Monument record 3457/0/5 - Possible medieval closes/ paddocks and post-medieval farm track, land south of Main Road

Trial trench excavation identified a number of features containing medieval pottery. The ditches may have been paddocks or closes, while two pits suggest settlement lay nearby. Further undated ditches in trenches to the south may have also been part of the medieval activity as they were sealed by probable post-medieval ploughsoil

{1} Ditches in Trench 4 and Trench 5 may form two sides of an enclosure dated to the 12th to 14th centuries. This suggests the possibility of paddocks or closes on the site.

Pottery from one of the ditches in Trench 5 dated to the mid 12th to 14th century pottery along with a residual rim sherd of 10th/11th century date. Environmental samples contained material from either charred agricultural storage waste or burnt domestic refuse. Located a few metres to the north, shallow northwest-southeast aligned ditch was 0.61m wide and 0.11m deep and contained a sherd of mid 12th to early 13th century pottery and four pieces of animal bone.

Probable pit in the northeast corner of Trench 4 contained 11th-12th century pottery. A further pit in Trench 4, contained pottery of 13th-14th century date.

A 17th to 18th century cobbled surface in Trench 6 was probably a farm trackway leading from Main Road. In the western half the trench was the northern edge of a possible roadside ditch or drainage gully backfilled at a similar date. A row of post holes in Trench 5, dated as 18th to 19th century, probably represent a fence on a similar alignment to the cobbles.

Two pieces of iron slag found in a post hole in trench 5 may have come from smithing activity in the area.

<1> Peachey, M., 2010, Archaeological Evaluation on Land South of Main Road, Hackleton, Northamptonshire, p.5 (checked) (Report). SNN107079.

<1> Peachey, M., 2010, Archaeological Evaluation on Land South of Main Road, Hackleton, Northamptonshire, p.5 (checked) (Report). SNN107079.

<1> Peachey, M., 2010, Archaeological Evaluation on Land South of Main Road, Hackleton, Northamptonshire, p.5-6 (checked) (Report). SNN107079.

Record last edited

Nov 9 2018 12:35PM