Monument record 7882/0/1 - Undated Watercourse

Evaluation demonstrated the survival of a relict watercourse, aligned north-east to south-west, which underlies the extant ridge and furrow cultivation. On the ground surface the feature is located within a natural valley. A second parallel feature identified to the north during geophysical survey, was not present within the trial trenches.

{1} Two parallel positive anomalies run from north east to south west. The northern of the pair is quite ill defined but the southern exhibits strong magnetic enhancement. Both might represent infilled ditches, although this is not an entirely convincing interpretation.

{2} If the field is C19th steam-ploughed ridge and furrow, it is possible that it masks an early medieval pattern, and that the medieval furlong headlands have been 'spread' to give the impression of there being an enclosure.

{3} Trench 3 revealed a narrow relict watercourse aligned north-east to south-west. It was 1.2m wide and its fill contained decaying wood and other vegetation. It had been identified as a possible archaeological feature in the geophysical survey. Although not identified as such during the geophysics, the watercourse appears to have been picked up again in Trench 4. Here it was 2.2m wide. (The second parallel linear anomaly c.60m to the north of the watercourse was not identified during the trial trenching.)

<1> Walford J., 2009, An Archaeological Geophysical Survey of The Site of The Proposed Naseby Battlefield Visitor Centre, Northamptonshire, p.3 (unchecked) (Report). SNN106643.

<2> Cadman, G., 2009, Naseby Battlefield Project, (checked) (Note). SNN107339.

<3> Foard-Colby A., 2010, Archaeological Trial Trench Evaluation at Naseby Battlefield Visitor Centre, Northamptonshire, p.3; https://doi.org/10.5284/1104192 (Report). SNN107906.

Record last edited

Oct 24 2024 2:26PM