Monument record 1720/1 - Site of early-middle Saxon settlement, Warth Park

Previous fieldwalking and evaluation had identified concentrations of early-middle Saxon pottery and features possibly dating to this period. Excavation undertaken in 2014 found five sunken featured buildings

{1} Trial excavation undertaken in September 1990 by S Parry; early/middle Saxon pottery was found at the base of the ploughsoil and occasionally within small post holes and pits.

{2} A slight concentration of early-middle Saxon pottery found during field walking. 21 sherds were found upslope of the Roman settlement. Another 111 sherds of pottery were recovered through trial trenching, although no positively identified features were found. Three oval pits, a group of aceramic postholes and two gullies found during trial trenching in 1990. One or two sherds of Saxon pottery found in context. These features were located 50m upslope of the surface concentration of Saxon pottery.

{3} Excavation related to the investigation of the early to middle Saxon surface scatter was confined to part of the southern field, where a slight concentration of 21 sherds was located upslope of a more general distribution. The southern portion of the field was unavailable due to a different crop regime. Some 20 trenches were opened but only 53 early to middle Saxon sherds were recovered, msotly from the base of a secondary tilth. Three oval pits measuring up to 1.78m x 1.73m and 0.4m deep formed the only features of possible Saxon date, though their significance is uncertain. They contained no more than 2 sherds of early to middle Saxon pottery. A group of aceramic small postholes and two gullies adjacent to two of the pits could represent contemporary activity. These features were located some 55m south-west of the apparent surface scatter concentration.

{4} Early middle Saxon surface scatter located in random fieldwalking. October 1982.

{5} An extensive low density scatter of early-middle Saxon pottery extends along the valley side from Mallows Cotton to the Raunds Brook. Within this a slight concentration of 21 sherds was located on the east side of Oak Ditch, approximately 55m to the north-east of the late Roman buildings recorded by the 1986 excavation.

{6} Geophysical survey over the area of the Saxon pottery scatter found no clearly identifiable archaeological features.

{7} Five sunken featured buildings were found in Area 1 of the Warth Park investigation. The best preserved was 5.8m long and 3m wide with seven postholes across the base. Early-middle Saxon pottery was found in all fills as well as a number of other finds including a spindlewhorl, bone pin and an antler point.

{8} Finds analysis indicates that this settlement was active from the 6th to late 7th/early 8th century. Charred cereal remains from one feature (pit 23) returned a slightly later radiocarbon date of 769-962 cal AD (SUERC-62327; 1177 ± 30 BP). The latter might indicate that at some point after the late 8th century the main focus of settlement shifted elsewhere. The range of finds indicates the type of activities being undertaken within or close to the SFBs, most of which appear to have been related to textile working (including weaving) and possibly iron smithing.

moan, L and Billington, L, 2024, Cotton 'Henge' to Craft: Neolithic to Anglo-Saxon remains at Warth Park, Raunds, Northamptonshire (Monograph). SNN116601.

<1> 1990, SMR REPORT FORM, (unchecked) (SMR Report Form). SNN49102.

<2> Parry S., 1993, Raunds Area Survey Report, p.110-12 (unchecked) (Draft). SNN1175.

<3> Parry S.; Webster M., 1991, Scalley Farm, Raunds (Centre SP 9820 7320), p.67 (checked) (Article). SNN108337.

<4> FOARD G.R., 1982, Oral Report to SMR (Oral Report). SNN50890.

<5> Parry S. et al, 2006, Raunds Area Survey: An Archaeological Study of The Landscape of Raunds, Northamptonshire 1985-94, p. 183 (Book). SNN105780.

<6> Bartlett A., 2011, Warth Park, Raunds, Northamptonshire: Report on Archaeological Geophysical Survey, 2011, p. 6 (Report). SNN110680.

<7> Bush, L., 2015, Neolithic and Iron Age to Saxon activity at Warth Park, Raunds, Northamptonshire: Post-excavation assessment, p. 19-22 (Report). SNN110369.

<8> Bush, L., 2017, Warth Park, Phase II, Raunds, Northamptonshire: Excavation report (Report). SNN111248.

Record last edited

Sep 19 2024 2:12PM