Monument record 2851/2 - Iron Age and Roman settlement and Saxon cemetery

Archaeological excavation ahead of access road construction identified an Iron Age boundary ditch and two foci of Roman settlement including evidence of pottery production. A Saxon cemetery comprising eight cremation burials and two probable inhumation burials was also found.

{1} Archaeological works associated with the construction of a new National Grid electricty substation and access road comprised a strip, map and sample mitigation of the access road strip and monitoring of two trenches housing the substation earthing cable array. Archaeological evidence of prehistoric to post-medieval activity was identified on the access road. A single possible prehistoric pit was found. An Iron Age boundary ditch, which had been recut multiple times, was identified. To the south were a series of linear features on perpendicular alignments which may be part of a field system; although most of the features were undated, several were dated to the early Roman period. Two foci of Roman activity were noted which included a series of pits, the possible rake-out of a kiln, curvilinear gullies and later features which in some cases truncated the earlier field system. Dating evidence suggests that the Roman activity persisted into the 4th century. There was an early medieval cemetery comprising eight confirmed cremation burials and one confirmed but badly truncated inhumation burial. There was a probable second grave cut which contained numerous grave goods but no burial.

<1> Townend, P, 2022, Braybrooke NG Substation, Braybrooke, Northamptonshire: Archaeological strip, map and sample and archaeological monitoring (watching brief): Assessment of the archaeological results, https://doi.org/10.5284/1110133 (Report). SNN114525.

Record last edited

Feb 25 2025 7:12PM