Monument record 3061/0/1 - Roman ironworking site, Brookfield Cottage Quarry

A Roman ironworking site consisting of shaft furnaces, channel hearths and ditches have been found during Ironstone Quarrying.

{1} Topsoil stripping exposed an extensive are of burnt patches, charcoal and tap-slag suggesting iron smelting. An investigation of part of the area revealed a number of features, although only the bottoms of features had survived earlier ploughing, and no dating evidence was found.
The site follows the limit of the boulder clay, into which all the features were cut. Ironstone lumps occur locally as glacial erratics and it is possible that these could have been used. The features occur on a slight slope facing south and were all aligned north-south. The remains of four furnaces were located. These seem to have consisted of a small bowl furnace 9-12in diameter, at the north end, and a large slag pit to the south. At least one of these had been re-used. The remains of a different type of feature were indicated by linear strips of burning occuring in groups. One group investigated had five parallel features approximately 10ft long x 2ft wide and 2ft 6in apart, but the remains were so scant that it was inpossible to accurately assess their size or function.
A number of irregularly shaped pits occurred, two of which were excavated. These were approximately 5ft and 3ft deep below the scraped level. They had been dug into clay and were filled with clay containing ashy streaks. There was no burning of the sides. It was found after rain that they were excellent for holding water and no other use could be suggested for them, unless the best clay extracted had been used as furnace lining and the surplus inferior clay then thrown back in.
These furnaces are remote from present villages and a Roman date seems most likely.
Two lengths of ditch were recorded in the area of the iron working features. Ditch A was roughly V shaped and was on average 1.1m wide and 0.6m deep. Slag found. Ditch Bwas 0.8m wide and 0.45m deep.No dating evidence was recovered from the ditches but they were clearly open during and for shortly after iron working activity.Unknown purpose of ditches.


{4} Single shaft furnace and group of channel hearths and ditches excavated during ironstone quarrying;

{6}1 furnace found but seems likely that others had not survived; furnace & presumed shaft indicated by burnt subsoil; adjacent slag pit was 1.4m long & 0.45m wide at bottom; slag found in situ in pit; bottoms of 11 channel hearths were located; they were all roughly aligned in same direction & can be presumed to have been positioned in groups; also 2 contemporary ditches;

<1> JACKSON D.A., 1979, Roman Iron Working at Bulwick and Gretton, 31-37 (Article). SNN40133.

<2> Brown A.E. (Editor), 1973, Archaeology in Northamptonshire 1972, 8/6 (Journal). SNN8956.

<3> 1973, DOE Archaeological Excavations (Various Years), (unchecked) (Series). SNN45978.

<4> Royal Commission on The Historical Monuments of England, 1982, An Inventory of The Historical Monuments in The County of Northampton, p.186/Site 6 (unchecked) (Series). SNN77382.

<5> Jackson D., 1970, Fieldwork and Excavation in North Eastern Northamptonshire, p.39-40 (part checked) (Article). SNN4821.

<6> JACKSON D.A., 1979, Roman Iron Working at Bulwick and Gretton, 31-37 (Article). SNN40133.

<7> Moore W.R.G., 1968, Roman Settlement in the Upper and Middle Nene Valley, p. 50 (Uncertain). SNN15188.

<8> Royal Commission on The Historical Monuments of England, 1975, An Inventory of The Historical Monuments in The County of Northampton, p. 24/Site 1 (Series). SNN77379.

Record last edited

Jul 24 2023 10:03AM