Monument record 4895/0/7 - Iron Age Enclosure (Morphed Aerial Archaeology Interpretation)

Crop/soilmark: Good quality photography

{2} A wide ditched enclosure, 0.25ha in area.

Trial trenching proved the enclosure ditch to be c.7m wide and c.2m deep. The original ditch had been re-cut at least once; the re-cut contained late Iron Age pottery.

This enclosure is of particular interest as it appears to fall into a category of defended enclosures which it has been suggested were the homesteads of local ruling families. Many of the surrounding features are aligned on the enclosure and may represent ancillary structures of the same date.

{4} Three substantial, almost concentric, soil-filled enclosure ditches. These have been detected over an area of approximately 160m by 130m. The anomalies representing these ditches measure up to 6m in width; this is likely to be an accurate representation of the actual ditch widths since, having given rise to cropmarks, the features are almost certainly near-surface. Each of the three ditch circuits has a causewayed entrance on its south-eastern side. The widest entrance is through the outermost ditch while the narrowest entrance is through the innermost; this funnelled approach from outside the monument to the innermost enclosure is flanked by pits, which may have housed large timber posts effectively forming an avenue. A number of discrete anomalies have been detected in the interior of the enclosure. Some of these may reflect the remains of ring-ditches, possibly associated with round- houses, while others are likely to reflect hearth and pit features.

<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.6 9checked) (Report). SNN107441.

Record last edited

Jul 7 2011 3:13PM