Monument record 8368/4 - Site of probable Iron Age/Romano-British enclosures, land north of West Haddon

In 2013 geophysical survey and trial trench excavation identified enclosures and ring ditches of Iron Age date or earlier. Further archaeological inestigation in fields to the west in 2014 identified further rectilinear enclosures and trackways. Only very few finds were recovered from any of the features.

{1} Geophysical survey of an area 5.3ha.The results have identified the presence of enclosures, a ring ditch of probable Bronze Age date and field boundaries.

{2} Geophysical survey identified a series of linear anomalies over three fields. Two parallel linear ditches have been identified on a north-west to south-east alignment that extend north-west out of the survey area. These were identified in the previous survey and subsequent excavations as a road. Either side of the road, to the south and to the north, rectilinear and square enclosures are aligned at right angles. A similar arrangement was identified by the previous survey to the west. In the east, a second pair of parallel linear ditches was identified and indicates the presence of a second road. It is aligned north-east to south-west. Further east of the road, square and rectilinear enclosures are aligned at right angles to the road. Internal features maybe visible within these enclosures.

{3} Trial trench excavation undertaken in 2013 identified a number of boundary/enclosure ditches and two probable ring ditches, one a possible double ring ditch. Small quantities of Iron Age pottery were recovered from one of the ring ditches and one of the encloure ditches. The poor quality and limited numbers of artefacts recovered from the features suggest that the identified archaeological features are located some distance away from contemporary settlement.

{4} The area of archaeological features extends approximately 70m by 75m, as defined by the geophysical anomalies. They could comprise enclosures and converging trackways associated with the Iron Age / Romano-British settlement identified previously along the route of the bypass, c. 100m to the NNW of the site. Subsequent trial trench excavation confirmed the results of the survey. Trenches 7 and 8 together contained four ditches, which corresponded to geophysical anomalies defining an element of rectilinear enclosure and a more substantial linear boundary. Only a very few sherds of abraded pottery were recovered.

<1> Clements P., 2013, Archaeological Geophysical Survey on land north of West Haddon, Northamptonshire, September 2013 (Report). SNN109922.

<2> Fisher I., 2013, Archaeological Geophysical Survey of land north-west of West Haddon, Northamptonshire, February 2013 (Report). SNN109923.

<3> Starke, W, 2013, Land off Guilsborough Road, West Haddon, Northamptonshire: Archaeological Field Evaluation (Report). SNN111364.

<4> Starke, W and Barker, B, 2014, Land at Victoria Close, West Haddon, Northamptonshire: Archaeological Trial Trenching (Report). SNN111363.

<5> Horne, B (editor), 2015, South Midlands Archaeology (45), p. 35 (Journal). SNN111358.

Record last edited

Feb 25 2025 8:18PM