Monument record 5130/1/3 - Late Romano-British Stock Enclosures & Associated Features

{1} Trenches 7 and 8 were excavated to investigate the junction of several anomalies identified by geophysical survey that could be pits or ditches of irregular enclosures. These were identified within the trenches, but remained unexcavated due to ground water. The surfaces of the features were found to contain late Iron Age and Romano-British pottery.

{2} Phase 4 (C3rd-C4th) was represented by a sequential series of boundary ditches, curvilinear and linear gullies or slots forming either elements to small enclosures utilised for stock management, or small gullies cut for drainage, all of which have undergone a series of amendments.

{3} Phase 2.3: new enclosure layout, C3rd AD.
This phase comprises a significant change to the landscape in the C3rd AD, with few of the enclosures or boundaries surviving in the same form. The changes were not long-lived and use of the area probably stopped before the end of the century, although continued into the C4th in the area previously excavated to the east. This might represent a contraction of settlement back towards the north-east.
The major boundary at the southern end of the excavation area loses its significance and is transgressed by elements of large rectilinear ditched fields or enclosures that extended beyond the excavation area. This was the first time that the former Iron Age ditched boundary at the northern end of the excavated area had been transgressed and it is possible that a new boundary had been constructed on a similar alignment and position to the early to mid Iron Age pit alignment.
In Area 2, two similar large rectilinear enclosures were constructed (Enclosures 22 and 23). These marked the disuse of the earlier boundary and enclosures. For both, short ditches were dug on the line of the earlier southern boundary. These features may have been associated with the continued use of Enclosures 13 and 20 in a reduced format.
The use of these large rectilinear enclosures was short-lived, as scrappy short ditches were then constructed across their line. These were similar to the latest features recorded in the excavations to the east, none form coherent enclosure or boundary ditches. A small number of pits were recorded cutting into later elements of the disused enclosures and boundaries. Pits of this date were generally absent elsewhere and it seems their positions, targeting the earlier features, were deliberate.
In the north-eastern part of Area 2, Enclosure 14 continued to retreat to the north-east before declining in use.

<1> Prentice J., 1999, An Archaeological Evaluation at Upton, Northampton (South-West District), April 1999, 5.Section 8 (checked) (Report). SNN63063.

<2> Maull A.; Masters P., 2001, Archaeological Investigations At Upton, Northampton South West District, p.16+Fig.6 (checked) (Report). SNN101224.

<3> Muldowney L., 2012, Archaeological Excavation at Sites F & G, Weedon Road, Upton, Northamptonshire: Assessment Report and Updated Project Design, p.27-28 Fig.19 (checked) (Report). SNN109851.

Record last edited

Nov 25 2016 2:43PM