Monument record 3729/0/1 - Early-middle Saxon site, Grendon Quarry

An Early to Mid Anglo-Saxon settlement. Several features of Early to Middle Saxon date were excavated in the 1970s at Grendon during salvage work in advance of gravel extraction. Three sunken-featured buildings were located within 30 metres of each other, and a fourth was found 330 metres to the east [HER 3729/0/2]. Much of the area between had already been quarried. Two possible iron smelting furnaces were also found. Neither contained any dating evidence, but iron working debris occurred in other Saxon features. Two shallow ditches may have been of Saxon date, suggesting that part of the settlement area at least may have been enclosed. Other features included pits and post holes, but no definite structures could be identified. Two inhumations were discovered, one in a pit and the other in a shallow ditch. Neither were accompanied by any dating evidence, but both are presumed to be of Saxon date. A total of 413 Saxon potsherds were recovered.

{1} Excavation undertaken in 1976. Three sunken-featured buildings were excavated, situated at least 30m apart. The full extent of two of them had not survived but it seems likely that each pit originally extended to the axial posthole and that both were roughly square or rectangular in plan. Other Saxon features included pits and shallow ditches with a few early-middle Saxon pot sherds including one with stamp decoration. Two shallow inhumation burials were noted during soil-stripping but both were either partly scraped away or too badly crushed to merit salvaging.

{3} Saxon settlement (SP 877623) During stripping of topsoil before gravel-quarrying a number of shallow scoops, containing charcoal, scraps of bones and a few Saxon sherds, were discovered. Two shallow
ditches and a pit, also containing Saxon pottery, were revealed; there were some human bones in the pit. In the same area at least one oval iron-smelting pit of unknown date was noted. More sherds of
Saxon pottery have been collected from the field to the south.

{6} Saxon settlement (SP 877623) Recent gravel-working revealed extensive evidence of early Saxon occupation including three sunken huts, post-holes and pits.

<1> Brown A.E. (Editor), 1978, Archaeology in Northamptonshire 1977, 13/179 (Journal). SNN2192.

<2> HALL D.N., 1978, South Midlands Archaeology: CBA Group 9 Newsletter (8), 8/4 (Newsletter). SNN60830.

<3> Royal Commission on The Historical Monuments of England, 1979, An Inventory of The Historical Monuments in The County of Northampton, p. 55/Site 14 (Series). SNN77380.

<4> Brown A.E. (Editor), 1977, Archaeology in Northamptonshire 1976, 12/224 (Report). SNN723.

<5> Jackson D.A., 1995, Archaeology at Grendon Quarry, Northamptonshire: Part 2, Other Prehistoric, Iron Age and Later Sites Excavated in 1974-5, and Further Observations Between 1976-80, p20 (Checked) (Report). SNN70994.

<6> Royal Commission on The Historical Monuments of England, 1982, An Inventory of The Historical Monuments in The County of Northampton, p.199/Site 14 (unchecked) (Series). SNN77382.

Record last edited

Dec 8 2023 11:28AM