by a north-west/south-east aligned ditch, which again indicates more than one phase of activity at the site.

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

<2> Shaw, M., Webster, M. & O'Hara, P., 1990, Archaeological Evaluation at Kings Heath in Northampton, (checked) (Report). SNN57140.

<3> Webster, M., 1990, SMR Report Form, (checked) (SMR Report Form). SNN57969.

<4> Elliott L.; Hale D., 2006, Dallington Grange, Northamptonshire: Geophysical Survey Phase 2, p.7 (checked) (Report). SNN107441.

Record last edited

Jul 7 2011 3:53PM