Monument record 3712/0/1 - Probable Iron Age hollow way and Roman field system, north of Braybrooke Road

Geophysical survey and trial trench excavation identified a wide shallow feature interpreted as a hollow way. Ten sherds of late Iron Age pottery were recovered from the feature. Eight ditches, all aligned north-south/east-west, may have formed part of a field system. Though undated, one of the ditches truncated the hollow way while they were all earlier than the ridge and furrow system, suggesting they may have been Roman.

{2} Archaeological geophysical survey of 13.57ha of land identified only limited evidence of archaeological remains including a well-defined circular ditch in the south-east of the site, an isolated ditch-type feature and a possible group of pits.

{3} Archaeological trial trench evaluation revealed an absence of archaeological features across much of the site. The potential ring ditch identified during the geophysical survey was not found; the anomalies may have originated from probable modern deposits of no archaeological significance. The ditch-type feature was identified in three trenches and is likely to be a hollow way, aligned east-west, dated by a small amount of pottery to the late Iron Age. Eight further ditches, all aligned north-south/east-west were identified in the area around the hollow way. The ditches were undated, although one cut the hollow way and all were earlier than the ridge and furrow. The ditches may be part of a Roman field system located some distance from settlement.

<1> Pegasus Group, 2018, Land off Braybrooke Road, Desborough: Archaeology and built heritage assessment (Report). SNN111766.

<2> Bunn, D., 2018, Archaeological Geophysical Survey: Land off Braybrooke Road, Desborough, Northamptonshire (Report). SNN111767.

<3> Mumford, J., 2019, Land off Braybrooke Road, Desborough, Northamptonshire: Archaeological Evaluation Report (Report). SNN111765.

<3> Oxford Archaeology (South), 2022, Site Data from an Evaluation at Land off Braybrooke Road, Desborough, Northamptonshire March 2019, https://doi.org/10.5284/1090407 (Digital archive). SNN112990.

<4> Crank, N. (Editor), 2020, South Midlands Archaeology (50), p. 91 (Journal). SNN112426.

Record last edited

Feb 25 2025 7:45PM