Monument record 7343 - Middle Bronze Age/ Romano-British agricultural activity, Shelfleys

Archaeological investigation prior to development identified a large ditched enclosure. A middle Bronze Age spearhead found in one of the ditch termini may have been deliberately deposited, although a few sherds of Roman pottery were also found.

{1} Archaeological evaluation undertaken in 2007 included geophysical survey and trial trenching. The main feature of archaeological note identified by the geophysical survey is the positive linear anomaly which runs north eastwards into the area, turns to the north west and then curves gradually away eastwards, fading in strength as it does so. At one point there is a clear gap in the anomaly, which broadens very slightly on either side of it. This anomaly almost certainly represents part of an enclosure ditch of later prehistoric or Romano-British date, with the gap being an entrance flanked by expanded ditch terminals.
The enclosure ditch was seen in trial trenches 3 and 6.
Trench 6: a large ditch aligned north west - south east, 3.95m wide and 1m deep with moderately steep sides and a concave base. It had three fills: the lowest was a redeposited natural, and the top two were tipping layers, containing one sherd of possible Iron Age/ Romano-British coarseware and one flint flake. A recut ditch 0.86m wide and 0.36m deep with moderately sloping sides and a concave base was cut into the top fill.
The lack of interior features within the enclosure and the small amount of finds would suggest that the enclosure was not a focus of habitation. It may have been primarily a stock corral.
A small number of other undated ditches and pits were also identified.

{4} A strip, map and sample excavation was undertaken. The whole enclosure was not fully exposed within the development area. Only what appears to be the eastern end was revealed. The part of the enclosure ditch seen was divided into two sections either side of a well defined entrance, defined by two large rounded termini c.4m apart.
The enclosure ditch was uniform in construction and was possibly the result of a single phase of activity.
The enclosure was only partly excavated so it is possible that more intensive activity took place in the unexcavated section.
A middle Bronze Age spearhead was possibly deliberately deposited in one of the ditch termini, suggesting that the enclosure may have originated from this date. This presents the possibility that the enclosure remained open and was used, perhaps only intermittently, throughout later prehistory and into the Roman period, or that the few later sherds to be found were accumulated as the ditch silted up.
A number of dispersed postholes and pits were also recorded. No discernable pattern could be observed amongst these features and as such, structures and fencelines could not be convincingly identified. The postholes and pits remain undated. Whether these features had any relationship with the enclosure also remains unknown.

<1> Flavell, N.A. and Walford, J., 2007, Land off Ladybridge Drive, Shelfleys, Northampton archaeological evaluations: Geophysical surveys and trial trenching, p.5,9 (checked) (Report). SNN107931.

<2> Horne B. (Editor), 2008, South Midlands Archaeology: CBA Group 9 Newsletter (38), p.42 (checked) (Journal). SNN106282.

<3> Chapman P. (Editor), 2008, Archaeology in Northamptonshire in 2007, p.295 (checked) (Article). SNN106430.

<4> Rowe, M., 2008, Land off Ladybridge Drive, Shelfleys, Northamptonshire: Archaeological Strip, Map and Sample 2007, (checked) (Report). SNN106292.

Record last edited

Feb 26 2025 8:14PM