Monument record 181 - Early Saxon Settlement, Booth Rise

Archaeological investigation in 2012 and 2013 identified a sunken-featured building and possible track. It is most likely to be part of a wider settlement mostly lying beyond the development area.

{1} Archaeological excavation was undertaken of land at Booth Rise in 2012 and 2013. There was no known use of the area for about 300 years following abandonment of the Romano-British enclosures [HER No 5102]. Then in the early Saxon period a sunken featured building was constructed towards the south-east corner of the excavated area. This building was likely to be part of a wider settlement mostly lying beyond the development area.
The building was sub-square, roughly 3m x 3m and 0.45m deep. It had two opposing postholes, centrally positioned in the east and west sides. Pottery dated to the early C6th AD was found in one of the postholes and from the final fill of the main building. No post-built structures were recorded in the immediate area. Little environmental material was recovered except for charcoal. However part of a field vole jaw indicated that the landscape nearby was rough ungrazed grassland. The presence of immature frog bones indicates areas of standing water nearby. Parts of 3 or 4 antlers had been placed in the upper part of the backfill, two of which were carefully placed side by side.

A linear spread of domestic debris and silt in a very shallow hollow 25m to the north-west of the sunken-featured building might have been the remains of a track leading to the structure.

<1> Muldowney L., 2013, Archaeological Excavation at Booth Rise, Northampton: Assessment Report and Updated Project Design, p.28 (checked) (Report). SNN109176.

<2> Muldowney L., 2015, Archaeological excavation on land at Booth Rise, Northampton September 2012 to January 2013 (Report). SNN110310.

Record last edited

Jul 16 2019 12:34PM