Monument record 3984/0/1 - Early Roman rectilinear enclosure, east of Desborough Road

Geophysical survey and trial trenching identified an isolated Roman enclosure with three pits to the east, dated to the early to late 1st century AD.

{1} Immediately east of Desborough Road, opposite the health centre, the survey has detected a set of linear anomalies representing a substantial part of a rectilinear ditched enclosure. Within this there are two small positive anomalies which could represent pits or small burnt features.

{2} The Roman activity was focussed at the eastern end of the site, and in the fields beyond the Desborough Road. An irregular enclosure identified by the geophysical survey was confirmed by trial trenching. The enclosure ditch seen in Trenches 76 and 77, was 0.94-2.05m wide by 0.46-0.79m deep, U-shaped to the south and east, but becoming more steeply sided to the west, where [7709] cut through an earlier, steeply V-shaped gully cut on the same alignment. Pottery from the fills dated to the mid-1st century AD. Other finds included animal bone, brick and tile fragments.

Within the enclosure three sub-circular pits were exposed, all of which had ash- and charcoal-rich fills containing mid-1st century AD Roman pottery and animal bone. Pit [7605] had gently curving sides with a broad base, 1.60m wide 0.40m deep. Pit [7719] had a similar profile, 1.53m wide by 0.89m deep. The upper fill consisted of a distinct dumped layer of ironstone not local to the area. Samples from fills produced charred cereal grain and weed seeds. Pit [7714] was steep sided with a flat base, 1.98m wide by 0.41m deep.

<1> Walford, J., 2015, Archaeological geophysical survey of land north of Rothwell, Northamptonshire October 2015 (Report). SNN110416.

<2> Jarvis, A., 2015, Trial trench evaluation north of Rothwell, Northamptonshire October 2015, p. 15 (Report). SNN110415.

Record last edited

Jun 15 2021 4:02PM