Monument record 7887 - Iron Age settlement, Silverstone Fields Farm

In 2001 an archaeological watching brief and subsequent excavation (part of the A43 Towcester to M40 Dualling Project) revealed an Iron Age and early Roman site at Fields Farm. The site consisted of 3 roundhouse gullies within a trapezoidal enclosure. A number of pit groups, ammonting to a total of about 80 individual pits, and 5 infant burials were also recorded.

{1} A shallow ditch, (0.3-0.4m deep) with steep sides and a narrow base, formed an enclosure which delimited most of the features on the site. It respected Enclosure 1 (7887/0/1) on the south west side but was cut by phase 2 of the enclosure on the north, suggesting that it was contemporary with phase 1 but had then gone out of use. It may have had a staggered entranceway on the eastern side. In the north-west corner was a smaller enclosure, but with deeper ditches. The enclosure was sub-rectangular in shape with an internal measurement of 20m north to south by 15m east to west. It had an east-facing entrance about 2m wide. The interior of the enclosure was devoid of features except for four shallow pits. The enclosure ditches were recut, and the fill of the second phase ditch contained five infant burials deposited around the enclosure as well as a partially articulated cattle skeleton. The upper fills contained a large quantity of domestic refuse.

Two penannular gullies of similar form and dimensions were positioned side by side along the western boundary of the larger enclosure, while a third oval partial enclosure overlay the eastern boundary. The gullies varied in depth from 0.15 to 0.5m deep. They were probably eaves drainage features for roundhouses. All three gullies had small internal pits, although it is unclear whether any of these were associated with the structures within the enclosures.

About 80 pits were discovered on the site, most of them in groups by the northern and eastern boundary ditch. Of those outside enclosure 1 and the penannular gullies, 32 were examined by half sectioning. There proved to be a range of sizes, most being circular in plan, a little over 1m in diameter and about 0.5m deep. The largest was 2.3m in diameter and 1.45m deep. Pottery was recovered from a large proportion of them but there were few other finds.

The areas of quarrying were examined to a limited extent. They were shown to consist of densely intercutting pits reaching a maximum depth of about 0.85m in the areas examined. Few finds were retrieved. The quarry edges were seen to cut the boundary ditch and the pennanular gullies, although it is possible that the quarried areas included pits that were contemporary with these features.

<1> MUDD A., 2002, A43 Towcester to M40 Dualling Project Northamptonshire and Oxfordshire Post-Excavation Assessment and Updated Project Design, 2002, p.13-15(checked) (Report). SNN103239.

<2> MUDD A., 2007, Iron Age and Roman Settlement on The Northamptonshire Uplands, p. 30-39 (Series). SNN106027.

Record last edited

Feb 5 2025 6:36PM