Monument record 1842/10/1 - Roman and medieval boundaries, west of Chancery Lane

Archaeological investigation, comprising trial trench and strip map and sample excavations, revealed a sequence of ditched boundaries. There were a series of shallow Roman ditches dating the 2nd and possibly 3rd centuries in one of the excavated areas, although the comparative lack of domestic refuse suggests they were located away from occupation. A long-lived series of ditches aligned north-east to south-west probably represent the rear tenement boundaries of properties fronting onto Chancery Lane and dating to the 10th-12th centuries. A large undated ditch in the north-east part of the site contained large quantities of rubble and may be associated with the castle, possibly the moat.

{1} Archaeological evaluation undertaken as part of a planning application for residential development identified four ditches; two of which were probable property boundaries of medieval tenements on the west side of Chancery Lane. At the south-east end of Trench 1 was a south-west to north-east aligned linear feature. In the east side of the feature was a dump of limestone fragments. The feature contained medieval pottery of the late C12th-C13th, a C9th-C11th Anglo-Scandanavian whetstone, burnt stone and animal bone. A further undated ditch and pit were also found in this trench.

Within Trench 2 a ditch aligned north-west to south-east contained mid C12th-C13th pottery and part of a deer antler. Within Trench 3 was a single north-west to south-east aligned ditch which contained mid 16th-17th century pottery and horse bone. The roughly parallel ditches of Trenches 1,2 and 3 probably represent property boundaries to the rear of medieval or post medieval tenements on Chancery Lane.

{2} Archaeological strip map and sample excavation was undertaken of five excavation areas located over the footprints of the proposed dwellings. The earliest features were a series of shallow ditches aligned north-west to south-east which contained small amounts of Roman pottery dating to the 2nd and perhaps early 3rd centuries. The comparative lack of domestic refuse suggests that the ditches were located some way from occupation. The series of parallel ditches aligned north-east to south west, which previously identified during the evaluation, probably represent the long-lived rear tenement boundaries of properties fronting Chancery Lane. The small but securely stratified pottery assemblage dated to the Saxo-Norman period. Faunal evidence suggests a typically varied urban diet including cattle, sheep/got and pig supplemented by fishing. Fish remains included an eel vertebra, a freshwater fish bone and fish scales. Free-threshing wheat and small quantities of spelt wheat were also recovered. The spelt wheat is likely to represent residual Roman material.
A large ditch identified in the north-eastern part of the site was undated but contained large quantities of rubble. Cartographic evidence suggests that the medieval motte and bailey castle lies immediately adjacent to the site and it is possible that this feature rpresents the castle moat.

<1> Peachey M., 2013, Archaeological Evaluation on Land at 15 Chancery Lane, Thrapston, Northamptonshire (Report). SNN109001.

<2> Kipling, R, 2022, Archaeological strip, map and sample excavation on land to the rear of 15 and 15A Chancery Lane, Thrapston, Northamptonshire (Report). SNN114185.

Record last edited

Oct 7 2022 10:15AM