Monument record 3957/0/14 - Romano-British Building(s), Mitchell Street

Excavation prior to the construction of a bungalow in 1966 identified remains of Roman settlement including a building and refuse pits.

{1} Excavation within new sewer trenches carried out 5+6/3/1966; area of stone rubble adjacent to walling suggesting collapse of wall; within rubble layer an area of charcoal & red & black ash found which sealed pottery dating to late C2nd AD; 2 hearths may have been associated; small Romano-British pits revealed; rubbish pits dated to late C3rd-early C4th AD; not investigated further;,

{3} Rapid excavation & of poor quality;,

{6} Site in northern part of Kettering opposite junction of Neale Av & Mitchell St; excavations carried out in foundation trenches for new bungalow in March 1966; traces of collapsed masonry found in places; patches of clay with small pieces of charcoal & red fragments of brick were found; pottery recovered includes Samian & 3 bases bear potters marks of Hadrian/Antonine period; part of a decorated cylindrical bowl identified as produced between 160-190 AD;,
In other places refuse pits yielding large quantities of bone& oyster shells were located at 30 Mitchell Street; further
excavation undertaken during summer revealed scatter of limestone lumps over area c.9ft x 7ft; finds from this layer includes coins & iron objects & pottery & bone of mostly late C3rd & early C4th AD; beneath stone layer further layer yielded many finds; probably represents fill of pit; remainder of pottery either grey ware or Nene Valley ware; 11 bronze coins found: 2 x Constantine I; 2 Gaulish of late C3rd AD; also numerous iron objects & small pieces of bronze & bronze needle over 5in long & with a large eye; thought to have been a netting needle; also piece of corroded lead & several pieces of glass including handle of glass vessel; also several bone pins & 2 bone needles & great many animal bones;

{7} Excavation completed autumn 1966; at south end of site 2 superimposed hearths were found; earliest was triangular c.5ft x 4ft & comprised red stones set in mortar & burnt clay & surrounded by greasy soil with streaks of charcoal; it was surrounded by a layer of ironstone chips which produced several Roman sherds including Samian & a coin; hearth may have been associated with small group of huts; later hearth separated by dark occupation layer; comprised large patch of grey-white clay central part of which had been burnt to red/orange colour & cracked by heat resulting in brick-like consistency; its base found to comprise several large fragments of an amphora probably put there to prevent hearth sinking into soil beneath; several Samian sherds of late C2nd date recovered from later hearth; at northern end of site probable pit was excavated with pottery suggesting late C2nd date;,

{10} Photographs;

{11}It is also likely that the major stone buildings lay close to the road and one example indicated by walls located at SP 872 805 (3957/0/14) of broadly 2nd-4th century date certainly lay close to the through road on its western side. Finds here and from largely unstratified contexts elsewhere across the settlement indicate that some were clearly of some sophistication with examples of both stone and ceramic roofing tiles, painted wall plaster and mortar flooring.

{12} Evidence for craft production is perhaps surprisingly, reasonably good at Kettering. Reports of a clay lined oven or furnace and possible kiln furniture from the earlier quarries and excavations by Kettering Grammar School in the 1960s (3957/0/2; 3957/0/14) possibly suggest small-scale pottery manufacture. In the absence of significant sized modern excavations there is no quantitative guide from artefactual evidence to provide insights into other aspects of the town's possible trading role but the sheer numbers of coin finds and their general chronological bias fits the pattern seen on other small towns and noted by Reece (1991).

Description from record 3957/0/5:
{1} Excavation within new sewer trenches carried out 5+6/3/1966; small Romano-British pits revealed; rubbish pits dated to late C3rd-early C4th AD; not investigated further;,

{2}In other places refuse pits yielding large quantities of bone & oyster shells were located at 30 Mitchell Street; further excavation undertaken during summer revealed scatter of limestone lumps over area c.9ft x 7ft; finds from this layer includes coins & iron objects & pottery & bone of mostly late C3rd & early C4th AD; beneath stone layer further layer yielded many finds; probably represents fill of pit; remainder of pottery either grey ware or Nene Valley ware; 11 bronze coins found: 2 x Constantine I; 2 Gaulish of late C3rd AD; also numerous iron objects & small pieces of bronze & bronze needle over 5in long & with a large eye; thought to have been a netting needle; also piece of corroded lead & several pieces of glass including handle of glass vessel; also several bone pins & 2 bone needles & great many animal bones;

<1> DIX B N, DIX B N RECORD CARDS, (unchecked) (Notes). SNN44933.

<2> Royal Commission on The Historical Monuments of England, 1979, An Inventory of The Historical Monuments in The County of Northampton, p.102 (unchecked) (Series). SNN77380.

<3> Dix B.N., Roman Discoveries at Kettering, (unchecked) (Manuscript). SNN30224.

<4> 1967, The Cytringian, 24-46 (Report). SNN58401.

<5> Ordnance Survey, 1950s/1960s, Ordnance Survey Record Cards, SP88SE1 (unchecked) (Index). SNN443.

<6> Brown A.E. (Editor), 1966, Bulletin of the Northamptonshire Federation of Archaeological Societies (Roman), 10-11 (Article). SNN107200.

<7> DIX B N, 1967, Mitchell Street, Kettering, 12-13 (Report). SNN33389.

<8> 1967, The Cytringian, 24-46 (Report). SNN58441.

<9> STEANE J., 1966, Excavations on the Romano-British site at Mitchell Street in Kettering, (unchecked) (Typescript Report). SNN58400.

<10> Kettering Museum Records, Photo File (checked) (Catalogue). SNN28658.

<11> Taylor, J., 2000, Northamptonshire Extensive Urban Survey: Kettering (Roman), Section 3.3 Buildings (Digital archive). SNN100751.

<12> Taylor, J., 2000, Northamptonshire Extensive Urban Survey: Kettering (Roman), Section 3.4 Commerce and Industry (Digital archive). SNN100751.

Record last edited

Nov 15 2022 2:22PM