Monument record 8019/1 - Probable Roman roadside settlement, Bell Plantation

Archaeological investigation on land at the Bell Plantation identified evidence of Roman roadside development north of the town at Towcester (Lactodorum). Early boundary ditches were replaced by a trackway leading off Watling Street at right angles. A possible building lay to the north of the track and a well or watering hole lay to the south, later replaced by a possible enclosure. A prone burial may have been Roman or Saxon in date. Further burials and cremations were found during subsequent phases of excavation. Geophysical survey and trial trench evaluation on land to the north has identified a number of rectilinear enclosures and field systems, as well as possible trackways linking different enclosures with the focus of activity dating between the 1st and 3rd centuries.

{1} A single trial trench excavated in 2019 identified a number of ditches and pits. The ditches were generally aligned north to south or north-west to south-east and may be property boundaries or enclosures along the eastern side of Watling Street, representing extramural settlement to the north of Towcester. A probable inhumation, which was situated in a pit cutting one of the ditches, was partially exposed, but left in situ. A large feature, which was not excavated, was interpreted as a possible well. The pottery from the features has a tight chronological range within the mid to late 2nd century AD and none of the features appeared to have been recut suggesting that this phase of activity was relatively short-lived.

{2} Subsequent excavation, also undertaken in 2019. The sequence of activity was further refined with a late Iron Age early Roman boundary ditch which was then redefined during the early Roman period. To the north-east were a series of quarry pits. Later a routeway was created which appears to have led off at right angles from Watling Street. A series of postholes to the north may denote a former building and a waterhole/well lay to the south. A notable quantity of finds, including pottery dating to the latter half of the 2nd century AD, was recovered from this feature. The last activity prior to abandonment in the 4th century was a possible ditched enclosure. There were no internal features. The prone burial, which was identified during the previous phase of fieldwork, was excavated, but no dating evidence was found. It was of a male and may be most likely to be Roman or Saxon.

{3} Further archaeological investigation was undertaken immediately to the east of the earlier excavation in advance of the installation of a ground source heat pump. Archaeological activity dated from the late Iron Age through to the 3rd century AD, with a focus during the early Roman period. Several features, including the enclosure ditch, found in the 2019 excavation were found to continue east into this area of excavation. Thirteen burials and two cremations were also found with all but one in the north-east corner of the site. One of the adults showed evidence of heavy manual labour and two of the inhumations were in a prone [face downwards] position, possibly evidence of the 'dangerous' dead, such as criminals.

{6, 7} Geophysical survey and trial trench excavation identified a number of probable rectilinear enclosures and field systems, as well as possible trackways linking different enclosures to the north of the Bell Plantation. A scatter of pits was also identified. The majority of the pottery recovered from the features dated between the 1st and 3rd centuries. In the south-west part of the site, a human skull and parts of two cremation vessels had been dumped into a ditch, possibly from elsewhere.

<1> Wolframm-Murray Y., 2019, Archaeological trial trench evaluation at Bell Plantation, Towcester, Northamptonshire, February 2019 (Report). SNN111599.

<2> Douthwaite, A, & Wolframm-Murray, Y, 2019, Archaeological excavation, recording and analysis at Bell Plantation, Towcester, Northamptonshire, April 2019 (Report). SNN112029.

<3> Crank, N. (Editor), 2020, South Midlands Archaeology (50), p. 88 (Journal). SNN112426.

<4> Leigh, D, 2022, Archaeological observation, investigation and recording report: Unit 26-28, Bell Plantation, Watling Street, Towcester, Northamptonshire (Report). SNN113000.

<5> Wolframm-Murray, Y, 2021, Archaeology in Northamptonshire 2019, p. 469 (Note). SNN113025.

<6> Evershed R., 2021, Archaeological evaluation report: geophysical survey by magnetometry on Alban Mann Land, Bell plantation, Towcester, Northamptonshire (Report). SNN114714.

<7> Ward, I and Scruby, A, 2022, Alban Mann Land, The Bell Plantation Garden Centre, Towcester, Northamptonshire: Archaeological Evaluation, https://doi.org/10.5284/1112495 (Report). SNN114595.

<8> Allen Archaeology, 2023, Digital Archive from a Geophysical Survey by Magnetometry on Alban Mann Land, Bell Plantation, Towcester, Northamptonshire, April 2021, https://doi.org/10.5284/1112996 (Digital archive). SNN115689.

<9> Allen Archaeology, 2023, Digital Archive from an Archaeological Scheme of Works at Unit 26-28, The Bell Plantation, Watling Street, Towcester, Northamptonshire 2020, https://doi.org/10.5284/1116723 (Digital archive). SNN116201.

Record last edited

Feb 25 2025 8:09PM