Monument record 9628 - Middle to Late Iron Age Settlement (Probable Farmstead), west of Glebe Farm

Archaeological investigation ahead of construction of the A6 Bypass revealed part of an Iron Age settlement. Two enclosures were identified; the larger, containing a probable roundhouse, may have been a focus for domestic activity, while the smaller D-shaped enclosure, which did not appear to have any internal features, may have been a stockade.

{1} Site 9 was confirmed to be Iron Age, although finds were very sparse and precise dating not possible. It may have been long-lived, although the absence of any Roman pottery from anywhere within this field suggests that it is of pre-conquest date. The ditch of the main enclosure was found to be substantial and of two phases. That in Trench 10 was of a similar size and possibly also of two phases, suggesting an Iron Age date. The fact that medieval ridge and furrow respects this ditch on the geophysics survey suggests that it continued as a landscape feature into the medieval period.

{2} The pottery assemblage suggests a settlement of mid to late Iron Age date. There appears to be at least three phases of activity on the site with pits or postholes possibly preceding ditches as the enclosure boundary, although there was no evidence occupation continued into the Roman period. The artefacts, animal bone and slag suggests a small farming community that grew crops, kept domesticated animals for food and carried out small-scale metal working close to their habitation area. Given the limited nature of the excavation it is hard to say exactly how large the site was. However, it seems likely that it is a relatively small farmstead contained within the hilltop.

<1> Mudd A., 2001, A6 Rothwell and Desborough Bypass, Archaeological Assessment: Stage 6 Trial Trenching (Report). SNN102490.

<2> Priest V., 2003, Archaeological Excavations: Site 9 (Rothwell), A6 Rothwell and Desborough Bypass (Report). SNN104923.

Record last edited

Nov 8 2018 11:06AM