Monument record 1301/0/182 - Early Middle Saxon Settlement, Raunds Furnells

Part of the wider Raunds Furnells excavation. The early-middle Saxon settlement comprised a large number of small features such as postholes, pits and hollows, which were scattered across the whole of the excavation area without any apparent boundaries. There was a lack of secure dating along with minimal stratification.

{1} The earliest phase of occupation identified during the Raunds Furnells excavations was an early-middle Saxon settlement comprising a large number of small features such as postholes, pits and hollows, which were distributed across the whole site without any apparent boundaries.
The settlement probably comprised a loose grouping of several small post-built halls, although no complete building plans were recovered. There was a sunken featured building in the north-west part of the site (and another possibly associated SFB at the northern end of the Langham Road excavations). Between the two were numerous features, but only a few could be assigned to specific activities. There was small-scale cultivation in the central area and a drying or malting oven to the south. A large amount of ferrous slag and a hearth bottom indicates that iron smithing was carried out on the eastern part of the site.
The recovery of over 11000 sherds of early-middle Saxon pottery shows that it was a domestic settlement of considerable scale and duration.

{1-3} The first phase of the site dates to around 450-650AD when a series of small post-holes, pits and hollows were evident along with early to mid Saxon pottery assemblages. The features have been interpreted as representing between 4 and 5 timber halls, a sunken featured building (or Grubenhaus) and a corn drying oven. Clay lined pits containing hearth debris were also present. Notable finds included pig-fibula pin, a heavy clay spindle-whorl and a bone weaving pick. Charcoal from the pits has been carbon dated to approximately 540-690 cal AD with some confidence.

<1> Audouy M.; Chapman A., 2009, Raunds, The Origin and Growth of A Midland Village, AD 450-1500 (Excavations in North Raunds 1997-87), p.63-66 (part checked) (Report). SNN106414.

<2> BODDINGTON A.; ET AL, 1996, Raunds Furnells: The Anglo-Saxon church and churchyard, 7 (Report). SNN69684.

<3> Stocker, D, 2006, England's Landscapes: The East Midlands, p. 221-2 (Book). SNN116286.

Record last edited

Feb 5 2025 7:36PM