Monument record 1881/0/6 - Middle Bronze Age to Saxon settlement, near Huntingdon Road

Geophysical survey and trial trench, in 2007, found evidence for settlement activity spanning from the Bronze Age to the Roman period. Excavations in 2017 confirmed the settlement activity by finding evidence dating from the Middle Bronze Age to the Saxon period. The earliest activity comprises enclosures with internal features and a cremation cemetery, and the Saxon activity comprising possible sunken-featured buildings.

{1} Geophysical survey and trial trench excavation identified a number of features which will be listed along with their associated finds if any. A large cluster of stake/postholes. No finds were recovered to aid the dating of these features. Two shallow postholes were located. Sherds of late Bronze Age pottery were present in the fill of the latter. A curvilinear gully contained sherds of late 1st- to mid-2nd century pottery. The fill was also flecked with dispersed fragments of burned clay. This gully could conceivably be the remnants of a round house. Three inter-cutting features. The most southerly appeared to be a small pit or perhaps a gully terminus, whereas the other two were more likely gullies aligned east-west. Pottery sherds of probable late Bronze Age date were found in the fill of one of these latter gullies. A curvilinear feature was located, it may have been a ditch terminus. Further to the north was a narrow gully. To the south a number of inter-cutting features were present including a curvilinear feature which contained Iron Age pottery and a single flint blade. The undated gully could represent a round house. A small pit contained cremated human bone which remains undated.

{3} Trial excavation on land surrounding the important Bronze Age ringwork revealed widely dispersed archaeological features including parts of three possible round houses and a human cremation.

{4} Open area excavation, in 2017, found evidence for settlement activity dating from the Middle Bronze Age to the Saxon period, with agricultural activity continuing up until Modern period. The evidence for human activity comprised an unenclosed cremation cemetery and a rectangular enclosure containing further cremation burials, a trackway, pits and postholes. The cemetery contained six unurned burials, including one identified from the trial trench evaluation. No grave goods were present. The enclosure is defined by ditches on all sides except the east. A posthole positioned in the southern entrance could be related to an entrance structure such as a gate. It will also be of some use to note that a ringwork, which is most likely contemporary, is situated c. 115m to the east of the enclosure.
In the early/middle Iron Age, an activity focus comprising quarry pits, water pits and a pond was established in the same area as the middle Bronze Age/early Iron Age settlement. The presence of early/middle Iron Age pottery within the ditch of the ringwork suggests that it was still visible at this time.
Late Iron Age/early Roman activity was represented by an enclosure system and trackway. Contemporary features within the interior of the ringwork indicate that the monument was still in use, even though its ditch had silted up by this stage. At least nine post-built structures were identified.
The overall early Saxon settlement would have extended over 0.8ha and utilised the pre-existing boundaries. At least nine post-built structures, along with three pits/sunken-featured buildings have been identified.

<1> Mason P., 2007, Geophysical Survey And Archaeological Trial Excavation on Land off Huntingdon Road, Thrapston, Northamptonshire (Report). SNN106486.

<2> Horne B. (Editor), 2008, South Midlands Archaeology: CBA Group 9 Newsletter (38) (Journal). SNN106282.

<3> Chapman P. (Editor), 2008, Archaeology in Northamptonshire in 2007 (Article). SNN106430.

<4> Jo Barker and Mike Luke, 2019, Land Off Huntingdon, Thrapston, Northamptonshire: Assessment and Updated Project Design (Report). SNN116612.

Record last edited

Mar 25 2025 9:10AM