Monument record 5137 - Probable Romano-British settlement

Archaeological investigation has identified part of a Roman settlement comprising ditched enclosures, pits and a possible wall. Roman tile from a hypocaust system suggests the presence of a high-status building in the vicinity.

{1} Geophysical survey identified a number of anomlaies consistent with prehistoric or Romano-british activity comprising field boundaries and a probable trackway.

{2} Trial trench excavation was undertaken in 2012.The main concentration of features is towards the top of the slope. It contains Roman ditches on several alignments indicating several phases of activity, comprising enclosures with an adjacent trackway. The trackway, aligned NNE-SSW, was bounded by two ditches set c3.5m apart. The fill of one contained early Roman pottery, fragments of an iron knife or shears, animal bone and charred cereal grains. An alignment of pitched stones were interpreted as the robbed remains of a masonry wall, although no other remains were identified. An elongated depression contained an extensive dumped deposit of dark soil which included a small assemblage of Roman pottery, tegula, animal bone and carbonised cereal grain.

There was a good correlation with geophysical anomalies, though more features were identified in the trial trenching. A variety of finds were recovered, suggestive of a settlement rather than a series of agricultural enclosures. A small amount of residual pre-Roman finds indicate potential earlier utilisation of the higher ground, though no contemporary features were identified during the evaluation.

{3} The main concentration of archaeological features was located in two trenches, near the top of the slope in the central part of the area where several phases of Roman activity were identified. As well as ditches, pits and a masonry structure, an extensive dumped deposit occupied the base of an elongated depression. Residual flintwork as well as sherds of early-middle Iron Age pottery hint at earlier activity in the vicinity.

{4} Trial trench excavation in 2021 identified a north-east to south-west ditch. The fill contained Roman and prehistoric pottery. It is likely that the ditch corresponded to the western ditch of the trackway.

{5} Archaeological excavation was undertaken of a small area encompassing part of the 'trackway' which was re-interpreted as two boundary ditches: one for the settlement area as a whole and another, the eastern ditch, forming an internal enclosure. The layout of the settlement falls into a fairly standard pattern for small Roman farmsteads, with rectilinear settlement and agricultural enclosures, sometimes supported by stone buildings. The enclosure ditches contained pottery dating to between the late 1st and 3rd century and were situated near several waste pits which contained late 1st to 4th century pottery. A number of Roman tiles likely to be associated with a hypocaust system suggests the presence of a high-status building in the vicinity.

<1> Evershed, R.; Hibbitt, D. & Allen, M., 2012, Geophysical Survey by Magnetometry on Land off Station Road, Long Buckby, Northamptonshire, p.5-6 (checked) (Report). SNN108261.

<2> Pilkinton, K.; Barker, B.; Wells, J. & Edmondson, G., 2012, Land to the East of Station Road, Long Buckby, Northamptonshire: Archaeological Trial Trench Evaluation, p.13-16 (checked) (Report). SNN108260.

<3> Horne B. (Editor), 2013, South Midlands Archaeology (43), p. 32 (Journal). SNN111431.

<4> Chapman, A, 2021, Archaeological evaluation report: Trial trenching on land off Station Road, Long Buckby, Northamptonshire (Report). SNN112481.

<5> Brennan, R & Minton, J, 2022, Archaeological strip, map and record: Land off Station Road, Long Buckby, Northamptonshire, https://doi.org/10.5284/1119595 (Report). SNN115419.

Record last edited

Jul 23 2024 4:12PM