Monument record 5713/2 - Late Iron Age Settlement, south of Doddington Road

Archaeological investigation ahead of the construction of a new access road for HMP Wellingborough identified part of a probable field system and a later sub-rectangular enclosure. The remains probably date to the 1st century BC

{1} A geophysical survey was undertaken in 2018 on the proposed access route to HMP Wellingborough. It identified a possible ring ditch or circular enclosure and a possible boundary ditch aligned south-west to north-east and intersecting the ring ditch/enclosure to the south. Subsequent trial trench excavation confirmed the presence of the ring ditch. Nine sherds of middle Iron Age pottery and cattle bone were found in the ditch fill. Within the ring ditch was a pit containing fragments of burnt clay and a cattle radius with possible butchery marks. The boundary ditch was found to comprise two separate, but parallel, ditches clearly two phases of the same boundary. Three sherds of Iron Age pottery were recovered from one of the ditches.

{2} Archaeological excavation was undertaken prior to development. Two linear field boundaries, aligned north-east to south-west, extended across much of the site. One of the ditches appeared segmented. Pottery from the boundary ditches dated to the late Iron Age. The unbroken boundary ditch was truncated by a late Iron Age enclosure, which was of a more sub-rectangular form than was recognised during the earlier evaluation, although the western part remained outside the excavation area. That part within the excavation area was 22m long and 15m wide. There was an entrance in the southern arm. Apart from the pit identified during the evaluation, no other features lay within the enclosure. A small number of pits/postholes were scattered across the excavation area. The chronology of the site was refinded during the excavation to a period in the 1st century BC.

<1> Walford, J. & Clare, R., 2018, Archaeological geophysical survey and trial trench excavation of the new access to HMP Wellingborough, Northamptonshire, June and September 2018 (Report). SNN111610.

<2> Pennell, C. & Wolframm-Murray, Y., 2019, A programme of strip, map and record at HMP Wellingborough, New Access Road, Doddington Road, Wellingborough, Northamptonshire, January 2019 (Report). SNN111537.

<3> Crank, N. (Editor), 2020, South Midlands Archaeology (50), p. 89 (Journal). SNN112426.

Record last edited

Feb 26 2025 2:40PM