Monument record 726/20 - Northern Suburb of Roman Town

North of the River Tove a series of evaluations close to the junction of the A5 and A43 have identified a northern suburb for the Roman town. Although mostly small scale trenches these excavations have identified sufficient evidence to suggest the likely form of buildings in this area. Archaeological investigation prior to construction of the A43 bypass revealed ditches delineating long parcels of land at least three plots deep, with buildings on the Watling Street east frontage. Evidence of metalworking.

{1} Trial excavation of 1986. D. Jackson/M. Shaw identified three ditches parallel to Watling Street. Other ditches at right angles denoting probable land divisions. Buildings suggested by gravel surfaces, slots and postholes. Finds of C1st to C4th pottery and a lead ingot.

{2} A notable find was a lead ingot.

{4} Evaluation trenches were dug in April 1986 and a watching brief maintained and further trenches excavated in October-December 1986 during construction of the A43 Towcester Bypass where it meets Watling Street. No definite buildings were uncovered but the presence of gravel surfaces and some slots/ foundation trenches and postholes as well as the quantity of finds uncovered perhaps suggests that there had originally been buildings fronting onto Watling Street.

{5} Archaeological evaluation was undertaken on the Old Tiffield Road. The densest concentration of features lay nearest to the road (Trench A), whe re the discovery of a robbed-out Hall (A1) and other possible structural elements suggests the former presence of buildings wi thin plots extending back from the main highway. The apparent intercutting between features indicates that activity might not have been confined to a single period of time and that
its relative sequence may be preserved by stratification. Associated finds suggest that occupation could have begun as early as towards the close of the first century AD and continued through to the fourth century. By contrast, the features located further back from the frontage are more discrete and in some instances can be precisely dated (cf Trench E). The sporadic occur renee of pits and postholes over a seemingly vlide area (Trenches C and D) is consistent with the effects of intermittent, low intensity, "backland"-usage.

{9} An archaeological watching brief and a small salvage excavation were carried out during groundworks at Tove Valley Business Park, Towcester in August 2003. A number of heavily truncated ditches and pits in one area of the site were of Romano-British date, 2nd to 4th centuries AD, and probably represent either part of a minor settlement or the periphery of a larger one. In particular, the possible corner of a small enclosure at the southern end of Site C may suggest that further features would have lain in the area to the south-west and now under a recently constructed car showroom. This would place the main focus of settlement closer to the modern A5 road, which follows the course of Roman Watling Street. The settlement may therefore be the westernmost fringe of activity related to the northern suburbs fronting onto Watling Street. The alignments of the ditches suggest that there might have been two or more phases of ditch system.

{10} (Ref 3.3.3) North of the river Tove a series of evaluations close to the junction of the A5 and A43 have identified a northern suburb for the Roman town. Although mostly small scale trenches these excavations have identified sufficient evidence to suggest the likely form of buildings in this area. No complete building plans have been recovered but limited pre-emptive excavations in 1986 and 1988 during the construction of a petrol filling station and trial trenching and geophysics south east of the main roundabout in 1990 both suggest that this area is characterised by stone founded strip buildings in a ribbon development close to Watling street from the second to fourth centuries. Areas of gravel and limestone hard standing found in both the 1990 excavations and subsequent work south of Mandalay House may be all that remains of timber structures alongside these buildings. No buildings of first century date have been recorded within the limited areas assessed although plenty of late first - early second century material has been recorded.
(Ref 3.4)Small quantities of pieces of worked but unfinished antler objects and off cuts recorded in the Alchester Road suburbs (4th century contexts) suggest a wider trade in the production of goods from secondary animal products.
The spinning of textiles is only really attested from a small assemblage of associated artefacts largely of fourth century date along the Alchester road.
The consumption of domestic fowl, geese and duck is also attested in Towcester and the recovery of hare from three of the excavations and roe deer from Alchester road indicates some limited consumption of hunted game from the second to fourth centuries. Evidence of significant grain (or more likely flour) storage within the town comes from the beetle and seed assemblages from the Alchester road suburbs
(Ref 3.6) The only major published report is from the Alchester road suburb and provides a useful summary of local environmental conditions in the middle to later Roman to the south west of the town close to Silverstone Brook. Together they predominantly suggest locally damp conditions mostly associated with human domestic, storage and stock stalling environments. There was little evidence for nearby cultivation but rather species of open grassland that may have been introduced to the site as hay.

{11} An archaeological evaluation of land at the Tesco store was undertaken. The evaluation revealed a possible stone-lined well, five ditches and a pit. All the features were consistently dated to the Roman period (2nd century). A sixth ?ditch, undated, was also recorded.

{12} Three finds from the Towcester Bypass trial trenches excavated in 1986. No information regarding context. One of the finds is a bronze eagle's head, probably a chariot fitting. Illustrations;

<1> SHAW M., 1988, Supplementary File, (checked) (Note). SNN51877.

<2> Dix B.(ed), 1986-7, Archaeology in Northamptonshire 1985-6, p.156 (unchecked) (Report). SNN100334.

<3> Jackson D., 1986, SMR report form, (unchecked) (SMR Report Form). SNN53088.

<4> JACKSON D., 1986, Trial Trenching on Towcester Bypass, (unchecked) (Unpublished Report). SNN59692.

<5> STEADMAN S.; DIX B., 1990, Archaeological Evaluation at Towcester, Northants (Report). SNN63142.

<6> 1991, SMR REPORT FORM, (unchecked) (Uncertain). SNN48963.

<7> Pike A. (Editor), 1991, South Midlands Archaeology: CBA Group 9 Newsletter, p.72-3 (unchecked) (Newsletter). SNN2091.

<8> Towcester & District Local History Society, 1995, Towcester: The Story of An English Country Town, p. 44-5 (Book). SNN72341.

<9> Lewis, B., 2003, Archaeological Watching brief at Tove Valley Business Park, Towcester, p.6 (unchecked) (Report). SNN104577.

<10> Taylor J.; Foard G.; Laughton J.; Steadman S.; Ballinger J., 2002, Northamptonshire Extensive Urban Survey: Towcester, Section 3.3.3 (checked) (Report). SNN103132.

<11> Pozorski, Z., 2009, Tesco Stores Ltd, Old Tiffield Road, Towcester, Northamptonshire: An archaeological evaluation, p.8 (checked) (Report). SNN108052.

<12> Woodfield, C., 1988, Finds from Towcester, 1988 (Note). SNN111073.

<13> Dix B., 1992, Recent Work in Northamptonshire Archaeology, p.125 (checked) (Article). SNN104441.

Record last edited

Jan 21 2022 4:10PM