Monument record 725/1/13 - Extramural Roman settlement possibly located on the Alchester Road

Archaeological excavation was undertaken on the predicted route of the road in 2016. No evidence of the road itself was found, but 1st century AD boundaries lay on the same alignment. By the 2nd century AD buildings, possibly associated with craft activities, may have lined the road.

{1} No direct evidence for the road itself was recovered from excavations at the Radford Technology Site, though the general north-south alignment of a number of features was consistent with its alignment. A shallow feature on this alignment was possibly a holloway although it did produce 3rd-4th century pottery. Heavy wear on the road at this point might help to explain the lack of evidence for surfaces although the toal absence of signs of any attempt to provide metalling is puzzling. Successive linear features found in trenches could be possible candidates for a roadside ditch, given that this need not have lain immediately adjacent to the road edge. If this is correct, however, these features are likely to have lain on the west side of the road.

{2} Excavation undertaken in 2016 revealed a number of pits, gullies and ditches of Roman date, probably originating in the mid-1st century AD. The linear features were largely aligned NNE-SSW towards the western edge of the site, possibly indicating that they were aligned on the Alchester Road. By the 2nd century AD possible post-fast structures were identified at the western end of the site, also possibly aligned with the road. Evidence of metalworking, leather-working and possibly wood working may indicate what their use was.

<1> Sims M.; Bashford R., 2004, Radstone Technology Site, Towcester, Northamptonshire, (unchecked) (Report). SNN104970.

<2> Cruse, G, 2016, Water Lane, Towcester, Northampton: Archaeological Investigations; Post-Excavation Assesment of Potential for Analysis and Updated Project Design (Report). SNN112447.

Record last edited

Apr 21 2021 4:33PM