Monument record 2350/1 - Probable Iron Age and Roman settlement, Stanton Cross

Archaeological investigation prior to development has revealed a multi-period site dominated by an enclosed middle-late Iron Age settlement which comprised multiple ring-ditches, small enclosures and pit groups enclosed on the western and southern sides by ditches. The eastern side of the settlement appears to have been bounded by a swale. Following the abandonment of the settlement, a rectilinear field system was established in the Roman period and likely formed part of the agricultural hinterland of the nearby town at Irchester.

{1} Archaeological geophysical survey undertaken in 2019 in advance of flood relief works identified an agglomeration of small enclosures, roundhouses and pits probably comprising the remains of an Iron Age settlement, whilst a more regularly arranged set of rectangular enclosures is more likely to be Roman in date.
The putative Iron Age remains are focussed around a sub-circular enclosure, c35m across, which encompasses a smaller and less regularly shaped enclosure. To the south of this are three penannular anomalies with south-east facing gaps which are very likely to mark the sites of roundhouses. Elsewhere there are at least six small and irregularly rounded enclosures. One of these has a particularly broad anomaly which may indicate it to have been a long-lived feature with a ditch that was repeatedly re-cut.
The putative Roman remains have a regular layout suggestive of a planned site, and their relatively weak magnetic signatures suggest they may be part of a field system or other lightly-occupied enclosures on the periphery of a settlement. There is one large enclosure or field, c100m across, and a part of a second large enclosure extending to its east. Within this area two much smaller enclosures, each c10-15m across, are also present.

{2} Sixteen trenches targeted archaeological remains previously identified by geophysical survey. The evaluation recorded an area of middle to late Iron Age ditches, enclosures and pits, as well as a series of late Iron Age enclosures.

{3} An Iron Age or Roman settlement enclosure is visible as a cropmark on aerial photographs and was mapped as part of the Bedford Borough NMP project. A square enclosure located at SP 92579 67483 measures about 14metres across, and is surrounded by a larger curvilinear enclosure about 32metres in diameter. A possible associated linear ditch is also visible extending from the square enclosure.

{4} Trial trench excavation confirmed the results of the aerial photography and geophysical survey. The group of features identified by the investigation originated in the 3rd century BC as an agglomerated settlement comprising enclosures, ditches, pits and probable round house ring ditches surrounding a double-ditched enclosure. In the late Iron Age the settlement was radically transformed to comprise a series of rectilinear and square enclosures. Further ditches were identified to the west of the main area of the settlement but it was not clear how they were associated (if at all).

A single burial was also identified but not excavated. A significant number of pieces of worked flint were found as residual artefacts in the Iron Age features. The majority of the assembage was of a Neolithic date and mainly comprised flakes and blades.

{6} Archaeological excavation identified a multi-period site. The earliest evidence of activity comprised two isolated Neolithic pits. Most of a Mildenhall bowl was found inverted in one of the pits and body and rim sherds of a Mortlake bowl were found in the other. Further sherds of Mortlake bolw were also found in an Iron Age feature. A large quantity of worked flint was also recovered as residual finds in later features. A single Bronze Age cremation burial within an early Bronze Age collared urn was found in the north-west corner of the mitigation area. The fill of the urn also contained worked flints including a plano-convex knife. The earliest evidence of Iron Age settlement can be dated to the 3rd century BC. The settlement was bounded by a series of gullies and ditches that formed the western and southern sides of the settlement. A palaeochannel formed the eastern boundary. Three enclosures, six ring ditches and four pit groups were identified within the enclosed area; the enclosures were confined to the northern part of the settlement, while the ring ditches and pit groups were spread across the whole length of the settlement. A second phase of settlement, during the 1st century BC, saw the development of further enclosures, ring ditches and pit groups. During the late Iron Age/early Roman phase, the long-lived boundary ditches, the dispersed enclosures and ring ditches were abandoned. Five larger and deeper ring ditches were established, often a direct recut of the earlier forms. Each ring ditch was individually enclosed. Following the abandonment of the middle Iron Age settlement, the site became part of the wider hinterland of the Roman town at nearby Irchester with the creation of a rectilinear field system. A single sunken-featured building (SFB) was located in the northern part of the mitigation area. No finds were recovered.

<1> Walford, J, 2019, Archaeological geophysical survey of Flood Relief Zone 5, Stanton Cross, Wellingborough (Report). SNN112418.

<2> Crank, N. (Editor), 2020, South Midlands Archaeology (50), p. 89-90 (Journal). SNN112426.

<3> Oblique Aerial Photograph, NHC 16676/4 29-JUL-1996 (Aerial Photograph(s)). SNN111738.

<4> Douthwaite, A, 2019, Archaeological trial trench evaluation at Stanton Cross, Flood Relief Area 5, Wellingborough, Northamptonshire, October 2019 (Report). SNN112786.

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

<6> Douthwaite, A, 2021, Archaeological mitigation works at Stanton Cross Flood Relief Area 5 Wellingborough, Northamptonshire January-October 2020: Post-Excavation Assessment and Updated Project Design (Report). SNN112568.

<7> Bedford Borough Council HER, Undated, Bedford Borough NMP, MD003015 (Archive). SNN113023.

Record last edited

Jun 6 2024 3:36PM