Monument record 4798/0/1 - Medieval settlement remains

One of two areas of medieval settlement identified as part of an archaeological evaluation. Substantial structural remains, including walls, surfaces together with possible robber trenches were associated with large quantities of medieval pottery and decorative roof tile.

{1} Reference to closes in 1723

{2} 4 small closes in 1768

{3} 4 small closes in 1830

{4} In the north of Trench 13 were two linear features that would have converged just west of the excavated area. One, aligned north-east to south-west was 1.25m wide x 0.32m deep, the other aligned north-west to south-east was 0.88m wide x 0.25m deep. Both features had steep, near vertical sides and flat bases, and similar fills with sandy clay and small to medium limestone fragments. It is likely that they represent the bases of robbed out walls. The surrounding occupation deposits contained pottery contemporary with that found elsewhere within the trench.
The features are likely to represent the robbed out foundations of further walls.

In the southern part of Trench 13 was the footprint of a building represented by a north-south wall abutting an east-west aligned wall. Both were of limestone construction and c.0.6m wide, roughly coursed with no signs of bonding, and roughly faced to the exterior with a rubble core.
To the west of and abutting the north-south wall was an area of limestone blocks and fragments laid to a flat surface. The south side was not enclosed by a wall and the surface may therefore have been an exterior hard-standing. The surface was covered by loose platy limestone pieces likely to have derived from wall collapse. This rubble contained C13th to C14th pottery.
Parallel to the east-west running wall was a robbed out wall cut, again c.0.6m wide. A partially metalled surface lay to both sides of this wall, which contained many sherds of broken ceramic roof tiles of C12th/C13th origin, and including an almost entire ridge tile with the impression of a decorative finial.
Trench 13 contained a building footprint with relatively substantial walls. The quantity of C13th to C15th pottery and ridge tile suggests that this building had a domestic rather than agricultural function.

{5} As a result of the small areas surveyed, landscape-scale features could not easily be identified, however, smaller scale features were recognisable within both areas, the majority of likely archaeological features being represented by high-resistance anomalies strongly suggestive of structures, masonry or brick walls and/or possible spreads of demolition debris. The overall character of the anomalies strongly suggests the presence of substantial structures.

<1> 1723, Map of Hartwell, (unchecked) (Map). SNN26410.

<2> 1768, Map of Hartwell (NRO Map G440), (unchecked) (Map). SNN26408.

<3> 1830, Map of Hartwell, (unchecked) (Map). SNN26412.

<4> Murray L., 2014, Archaeological Evaluation on Land at Hanslope Road, Hartwell, Northamptonshire, p.6-8 (checked) (Report). SNN109825.

<5> Johnson P., 2014, Hartwell, Hanslope Road, Northamptonshire: Report on Geophysical Suvey Conducted in April 2014, p.12 (checked) (Report). SNN109826.

Record last edited

May 17 2022 9:51AM