Monument record 4557 - Possible Iron Age/ Romano-British settlement, south of Pitsford Road

Cropmarks of enclosures and finds of Roman pottery suggested the site of a Roman settlement. Subsequent archaeological investigation, comprising geophysical survey and trial trench excavation, confirmed the presence of a rectilinear enclosure system, possible round-house ring ditches and pits. The course of an earlier pit alignment had been partially fossilised by one of the enclosure ditches. Pottery from the trial trench excavation was almost exclusively Iron Age in date.

{2} SP 775 668. A series of conjoined rectangular enclosures, some with interior features and one with a large number of pits. Interpretation is difficult owing to extensive frost-wedging in the area. Some Roman greyware found near a pipeline trench in 1967.

{5} SP 776 671 Rectangular enclosure found during 1967 using aerial photograph.

{6} This cluster of larger rectilinear enclosures are possibly paddocks or fields. The possible remains of round houses and clusters of pits associated with the fields or paddocks, although not necessarily contemporary, may indicate the presence of open settlement. A pit alignment is on the same alignment as one further to the west and may be part of a contiguous boundary. The pit alignments appear to be part of an ordered division of the land along the axis of the stream.

{7} Several regular patterns of anomalies with contrasting orientation appear to have defined enclosure systems. This would indicate that the area was used for a considerable period of time. The activity was thought to be pre-Roman as little pottery other than Iron Age material was recovered in the excavation. The focus of activity appeared to be in the eastern side of the land parcel with activity declining in intensity towards the slade in the west.

Two adjoining rectangular enclosures dominated much of the eastern side of the field and contained a number of significant anomalies. To the south and west of the two enclosures the system of rectangular enclosures containing ring ditches and areas of pits continued. However, in this area their definition was not as clear as it was to the east, and the orientation of some ditches from NNE to SSW seemed to be contrary to the wider system of enclosures, suggesting that they were bisected by, or bisected, a second system of ditches.
It is possible that the substantial feature identified at the southern end of the trench was the southern boundary of the rectilinear enclosure.
The substantial ditches in trench 16 probably define other elements of the rectilinear enclosure system.
Trench 15 identified a substantial recut ditch which may define the eastern boundary of the enclosure system. However, the intersection with an oblique ditch may indicate that the recut ditches were part of penannular enclosures identified in the geophysical survey.

Ring ditches, including two concentric ditches with a possible hearth at their centre.
A series of recut gullies probably defined part of one of the curving enclosures identified in the geophysical survey.

At least six well-defined pits were identified which probably corresponded to the geophysical anomalies. The pits were generally c.1m across, with the excavated examples being at least 0.4m deep with vertical sides. Sequential activity was indicated by a substantial V-shaped ditch which truncated a deep pit at least 0.5m deep with vertical sides.

{10} A low oblique air photograph, in the possession of R Hollowell shows a series of ditched enclosures and circles in an area centred to SP 7752 6689. Drainage and geological markings are also evident. The site is under pasture; no visible remains.

<1> Dawson M., 1999, Pitsford Quarry Environmental Impast Assessment: Desk Based Assessment of Archaeological Evidence August 1999, 4.3 (checked) (Draft). SNN105318.

<2> Royal Commission on The Historical Monuments of England, 1979, An Inventory of The Historical Monuments in The County of Northampton, p. 111/Site 5 (Series). SNN77380.

<3> Foard G, 1991, From Notebook to History, The Completion of The Project, (checked) (Lecture Notes). SNN105390.

<4> HOLLOWELL R., 1971, Aerial Photography and Fieldwork in the Upper Nene Valley, 6/16 (Journal). SNN106546.

<5> HOLLOWELL R., 1967, Air Photography in 1967, 2/32 (Journal). SNN16976.

<6> Deegan A., 1999, Pitsford Quarry, Northamptonshire: Air Photo Assessment, July 1999, p.7, 13 (checked) (Report). SNN105319.

<7> Edmondson G., 2000, An Archaeological Evaluation At Pitsford, Northamptonshire, December 1999, p.26; Pebble Close (Report). SNN100537.

<8> Ordnance Survey, 1950s/1960s, Ordnance Survey Record Cards, SP76NE14 (Index). SNN443.

<9> Northamptonshire SMR Collection of Aerial Photographs (Aerial Photograph(s)). SNN104822.

<10> Baird, J, 1969, Field Investigators Comments, F1 JB 3-MAR-69 (Note). SNN111452.

Record last edited

Feb 3 2025 8:02PM