Monument record 726/4/24 - Possible Romano-British & Medieval Town Ditch

{1} Trenches 14 to 16 revealed tentative evidence for a substantial ditch, possibly the Roman and medieval town ditch, extending across the middle of the car park next to the old mill building and mill leat. However, because of flooding, the presence of an underground fuel tank and the lack of space for the storage of excavated spoil investigation was limited and it was not possible to confirm conclusively the presence of the ditch, nor establish its extent and profile.
Within Trench 15 the ditch was aligned north-west to south-east and measured over 2.7m wide x 1.6m deep; the south-western side of the ditch was truncated by a modern pit containing a large steel fuel tank, so the full profile of the ditch could not be determined. Investigation was severely hampered by groundwater but it was possible to establish that against the slope of the ditch there was a stony slump over which was deposited dark grey, almost black waterlogged organic silt. This was sealed by a a silty clay containing a sherd of C13th to C14th pottery. The uppermost fills of the ditch were characteristic of natural silting and soil accumulation and there was no evidence for deliberate backfilling. Sherds of both Roman and medieval pottery were recovered form these deposits.
More details are given of the evidence within Trenches 14-16.

<1> Carlyle S., 2012, Moat Lane Regeneration, Towcester, Northamptonshire: Archaeological Evaluation, p.14-15 (checked) (Report). SNN109163.

Record last edited

Jan 7 2015 6:30PM