Monument record 4038/0/1 - Mid-late Iron Age Features

Iron Age activity initially recorded in 1973 on the Danesholme estate. Further evidence recorded just to the north in 2016-7 during the development of the former Kingswood School

{1} Construction work in 1973 revealed an extensive area of pits, gullies and ditches containing Iron Age pottery.

{2} Road scraping on the Danesholme Estate revealed an extensive area of pits, gullies and ditches. Pottery has been recovered stratified from some of the features and has been dated to the Iron Age but no finer date can be set at present. Finds in Northampton Museum.

{4} Trial trench evaluation identified a mid to late Iron Age ditch aligned east to west. The ditch identified by the evaluation is contemporary with and probably part of the Iron Age settlement identified to the south in 1973. The size and width of the ditch suggests that it is part of a substantial ditched enclosure or boundary. The dark final levelling layer would indicate some form of dwelling close by. No features were identified further north.

{5} Further trial trenches, succeeded by a small area excavation and subsequent observation of groundworks found evidence of three phases of mid-late Iron Age activity. The first phase comprised two large east-west aligned ditches interpreted as a shifting northern boundary of a wider settlement. The second comprised a series of smaller, broadly contemporary ditches aligned south-west to north-east, probably functioning as drainage ditches and/or field boundaries. The final phase comprised a small section of a possible enclosure ditch and a large watering hole. The sequence of silting suggested that it had been left open for an extended period of time. A few sherds of late Iron Age pottery were recovered from the earliest fills of the feature.

<1> Royal Commission on The Historical Monuments of England, 1979, An Inventory of The Historical Monuments in The County of Northampton, p.23 (checked) (Series). SNN77380.

<2> Brown A.E. (Editor), 1974, Archaeology In Northamptonshire 1973, p.84 (unchecked) (Article). SNN9109.

<3> Rees G., 2008, Enclosure Boundaries and Settlement Individuality in The Iron Age, (unchecked) (Article). SNN106040.

<4> Clements, P., 2016, Archaeological trial trench evaluation on land at the former Kingswood School, Corby, Northamptonshire October 2016 (Report). SNN110769.

<5> Chinnock, C., 2017, Archaeological evaluation and excavation on land at former Kingswood School, Corby, Northamptonshire, November 2016-January 2017 (Report). SNN110770.

<6> Crank, N. (Editor), 2017, South Midlands Archaeology (47), p. 40 (Journal). SNN111362.

Record last edited

Mar 28 2022 1:26PM