Monument record 1176/0/13 - Possible medieval building

{1} A limestone wall at least four courses high, the lower course as wide as its foundation trench and the upper three courses stepped in and approx 0.5m wide. The foundation trench measured 7.12m long on the east-west alignment and 1.3m long on the north-south alignment. Both wall foundation trenches continued beyond the limit of the trial trench. They were 0.65-0.8m wide by at least 0.10m deep and cut the natural. Along the length of the wall, large stones were laid at intervals across its width for the purpose of tying in. A particularly large, flat stone was located at the base of the corner of the wall, presumably to provide stability. The stone were clay bonded, a material from which medieval pottery was recovered. There was no floor surfave or finds associated with the wall - this suggests that the wall may have been a plot boundary rather than a building.

{4} The wall found in the current excavations was wider than that in the southerly return found in the evaluation. It also utilised many more stones and fewer flat blocks. This difference may reflect some form of change in the structure or the slightly higher survival of that further south may denote the superstructure proper. Pottery found in association with the wall strongly suggests it was built after 1250 but before 1500. Nothing remained upstanding much after 1700. At the north of the trench the wall was north-south aligned, turning west, then south, then west again.

<1> Foard-Colby A., 2011, Archaeological Evaluation on Land in Church Lane, Deanshanger, Northamptonshire January 2011, p.5-6 (checked) (Report). SNN107259.

<2> Horne B. (Editor), 2012, South Midlands Archaeology (42), 42/30 (checked) (Journal). SNN108346.

<3> Chapman P. (Editor), 2012, Archaeology in Northamptonshire, 2011, 37/211 (checked) (Chapter). SNN108375.

<4> Soden I, 2012, Archaeological excavations in advance of development at Church Lane, Deanshanger, Northamptonshire, checked (Report). SNN110304.

Record last edited

May 20 2016 2:47PM