Monument record 3776/2/7 - Site of late Iron Age/Roman and early-middle Saxon occupation, Dale's Lodge

Archaeological excavation prior to housing development was undertaken over a number of years investigating an area of late Iron Age/Roman activity and later Anglo-Saxon settlement. Throughout the Iron Age and Roman phases the area contained only certain elements of a larger farmstead, notably focussing on the processing and storage of cereal surpluses during the late Iron Age/Roman transition, while the subsequent phase represented a Romanised arrangement of stock enclosures/trackways and wells. A semi-subterranean, stone-lined building dated to the Iron Age/Roman period may have been used for grain processing and storage; a group of querns was found in situ on the floor. Settlement activity ceased during the 2nd century AD. Later activity was represented by three sunken-featured buildings dating to the Anglo-Saxon period reflecting the dispersed nature of most settlements of this date.

{2} There was a large ditch in trench 15, which appeared to correlate to a sub-rectangular enclosure ditch on the geophysical plot. This ditch also contained pottery sherds dating to the Iron Age. In Trench 13, the excavated ditch can be seen to relate to a large sub-rectangular enclosure. The pottery dates these ditches from the late 1st century into the 2nd century AD.

{3} A small excavation was undertaken in 2012 on land to the east of Dale's Lodge and to the south of a larger excavation which had revealed extensive Iron Age and Roman occupation. In the late Iron Age there was an expansion of activity into this area south of the slade. It comprised an east to west segmented, narrow, shallow ditch, associated with three post holes on the northern side and a ditch and its replacement running perpendicular to it on the southern side. The arrangement of features suggests paddocks or fields with off-set entrances, and a possible fence line to create a more robust boundary.
Enclosure 9, a small enclosure, was located in Area 1 South and was probably rectangular in plan and had an east facing entrance. It appears to be contemporary with five ditches, aligned north to south, which may have formed part of a network of paddocks. Enclosure 9 and the paddocks were replaced by a large rectangular enclosure (E10). The full extent of this enclosure was identified during geophysical survey and the excavation recorded its north-western corner. The enclosure had been remodelled at least twice. There were two wells within Enclosure 10. Plant macrofossils recovered from one of the wells suggests that cereal processing was carried out nearby.

{4} Archaeological excavation undertaken between 2013 and 2015 investigated an area of c1.1ha immediately to the south of the 2012 MOLA excavation. The excavation revealed a multi-period settlement landscape spanning the late Iron Age/Roman transition to the early-mid Anglo-Saxon period.

The late Iron Age/Roman transition was chracterised by a partially enclosed landscape, comprising elements of at least three enclosures, ditched boundaries and a significant number of pits, including probable grain storage pits/granaries. There were nine discrete pit clusters predominantly distributed along an east-north-east to west-south-west axis. Also of significance were the well-preserved remains of a stone-lined semi-subterranean structure, the base of which contained a number of quern stones arranged in a T-shape as well as the remains of several large to massive storage containers. Charred cereal remains were abundant in this phase and the structure may have been used for the processing and storage of grain. Animal bone was dominated by cattle and sheep/goat.

During the early Roman period the landscape was reorganised, with excavation area becoming part of a more extensive, formally enclosed landscape thought to reflect increasing levels of Romanisation following the Conquest. At least ten rectilinear, ditched enclosures and elements of trackways were present within the excavation area. Forty three pits were associated with this phase, 11 of which were possible storage pits. Three wells were present in the enclosures. Settlement activity ceased during the second quarter of the 2nd century AD.

Three sunken-featured buildings, representing dispered early Saxon settlement, were also found. In the fill of one was a group of artefacts associated with the weaving of cloth.

<1> Bartlett A., 2009, Dale's Lodge Farm, Barton Seagrave, Northamptonshire: Report on Archaeogeophysical Survey 2009 (Report). SNN110385.

<2> Coates, G., 2009, Archaeological evaluation, trial trenching: Land off Polwell Lane, Barton Seagrave, Northamptonshire, 2009 (Report). SNN107899.

<3> Simmonds C. and Walker, C., 2014, Archaeological excavation on land at Polwell Lane, Barton Seagrave, Northamptonshire, August to December 2012: Assessment report and Updated Project Design, p. 24-25 (Report). SNN110075.

<4> Walker, J. & Mustchin, A., 2018, Land west of Polwell Lane (Field 3), Barton Seagrave, Northamptonshire: Archaeological excavation and investigation & recording: Research Archive report (Report). SNN111669.

Record last edited

Apr 24 2025 9:46AM