Monument record 2431/0/1 - Late Iron Age enclosure (Enclosure E), Henslow Meadow

A Late Iron Age enclosed settlement at Aldwincle excavated in 1968-71 in advance of gravel extraction. The earliest features appear to be a length of ditch which contained some flints, including leaf-shaped and barbed and tanged arrowheads, some pits and shallow hollows, one of which included a Beaker sherd. That the area was a focus for Neolithic and Bronze Age activity is evident from the presence of nearby funerary monuments (see associated records). Excavation focused on a sub-rectangular enclosure circa 63 metres by 43 metres, orientated northwest-southeast. The ditch appeared to have been recut at least once. The location of the first phase entrance is unclear, but during the second phase there was an entrance on the southeast side which featured an inset gateway flanked on each side by a length of wall or stockade. Traces of at least four round houses were found in the interior, though not all had stood at the same time. Some subdivision of the interior was evident, particularly the western corner which featured a small ditch-defined enclosure. Scatters of pits and postholes wre also identified. Pottery recovered from excavated features was almost entirely late Iron Age. One of the pits contained a few fragments of bronze among its charcoal and fire-reddened soil fill, possibly suggesting some association with bronze working. To the southeast of the excavated enclosure, towards the area of Aldwincle 1 (SP 98 SE 18) were further traces of ditched enclosures. Only limited trenching was possible but most seem to be of a late Iron Age date, and presumably represent broadly contemporary field and boundary ditches.

{1} Iron Age settlement (SP 99558038), immediately west of SP 98 SE 18, was excavated in 1968-70. A rectangular ditched enclosure with rounded corners, 80m long and 45m wide, orientated north west-south east, was discovered. One circular hut, 10m in diameter, with an outer wall of upright planks set in a trench, stood towards the south east end of the enclosure, and circular ditches of four other probable huts lay further to the south east and over the enclosure ditch. Twenty-nine pits were also found. The pottery is said to be 2nd century BC. Adjacent to it, and also over the whole area recently worked for gravel, was a considerable number of narrow shallow intersecting ditches. Most of the pottery from these was late Iron Age or early Roman in date.

{2} C2nd BC Iron Age pot sherds and Romano-British pot sherds. O.S. give 1964 as the excavation date. Possible surface finds. Site name: Henslow Meadow.

{5} The enclosure was found to be 230ft. long and 135ft. wide; about half of it was excavated before being quarried away. A 'V'-shaped ditch,initially 6ft. deep, had been deepened to 8ft.6ins. and a 12ft.causeway made on the SE side with a gateway, inset 6ft., flanked by stone walls.A central, circular hut had inner and outer walls of planks,and a roof supported by posts set midway between the outer wall and the centre of the hut.Entrance on SW. Two other circular huts had partially survived;one,later than the central hut, had an entrance 11ft.6ins. wide on SE.Five Iron Age pits were also found.

{9} SP 99558036. Excavated 1964. Two RB colour coated sherds BA and IA sherds, and flints, are surface finds from this site. Cropmarks seen by D Jackson Aug '64.

{10} Excavated 1969 by Dennis Jackson (MOW). An IA enclosure (c 50.0m in diameter but not completely traced) bounded by a ditch, in places 6 ft deep. A circular hut (14.0m in diameter) with plank perimenter beams and large internal post holes is central to the enclosure at SP 99568040. Pottery ranging from BA - 3rd c has been found, also an isolated Peterborough sherd from what was probably an underlying Ne sacred site. Report to follow. See photographs. Hut survey at 1/2500. Finds retained by Jackson.

<1> Royal Commission on The Historical Monuments of England, 1975, An Inventory of The Historical Monuments in The County of Northampton, p.5/Site 8 (checked) (Series). SNN77379.

<2> Ordnance Survey, 1950s/1960s, Ordnance Survey Record Cards, SP98SE15 (checked) (Index). SNN443.

<3> Jackson D., 1970, Fieldwork and Excavation in North Eastern Northamptonshire, p.36-7+46 (unchecked) (Article). SNN4821.

<4> Brown, A E (ed), 1972, Northamptonshire Archaeology, p.1 (unchecked) (Journal). SNN25623.

<5> Jackson, D., 1977, Further Excavations at Aldwincle in Northamptonshire 1969-71, p.9-54 (Article). SNN74177.

<6> Rowley R.T.; Fowler W.J. (Editors), 1972, CBA Group 9 Newsletter: South Midlands Archaeology (2), p.8 (unchecked) (Newsletter). SNN10022.

<7> 1972, Archaeological Excavations (Various Years), p.11 (unchecked) (Series). SNN55389.

<8> Ministry of Public Buildings & Works, 1970, Archaeological Excavations, 1969, p. 9 (Report). SNN47013.

<9> Northampton Museum Records (Uncertain). SNN126.

<10> Colquhoun, FD, 1969, Field investigators comments, 15-OCT-69 (Notes). SNN112950.

Record last edited

Apr 25 2025 3:55PM