Monument record 4862/0/3 - Probably Iron Age stock enclosure

{1} The segmented boundary (HER ref 3655/0/2) was replaced by an L-shaped segmented ditch enclosing an area that extended to the north and west of the development area. The south east corner of this enclosure was sited directly over the terminal of the earlier boundary. There was a 3-4m wide entrance through the southern arm. Towards the northern limit of the development area there was a linear ditch on the samle alignment which might have formed an internal subdivision. The relatively unmodified nature of the fills of the ditches indicates that these modifications may have taken place over a short period of time.
No finds were recovered but the features were thought to be prehistoric because of the leached fills and absence of artefacts commonly found in features of this nature dating from the late Iron Age onwards.
The arrangement of these ditches strongly suggests that they were designed for the management of stock. As the ditches were narrow and shallow it is likely that they would have functioned in conjunction with hedges to form more permanent and substantial boundaries.
Environmental evidence suggests that these features were set some distance from the focus of domestic occupation or agricultural practice.

<1> Muldowney M., 2013, Archaeological Excavation on Land North of Kettering Road, Walgrave, Northamptonshire October to November 2013, p.7,12 (checked) (Report). SNN109457.

Record last edited

Apr 16 2014 12:46PM