Monument record 3780/1 - Iron Age and Roman settlement

During construction work on a housing estate in the early 1970s a number of discoveries were made. Late Iron Age pits, ditches and gullies were identified; large quantities of Roman pottery, a 1st or 2nd century pottery kiln and a 3rd-4th century corn-drying kiln

{1} A late 1st-2nd century Roman pottery kiln was excavated ahead of road works. Four large fired clay pedestals were in situ in the firing chamber. Among the mass of broken vessles that packed the flue two complete examples were found. The type of pot was a medium sized cooking pot in a hard shelly fabric with a smooth slurried surface. There was a 3rd-4th century stone-built, Y-shaped corn dryer some 18m to the east. The structure was set among a mass of late Belgic gullies and pits.

{2} Initial building operations led to the discovery and partial excavation of a late Iron Age round house with associated pits and ditches. Then from 1970 to 1975 there were a number of discoveries. In 1973-4 Road scraping along what was to be Dunbar Court revealed an early Roman pottery kiln and a late Roman corn dryer some 18m to the east; also some Belgic pits and gullies; Two substantial Roman ditches were noted. (plans and sections of kiln and corn dryer);

{3} Iron Age and Roman settlement on the east side of the valley of the River Ise. During construction work on a housing estate a number of discoveries were made which included the following: ditches, gullies and pits containing late Belgic pottery, and surface finds of worked flints, a barbed and tanged arrowhead and sherds of Iron Age pottery; ditches and pits associated with box and roof tiles, a quantity of late Roman pottery, some Iron Age sherds; a 1st or 2nd-century Roman pottery kiln with four clay pedestals in situ and a 3rd to 4th-century stone-built corn-drying oven, built over a mass of pits and ditches containing late Belgic pottery;

{6} Iron Age and Roman settlement (centred SP 886780) Further details of the excavations have now been published.

<1> Brown A.E. (Editor), 1974, Archaeology In Northamptonshire 1973, 9/84+90+91 (Article). SNN9109.

<2> FOSTER P.J., 1976, Romano-British Finds At Kettering, 11/170-177 (Article). SNN107521.

<3> Royal Commission on The Historical Monuments of England, 1979, An Inventory of The Historical Monuments in The County of Northampton, p.103/Site 7 (unchecked) (Series). SNN77380.

<4> Royal Commission on The Historical Monuments of England, 1982, An Inventory of The Historical Monuments in The County of Northampton, p.200/Site 7 (checked) (Series). SNN77382.

<5> 1974, Britannia, Page 434-5 (Journal). SNN58444.

<6> Brown, A E (ed), 1971, Bulletin of the Northamptonshire Federation of Archaeological Societies, Page 19 (Journal). SNN13960.

<7> 1970, CBA Group 9: Bulletin of Industrial Archaeology, Page 9 (Series). SNN110933.

Record last edited

Jul 9 2024 12:16PM