Monument record 3898/1 - Later Iron Age D-shaped enclosure, Wilby Way

Cropmarks of a large D-shaped enclosure with internal features. In 1967, two trenches were excavated in the area although nothing but a few sherds of pottery was found. Around half the area of the enclosure was excavated prior to the construction of the A45 in 1979. The enclosure was defended by a deep ditch and probable internal bank. There were possibly five roundhouses inside. It probably dated to the second to first centuries BC and the ditch was backfilled in the first to second centuries AD.

{2} Air photographs show a D-shaped enclosure bounded by unusually wide ditches. The interior is sub-divided into two unequal parts by a narrow ditch. In the larger N. half is a penannular ring ditch, probably a hut-circle, while the N.W. corner of the enclosure appears to overlie another ring ditch which has internal features. In 1967 two trenches were cut across the area but nothing more than a few sherds of unidentified pottery and one sherd of 12th-century St. Neots ware was discovered

{3} Field walking over D-shaped cropmark approx 200ft by 250ft produced pottery fragments. In late 1966 and early 1967 two trenches were excavated across the crop mark, a few IA or DA? sherds were found. Further work will be carried out on this site during late 1967 and early 1968.

{5} Excavation was undertaken over about half of the D-shaped enclosure in advance of the construction of the A45 in 1979. The earliest occupation on the site was tentatively dated to the 3rd or 2nd centuries BC. It consisted of a small number of features difficult to interpret but predating the major enclosure. A possible palisade trench and enclosure or animal fold were identified. The second phase was tentatively dated to the 2nd or 1st century BC and comprised an enclosure defended by a massive defensive ditch of V shaped profile, 2.7m deep x 4m wide. Inside the ditch was an area of c5m wide possibly defining an internal bank.

Hut circles represented only by short lengths of curving gullies, averaging 0.25, deep and 0.4m wide. Due to severe plough damage it is possible that these gullies previously formed hut circles. Their internal diameter ranging from 8-14m were arranged in a pattern that suggests contemporaneous usage.

Associated with the hut circles was a small number of pits of which two were excavated. These were vertical sided, flat bottomed storage pits 2.5m in diameter and 0.65m in depth and a group of shallow postholes which could not be seen to form any structure.

{7} Iron Age ditched enclosure containing 4 hut gullies, pits, and Iron Age and Romano-British pot sherds. The site has been badly eroded by ploughing and a magnetometer survey was unsuccessful.

{9} [SP 881658]. "A D-shaped positive crop mark found and photographed on 14th July 1960. This has not been submitted yet for identification to anyone". [See AO/61/106/1 & 2].

{10} Further work by the Wellingborough and District Arch Soc was halted by foot and mouth restrictions and was not recommenced. The pottery finds were sent to Kettering Museum who classified only one fragment and this was St Neots 12c. The pottery was then returned to the Soc, and is in the clubroom. Site now under corn.

NCC Aerial Photo No:SP8865/1+6+7

<1> Ordnance Survey, 1950s/1960s, Ordnance Survey Record Cards, SP86NE8 (unchecked) (Index). SNN443.

<2> Royal Commission on The Historical Monuments of England, 1979, An Inventory of The Historical Monuments in The County of Northampton, p.37/Site 3 (unchecked) (Series). SNN77380.

<3> Brown, A.E. (Ed.), 1967, Archaeology in Northamptonshire 1966/67 (Miscellaneous), p. 33 (Article). SNN108660.

<4> Brown A.E. (Editor), 1976, Archaeology in Northamptonshire 1975, 11/183 (Journal). SNN169.

<5> Windell D., 1981, Great Doddington Iron Age Enclosure, p66 (unchecked) (Article). SNN76436.

<6> Williams J.H., 1972, Northampton to Wellingborough Expressway: Archaeological Survey, (unchecked) (Report). SNN59874.

<7> Windell D., 1979, Northamptonshire Archaeology, 14/26-28 (unchecked) (Journal). SNN29686.

<8> , 1979, A45 NEW ROAD: ARCHAEOLOGICAL EXCAVATIONS 1978-9 (Report). SNN76837.

<9> POULTON L., 1961, Letter, AO/C/XP NO.136 1/2/1961 (Letter). SNN55628.

<10> Baird, J., 1970, Field investigators comments, F1 JB 25-AUG-70 (Notes). SNN110341.

<11> Aerial Photograph, AP (CUAP ABR 69-70, ACA 82 (Photographs). SNN112974.

<12> Historic England, Undated, Wilby Way photographs (Archive). SNN116247.

Record last edited

Mar 22 2024 10:02AM