Monument record 725/1/3 - Length of Alchester Road exposed, south-west of Towcester

A 620m stretch of the Alchester Road south-west of Towcester was excavated between 1967 to 1978. The road was built in the late 1st century AD and in the late 2nd century AD a series of regular, ditched plots was laid out on either side. In the late 3rd and the early 4th centuries Ad major modifications were undertaken, both to the suburbs and the road.

{1} Excavation 1974-6 A.E. Brown, three phases of side ditch observed with ditches dating from the 2nd to the 4th century AD.

{2} A 620m length of road was observed with evidence of plough damage. Road section measuring 10m wide and constructed with pebble and limestone metalling of a depth of 12-15cm, the foundation of the road comprising of sand.
Stakeholes were recorded along with a halved and revetted width where the road section passed through marshy area. Metalling to side of the marshy area may indicate a lay by to ease the congestion on this section of narrowed road.

{9} (Ref 3.1.2) Outside the later defences the stripping and recording of a 620m length of the Alchester Road revealed a branch road to the south running in the general direction of Fleet Marston that appears to be a late addition to the town's road network constructed in the late third century AD.
(Ref 2.2)Subsequent development largely involved areas of remodelling of this core plan and expansion of the town's road network with the construction of additional side roads and eventually a new branch road towards Fleet Marston .

<1> Brown A.E. (Editor), 1977, Archaeology in Northamptonshire 1976, p.215 (checked) (Report). SNN723.

<2> Brown A.E. (Editor), 1976, Archaeology in Northamptonshire 1975, p.194 (part checked) (Journal). SNN169.

<3> Brown A.E. (Editor), 1975, Archaeology in Northamptonshire 1974, p.163 (unchecked) (Report). SNN41605.

<4> Brown AE, Woodfield C, 1983, Excavations at Towcester, Northamptonshire: the Alchester Road Suburb, p.46 (checked) (Article). SNN104558.

<5> 1976, Britannia, p.335 (checked) (Journal). SNN5242.

<6> 1977, Britannia, p.399 (checked) (Journal). SNN11639.

<7> 1987, British Archaeological Reports (BAR 169), p.133-4 (unchecked) (Series). SNN11534.

<8> Burnham B.C.; Wacher J., 1990, The 'Small Towns' of Roman Britain, p.152-8+160 (checked) (Book). SNN60720.

<9> Taylor J.; Foard G.; Laughton J.; Steadman S.; Ballinger J., 2002, Northamptonshire Extensive Urban Survey: Towcester, Section 2.2, 3.1.2.2 (checked) (Report). SNN103132.

Record last edited

Dec 7 2018 10:11AM