Monument record 6936 - Iron Age settlement, Radstone Fields north-west

Geophysical survey and subsequent trial trench excavation identified a continuation of the extensive Iron Age landscape that has been identified across the northern periphery of the current Brackley settlement core. Many of the features found during the evaluation probably relate to crop processing and storage supported by the number of features similar to those identified in other excavations.

{1} Four ring ditches have been identified in this field. (A1) is approximately 15m in diameter with a possible internal isolated pit and an eastern entrance. Several pit type anomalies are situated outside and may be related. (A1) could be a dwelling with internal hearth and external rubbish pits or alternatively a funerary monument with a single internal and several external burials. Two potential entrances can be identified in ring ditch (A2), which is of a similar size to (A1) but more elliptical in shape. However, it is possible that agricultural activity has damaged the archaeological deposits. There are also two breaks in the perimeter of ring ditch (A3); the ditch terminals of the western break are quite well defined therefore this is more likely to be a true entrance. The fourth ring ditch (A4) is not complete; three “sides” are formed by clear anomalies and the fourth is partially defined by a weak trend.
Several other potential ring ditches have also been identified. (B1) suggests half a ring ditch. There are ditch and pit type anomalies in close proximity to, and possibly joined onto, it. The responses forming (B2) are quite angular and extend out of the survey area; they appear to form part of an enclosure, or possibly another ring ditch. Nearby other anomalies, including lengths of curving ditch type responses and pits, are also archaeological in nature. A small curving length of ditch type anomaly (B3), together with a trend, may form a further ring ditch.

{2} Trial trench excavation was undertaken in the area covered by the previous geophysical survey as well as a field to the north-west. Iron Age features were identified in both areas, primarily recut round house ring gullies and storage pits. All the pottery comprised hand-built Iron Age wares. The majority of contexts produced no diagnostic sherds and cannot be closely dated. A largely complete saddle quern was found in one of the pits. Only small quantities of poorly animal bone and charred cereal grains were recovered.

<1> Chester, F., 2007, Geophysical Survey Report: The Robson Land, Radstone Fields, Brackley, Northamptonshire, p.4 (checked) (Report). SNN108283.

<2> Reid, A, 2021, Archaeological trial trench evaluation at Radstone Fields, Brackley, Northamptonshire, December 2020-February 2021 (Report). SNN112831.

Record last edited

Oct 10 2024 3:12PM