Monument record 6766/2 - Possible Iron Age Enclosures & Ditches, Spring Close

Archaeological evaluation identified a number of Iron Age enclosures in Spring Close with the focus of activity being on the higher ground in the east.

{1} The geophysical survey revealed extensive archaelogical features, some of which may date to the prehistoric or Roman periods.

{2} Geophysical survey was undertaken within two defined areas in Spring Close field. Area A: a ditch aligned east to west turns at a right angle to run northwards. The corner bisects a small enclosure, with a possible entrance at its south-west. Traces of other small enclosures occur at the edges of the survey area. A faint curvilinear ditch skirts the southern half.
Area B: A curvilinear ditch at the west of the survey area may continue in the northernmost and southernmost grid squares. To the east two parallel curvilinear ditches may be related, thereby possibly describing an oval enclosure c.67m x 57m. A small group of ditches forms an ovoid enclosure in the centre; they appear to be surrounded by individual anomalies which could represent pits. Another strong curvilinear feature is present at the northern end of the survey area, and fainter anomalies denote other ditches.

{3} A series of early-middle Iron Age enclosures were identified in Spring Close, with a lower level of activity in the area to the west.
Geophysical survey had identified possible enclosures, with no associated concentrations of pottery recovered during fieldwalking. This would suggest the presence of pre-Roman activity confined top plateaux above the slade running from north to south. A concentration of activity was detected in Spring Close, which comprised a series of possibly ovoid enclosures of uncertain function. An element of overlap in the anomalies was identified suggesting sequential development. Possible pits were identified in the general area of the survey. A background scatter of flint artefacts including several core fragments occurred in this zone, though there was no obvious pattern to the distribution. There was no evidence to indicate that the boundary ditches influenced the artefact distribution, with no clustering of material to either side of the boundaries being detected.
The trial excavation confirmed the concentration of activity in the eastern part of Spring Close with re-cut Iron Age ditches replacing palisade slots. Some of these ditches appear to have been elements of the oval north to south enclosures identified in the geophysical survey. The area also contained possible pits and post holes.
Generally there was good correlation between the geophysics and features identified in the evaluation trenches, with the main focus of activity being on the higher ground in the east of the land parcel.
Trenches 7 and 8 produced the majority of the early-middle Iron Age pottery from the western part of the study area.

{4} Ditches, pits, enclosures and curvilinear ditches were revealed. Possibly part of an enclosure system. Features of more than one period are represented.

{5} - Geophysical survey was undertaken by TVAS in March 2023. There was significant interference across the survey area but the survey found some of the features that were identified previously.

{6} Archaeological Evaluation was undertaken by TVAS in June 2023. The evaluation identified two concentrations of archaeological features in the north west and south east, comprising pits, ditches and post holes.The features in the north-western portion of the site are likley to relate to the enclosure identified by the geophysical survey. A small assemblage of pottery likely dates to the late Iron Age. Multiple internal pits were identified and a small amount of Iron Age pottery was found in one of them. To the south-east, the concentration of features comprised two ditches (although one was probably modern), two pits and a posthole. A single sherd of iron Age pottery was found in one of the pits.

<1> Northamptonshire Archaeology Unit, 1995, SMR Report Form, (checked) (SMR Report Form). SNN49382.

<2> Holmes M., 1995, Pitsford Quarry, Northamptonshire: Archaeological Evaluation, Stage 1, May 1995, p.6-7(checked) (Report). SNN72324.

<3> Edmondson G., 2000, An Archaeological Evaluation At Pitsford, Northamptonshire, December 1999, p.12-16 (checked) (Report). SNN100537.

<4> 2000, An Archaeological Evaluation At Pitsford, Northamptonshire, December 1999, Illustrations, (unchecked) (Report). SNN100539.

<5> Kyle Beaverstock, 2023, Pitsford Quarry phase 2. Moulton Road, Pitsford, Northamptonshire: Geophysical Survey (Report). SNN115829.

<6> J Hargreaves and J Fish, 2023, Pitsford Quarry Phase 2, Moulton Road, Pitsford, Northamptonshire: Archaeological Evaluation (Report). SNN115826.

Record last edited

Sep 23 2024 11:23AM