Monument record 4895 - Middle to Late Iron Age and early Roman Settlement

An extensive area of settlement covering an area of c42ha comprising large ditched enclosures, boundary ditches, ring ditches trackways and pit alignments Summary from record 4895/0/14: Crop/soilmark: Good quality photography

{1} Trial trenching April to July 1990 by NAU Contracts Section. Aim was to determine the limits of middle/late Iron Age occupation as defined by aerial photography, geophysical survey and fieldwalking.

{2} Middle to late Iron Age settlement evaluation directed by M Shaw. Trial trenches were opened in 1990 by M. Webster and P. O'Hara. 30 trenches were excavated. All features were planned and sampled for dating evidence.

{5} Enclosures, Ring Ditches, Pit Alignment, Trackways (?) (SP 72706300). A large area of cropmarks situated N. of Hopping Hill between 84 m. and 94 m. above OD includes: enclosures, one of which is double-ditched with an area of around 0.12 hectares; ring ditches, from 10 m.-25 m. in diameter; a short length of pit alignment continuing the line of that in [SP 76 SW 53] a double pit alignment; `ditched trackways' and other linear marks.

{8} Area of activity covering c24 hectares, although there is a core area of settlement of c15 ha, while the remaining area contains only linear boundaries (single and double ditches and pit alignments) which are likely to mark tracks leading to the settlement and fields round it. One of the enclosures is of particular interest as it appears to fall into a category of defended enclosures of late Iron Age date. Many of the surrounding features are aligned on the enclosure.

{9} The cropmarks were plotted in 1990.

{12} A high concentration of geomagnetic anomalies, almost certainly reflecting a substantial settlement. The settlement has been detected over an area of c.12ha and comprises both large and small rectilinear and curvilinear enclosures, miscellaneous ditches, ringditches, trackways, pits and pit alignments. The most prominent features comprise three substantial, almost concentric enclosure ditches; the anomalies representing the ditches measure up to 6m wide. Each of the three ditch circuits has a causewayed entrance on its south-eastern side creating a funneled entrance flanked by pits. Evidence for probable industrial activity was detected in one of the larger enclosures and the remains of more than one phase of settlement are represented. The form of this settlement are typical of the Iron Age period. The geophysical survey indicates that the settlement extends further north than indicated by the cropmarks.

{13} A targeted field evaluation was undertaken in 2007, although only three trenches were excavated in the area of this settlement. Archaeological features dating to the Iron Age were identified in each of the trenches confirming the results of earlier investigations.

{15} Trial trench excavation targeted the periphery and selected features within the settlement. The evaluation confirmed the presence of the features identified by the cropmark and geophysical survey plots. A combination of large enclosures and slighter ditch boundaries was recorded along with occasional pits and a single juvenile cremation that contained at least two individuals. Dating evidence was relatively sparse but spanned the Iron Age and into the early Roman period. The features appeared to be well preserved and good assemblages of charred plant remains were present within several of the features.

<1> 1990, SMR Report Form, (checked) (SMR Report Form). SNN49097.

<2> Webster, M. & Masters, P., 1990, SMR Report Form, (checked) (SMR Report Form). SNN48911.

<3> OXFORD ARCHAEOLOGY UNIT, 1991, King's Heath Whitelands, Northampton: Archaeological Evaluation Report, p.13 (checked) (Report). SNN76714.

<4> Moore, J., 1992, SMR Report Form, (checked) (SMR Report Form). SNN48810.

<5> Royal Commission on The Historical Monuments of England, 1985, An Inventory of The Historical Monuments in The County of Northampton, p.241 (checked) (Series). SNN77383.

<6> Dix B., 1992, Recent Work in Northamptonshire Archaeology, p.121 (unchecked) (Article). SNN104441.

<7> Foard G.; Richardson D., 1983, Archaeology in Northamptonshire 1982 (Aerial Photography), p.181 Northampton (checked) (Notes). SNN100412.

<8> Shaw, M., Webster, M. & O'Hara, P., 1990, Archaeological Evaluation at Kings Heath in Northampton (Report). SNN57140.

<9> Northamptonshire SMR Collection of Aerial Photographs, NCCAP:SP7263/007-9 (unchecked) (Aerial Photograph(s)). SNN104822.

<10> Webster M., 2001, Dallington Spinney, Northampton, Archaeological watching brief, p.2 (checked) (Report). SNN102137.

<11> Elliott L., 2006, Dallington Grange, Northamptonshire: Geophysical Survey, September 2006, p.5-6 (checked) (Report). SNN105630.

<12> Elliott L.; Hale D., 2006, Dallington Grange, Northamptonshire: Geophysical Survey Phase 2, p.6-11 (checked) (Report). SNN107441.

<13> Laws G., 2007, Dallington Grange, Northampton: Archaeological Evaluation Report, June 2007, p.10-11 (checked) (Report). SNN107409.

<15> Dodd, M, 2016, Dallington Grange Northampton: Evaluation Report, 2016 (Report). SNN110781.

<16> Crank, N. (Editor), 2017, South Midlands Archaeology (47), p. 46 (Journal). SNN111362.

<17> Northamptonshire SMR Collection of Aerial Photographs, NCC SP 7263/7-9, SP 7262/1-10 (Aerial Photograph(s)). SNN104822.

<18> Brown A.E. (Editor), 1979, Archaeology in Northamptonshire 1978, Page 91-97 (Article). SNN45225.

<19> NDC SMR Records, A64 (Database). SNN103358.

Record last edited

Feb 3 2025 8:04PM