Monument record 472/0/29 - Medieval settlement and post-medieval boundaries, Daventry Road

Archaeological investigation revealed evidence of medieval agricultural activity dating to the 11th century. Subsequently, at least one one property was established on the site, occupied by probable cob-built structures, during the 12th century. The site appears to have been abandoned in the 14th century, although boundary ditches were maintained until the 17th century.

{1}The magnetometer survey identified a set of parallel linear features in the northern part of the survey area. These have been tentatively interpreted as a set of medieval or post-medieval property boundaries extending back from the road frontage. A less coherent set of features in the north-western field corner are very poorly diagnostic but could conceivably indicate an area of former settlement.

{2} Trial trench excavation was undertaken. Trench 1 contained two ditches at its northern end, and a small extension was made to the trench to further delineate these features.The relationship between the two ditches was not established within the trenching carried out, the two ditches would appear to converge immediately to the west.

Trench 2 contained a number of linear ditches which appear to represent medieval plot or field boundaries. The northern end of Trench 2 contained a complex series of ditches and pits which necessitated the excavation of a small extension to the trench to understand them better. It was however not possible to firmly establish the stratigraphic sequence.
Trench 3 was located in the north-east of the field, and found to contain two ditches neither of which it was possible to fully excavated due to the depth of the trench.
Trench 4 was located in order to investigate extant earthworks identified in the topographical survey. These comprised a bank and partially filled ditch aligned north to south for about 30m, in the south turning c.90 degrees to the east where they extended a further 30m.
It should be noted that Trenches 6 and 7 which were cut to investigate other similar earthworks exposed only modern dumped material, probably from construction of the M45.
The bank and ditch earthworks identified by the topographical survey were dated to the post medieval period on the basis of the ditch fill, though their construction may pre-date this period. Their alignment is broadly comparable to earlier medieval remains to the north. The earthworks appear to represent part of an enclosure, the larger part of which has been levelled/filled in.

{3} An open-area excavation was undertaken. The Saxo-Norman period witnessed the establishment of a network of ditches likely related to the initial setting out of the southern village boundary to Kilsby and associated field system. The system was dominated by the southern boundary ditch, which appears to have been maintained throughout the medieval period. It was accompanied by a network of smaller intercutting linear features during the 12th and 13th centuries likely defining fields and/or stock enclosures.

Three structures, probably cob-built with stone footings constructed on earth and rubble platforms, were identified, which probably originated in the mid 13th century. The best preserved comprised a probable medieval longhouse measuring c10m x 5m with two principal rooms divided by a central cross-passage. The eastern room probably comprised the living quarters as it had a central hearth set in a beaten earth floor. The western room lacked any identifiable features except for a crushed limestone floor and associated (possibly earlier) clay floor which produced iron smithing debris. Ceramic hearth lining material was also recovered from floor indicating that this structure was probably directly linked to iron smithing activity. Although the foundations were of limestone, the low quantity of demolition rubble may indicate the superstructure was predominately cob. Ceramic evidence suggests a short-lived period of occupation/use perhaps spanning 50 years in the mid to late 13th century.
The second building was also constructed on a raised platform of dark greyish material containing mid-late 13th and 14th century pottery. Only fragmentary walls survived. At the western end was a stone-lined hearth and flanking wall which likely represented a collapsed flue and/or hearth lining. A third possible building lay directly to the west separated from building 2 by a 2.5m wide empty space, possibly a yard or alleyway.

The structures were associated with a complex network of village ditches dominated by the main southern ditch. Four kiln bases or hearths and a possible four-post structure were also identified at the south-east edge of the close/field ditch complex.

Occupation appears to have effectively ceased by the early 15th century; a large pond appears to have developed during this period in the south-west area; a single sherd of pottery suggesting a 15th/16th century date.

<1> Walford, J., 2014, Archaeological geophysical survey at Daventry Road, Kilsby, Northamptonshire, April 2014, p.3 (Report). SNN110039.

<2> Chinnock C., 2014, Trial Trench Evaluation on Land Off Daventry Road, Kilsby, Northamptonshire, September 2014, p.6+15 (checked) (Report). SNN109951.

<3> Kipling, R., 2017, An Archaeological Excavation on Land at Daventry Road, Kilsby, Northamptonshire, 2017 (Report). SNN110936.

<4> Crank, N. (Editor), 2017, South Midlands Archaeology (47), p. 51 (Journal). SNN111362.

Record last edited

Mar 30 2020 9:59AM