Monument record 4572/0/19 - Possible Prehistoric Enclosure (Morphed Aerial Archaeology Interpretation)

Crop/soilmark: Good quality photography

{1} The site appears to be significant, and while superficially resembling a moated enclosure, some characteristics and adjacent finds suggest a Roman origin should be considered.

{2} T. Welsh speculates that this monument maybe the one described by Bridges as Castle Hill that various other people, including the Royal Commission Inventory have attributed to other nearby monuments. He thinks that the site, while smaller, bears similarities to the Iron Age enclosure at Farthingstone, and the undated enclosure known as Burnt Walls near Daventry. It also compares to descriptions of an 'entrenchment' long disappeared, supposed to have existed on the heath south west of Pitsford, around SP747674. It is perhaps reasonble to speculate that the Top Specs earthwork belongs to a period between Roman and late Dark Ages.

{3} Cropmarks recorded by Hollowell in 1963. Unclassified. Fieldname: St John's Spring.

<1> WELSH T.C., 1999, POSSIBLE MOATED SITE/ DITCHED AND BANKED ENCLOSURE - SPECTACLE LANE, BOUGHTON, NORTHAMPTON, (unchecked) (Notes). SNN43381.

<2> WELSH T.C., 1999, DITCHED AND BANKED ENCLOSURE, "TOP SPECS", BOUGHTON, (unchecked) (Notes). SNN46965.

<3> Northampton Museum Topographical Index, (unchecked) (Index). SNN1470.

<4> Northamptonshire SMR Collection of Aerial Photographs, Used with NMR & CUCAP collections (Photographs). SNN104822.

<5> Welsh T.C., 1999, Landscape Interpretation - Area Around The Ditches And Banked Enclosure At "Top Specs" Boughton, (unchecked) (Interim Report). SNN100791.

Record last edited

Jun 28 2011 7:18PM