Monument record 3100/1 - Late Iron Age/Romano-British buildings and Iron Working Site

The remains of Roman buildings accompanied by pottery and possible corn drying kilns were revealed during excavation. Evidence of iron working was also encountered.

{1} Excavation of 1968 in response to ironstone quarrying. A wall foundation, stone area, corn-drying kilns, pits and ditches of a building 30m x 14m. Probably a Romano-British barn. Pottery dated to C3rd-C4th. Underlying the barn were earlier buildings, the plans of which were not fully recovered.

{9} The site of a Roman building to the south of 1968 discoveries was indicated by a spread of building stone. Excavation in 1972 identified a building with pitched stone foundations at least 26.4m long and 8.8m wide internally. No floor levels survived and no internal features were identified. A sherd of colour-coated pottery suggests the building post-dates the 2nd century. This was overlain by a large rectangular building, 28m x 12.4m aligned roughly east-west. Internal walls and post pads, presumably for roof supports, were found on the north side. Probably an aisled building. Parts of a pitched stone floor and painted wall plaster were identified.

Further excavation in 1978 identified further features to the west. There are likely to be earlier and include the corner of a further possible building and a linear ditch as well as a number of pits. The remains of an iron smelting furnace which was D-shaped in plan. The furnace was probably earlier than the ditch and a sherd of late Iron Age scored ware was found filling of the ditch contained debris eroded from the furnace.

{14} Listed in gazetteer of Roman villas.

<1> Jackson D., 1970, Fieldwork and Excavation in North Eastern Northamptonshire, p.40 (unchecked) (Article). SNN4821.

<2> 1971, Medieval Archaeology (15), p.132 (unchecked) (Journal). SNN4977.

<3> Brown A.E. (Editor), 1974, Archaeology In Northamptonshire 1973, p.89-90 (unchecked) (Article). SNN9109.

<4> Rowley R.T.; Fowler W.J. (Editors), 1974, South Midlands Archaeology: CBA Group 9 Newsletter (4), p.10 (unchecked) (Newsletter). SNN17341.

<5> 1974, Britannia, 5/434 (unchecked) (Journal). SNN58444.

<6> Hall, D (Ed), 1979, South Midlands Archaeology: CBA Group 9 Newsletter (9), p.51 (unchecked) (Journal). SNN28703.

<7> Brown A.E. (Editor), 1978, Archaeology in Northamptonshire 1977, p.181 (unchecked) (Journal). SNN2192.

<8> Royal Commission on The Historical Monuments of England, 1979, An Inventory of The Historical Monuments in The County of Northampton, p.49/Site 4 (checked) (Series). SNN77380.

<9> JACKSON D., 1981, Archaeology at an Ironstone Quarry in the Harringworth-Wakerley Area, 1968-79, p.14-33 (checked?) (Article). SNN38094.

<10> Royal Commission on The Historical Monuments of England, 1982, An Inventory of The Historical Monuments in The County of Northampton, p.188/Site 15 (checked) (Series). SNN77382.

<12> Brown A.E. (Editor), 1979, Archaeology in Northamptonshire 1978, p.102 (checked) (Article). SNN45225.

<13> Crossley D., 1998, Monuments Protection Programme: Iron and Steel Industries (Step 3, Appendix 3, Handlist of Assessed Sites), 1.4 p.35 (unchecked) (Report). SNN106760.

<14> Scott, E., 1993, A gazetteer of Roman villas in Britain, p. 144/ Site NH63 (Monograph). SNN110345.

Record last edited

Feb 10 2025 8:15PM