Monument record 4590/0/2 - Possible Iron Age Ditched Enclosures/Trackway

{1} Positive anomalies of clear archaeological origin have been identified; they form two enclosures with an associated linear. Their irregular form suggests that they may have a possible prehistoric date, probably forming animal enclosures or a small farmstead.

{2} A north-south linear cut was observed for almost 12.5m. It was 0.85m wide x 0.64m deep, with very steep sides and a concave base. The ditch was interpreted as a post medieval/modern field boundary running parallel to the surviving field boundary 86m to the west. [HER note: however, early OS maps show no such boundary at this location, and it should therefore be considered that the excavated feature is the western boundary to the possible enclosure identified by geophysical survey.]
At the southern end of Trench 8 was a ditch with a re-cut. The earlier ditch was at least 1m wide x 0.5m deep, with irregular sides, almost vertical to the south, but more gently sloping to the north. This was re-cut by a much shallower ditch with more gently sloping sides. It was 1.3m wide x up to 0.35m deep. The fill of the re-cut contained sherds of Iron Age pottery. The cut of the re-cut gradually petered out to the north and the indistinct horizons between fills suggests that there may have been an area of trampling or the base of a former bank.
Two further parallel ditches were picked up in the north of the trench, although not noted as continuing into Trench 7. The southernmost ditch was 0.6m wide x 0.65m deep with a concave base and irregular sides, almost vertical to the north and undercutting to the south. That to the north was 0.65m wide x 0.35m deep with a roughly V-shaped profile. [HER note: the ditches appear to coincide with those interpreted from the geophysical survey.]
Conclusion suggests that the enclosures picked up in the geophysical survey were not verified by the trial trenching and therefore may represent a ditched track or droveway (with note re. coincidence of the supposed adjacent Romano-British road).

<1> Jefferson, N., 2013, Land at Hanslope Road, Hartwell, Northamptonshire: Geophysical Survey (Stage 1), p.3 (checked) (Report). SNN109460.

<2> Murray L., 2014, Archaeological Evaluation on Land at Hanslope Road, Hartwell, Northamptonshire, p.5-6+8-9 (checked) (Report). SNN109825.

Record last edited

Dec 6 2024 10:26AM