Monument record 3676/0/1 - Saxon and medieval settlement, north of Church Lane

In the field north of Church Lane, slight earthworks of banks and closes, as well as a hollow way have been recorded. Stone foundations walls and medieval and Roman pottery were found when the field was stripped for agricultural purposes in 1981. Archaeological evaluation undertaken in 2022-3 identified evidence of 10th-11th century Saxon settlement as well as medieval settlement including the remains of a late medieval or early post-medieval dovecote.

{1} In the field on the north side of Church Lane, are slight traces of banks and scarps, all damaged by much later activity, which probably represent former closes. These do not however agree with boundaries on the 1598 map, and may be either older, or more recent. The houses present on the 1598 map had disappeared by the time of the 1st edition 1 inch OS map (1834).
The site of a house shown on the 1598 map survives as earthworks at the south end of a small close north west of the church.

{3} Earthworks of rectangular enclosures in the area of the medieval/post medieval village are possibly earlier as they do not conform to the alignment of the hollow way; NCCAP:SP8276/016.

{4}{5} Field was stripped and levelled for agricultural purposes, revealing undated stone foundation walls and a small quantity of Roman and Medieval pottery.

{6} Archaeological evaluation identified significant evidence of late Saxon and medieval settlement. The earliest evidence were the remains of two sunken-featured buildings (SFBs) with hints of surrounding enclosures related to them. The structures were only partially excavated, but appear to be of an average size and aligned east to west. Further potential SFBs have been identified on the geophysical survey. All apear to respect the alignment of the hollow way. A seax was recovered from the lower fill of one of the SFBs. A possibly associated sub rectangular enclosure contained pottery dating to the 11th and 12th centuries. A range of medieval features including the hollow way, ditches and pits were identified.

{10} Geophysical survey was undertaken in the south-east. This survey detected ditch-like anomalies that appear to form a rectangular enclosure and corresponds with cropmarks recorded in the area.

<1> Royal Commission on The Historical Monuments of England, 1979, An Inventory of The Historical Monuments in The County of Northampton, p.29 site 8 (checked) (Series). SNN77380.

<2> Treswell R., 1598, Cransley Parish Map, (unchecked) (Map). SNN103920.

<3> Foard G.R., 1984, Oral report to SMR, (checked) (Oral Report). SNN50950.

<4> Jackson, D., 1980, SMR Report Form, (checked) (SMR Report Form). SNN53993.

<5> Brown A.E. (ed.), 1981, Archaeology in Northamptonshire 1980, 16/201 (checked) (Article). SNN100418.

<6> McLeish, A & Early, J, 2023, An Archaeological Evaluation for Land at Church Lane, Great Cransley, Kettering, Northamptonshire, https://doi.org/10.5284/1120199 (Report). SNN115351.

<7> Royal Air Force, Vertical Aerial Photography, AP (RAF VAP CPE/UK/1925, 1229-30) (Photographs). SNN104890.

<8> Aerial Photograph, AP (CUAP AWQ 66) (Photographs). SNN112974.

<9> RCHME, Undated, RCHME Inventory: Northamptonshire II (Central), 889991 (Archive). SNN112900.

<10> Crockcroft, T, 2022, Great Cransley, Northamptonshire. Geophysical Survey Report
GEOPHYSICAL SURVEY REPORT
Geophysical Survey Report, Great Cransley, Northamptonshire (Report). SNN115635.

Record last edited

Sep 23 2024 3:16PM