Monument record 7797/0/9 - Late Iron Age-early Roman subrectangular ditched enclosure

A three-sided ditched enclosure with the fourth side possibly initially formed by a former stream channel.

{1} Detailed survey has confirmed the presence of a concentration of ditch and pit type anomalies in the southwest of this field. The data are dominated by a very strong rectangular enclosure, 25m by 35m, in the northeast of the survey with a possible entrance to the west. The strength of the responses suggest that remains associated with domestic or small scale industrial activity may be present. All three enclosures are all aligned approximately NE-SW.

{2} The SE corner of rectangular Enclosure D was examined. Ditch 0.68m deep, cutting a linear gully which contained 3 sherds of middle/late Iron Age pottery. The primary fill of the enclosure ditch contained 2 sherds of Iron Age and 2 sherds of C1st-2nd Romano-British pottery. The secondary fill contained 53 sherds of C1st-2nd Romano-British pottery together with 39 fragments of daub.

{3} The earliest enclosure ditch was only visible to the south and within the entrance formed by the terminals of a later enclosure ditch. The later ditch was up to 3.30m wide and 1.42m deep. In the Roman period the enclosure was redefined on the northern and eastern sides and a well and pit were excavated. The well was circular had an internal diameter of 0.82m and was 6.40m deep. It was made of roughly coursed limestone slabs and there were holes in the stonework near the top which may have supported a timber framework. It was probably abandoned by the late 2nd to early 3rd century AD.

<1> Ovenden-Wilson S.M., 1997, Grange Park, Northampton, (part checked) (Report). SNN105401.

<2> Thomas A., 1998, Grange Park, Courteenhall, Northamptonshire: Archaeological Evaluation, (part checked) (Report). SNN44028.

<3> Jones L.; Woodward A.; Buteux S., 2006, Iron Age, Roman and Saxon Occupation at Grange Park: Excavations at Courteenhall, Northamptonshire, 1999, p. 60 (Series). SNN105830.

Record last edited

Sep 23 2016 10:24AM