Monument record 95/1 - Probable Iron Age and Roman settlement north of Easton Lodge

A large enclosure, plus smaller enclosures and linear features, are visible as cropmarks on aerial photographs. Iron Age pottery has been recovered from the area. Part of the cropmark is a Scheduled Monument.

{1} The site yields Iron Age and medieval pottery, bones and iron slag; a saddle and part of a rotary quern have been found here.

{3} There are three connected enclosures with various other linear ditches probably belonging to field systems. The size of these enclosures, which even now survive partly as visible earthworks, suggests that they are the most important part of this complex of sites.

{4} At SP 897571 Iron Age B pottery was found during field work, as well as 2 iron slag patches, charcoal patches, and enclosure earthworks.

{6} Air photographs show a roughly rectangular enclosure with ditches radiating from it, associated with a smaller circular enclosure to the N., as well as other ditches to the S., S.E. and S.W. On the E. two ditched trackways meet and run into the main part of the site. Iron Age pottery, bones and iron slag, as well as two querns and a polished flint axe have been found. Medieval pottery is also recorded.

{8} There are three connected enclosures with various other linear ditches probably belonging to field systems. The largest enclosure is in the form of an irregular 'D' covering 5 and a half acres. The eastern part of the site is ploughed and has been bulldozed showing up the ditch sides as yellow-clay subsoil, contrasting with the dark fillings. In the largest enclosure there are the footings of two stone buildings, one about 25ft square at the eastern entrance, and the other in the middle 100ft by 10ft with a cross-wall 20ft from the west end. At the west side of this same enclosure is a stone-covered mound, probably a barrow. Nearly all the pottery ploughed out of the Iron B type, although a few Romano-British sherds and roofing-tile are associated with the stone features.
It may be that the buildings are Roman. The west side of the site was grass until 1968; the ditch had been filled in anciently and medieval strips ploughed over. Nevertheless, the ditch was plainly visible as a hollow with greener grass growing in the bottom. To the south east of the field is a ploughed-out subsoil feature in the form of a Y with arms 50ft long.

NCC Aerial Photograph No. :SP8957/1-24

{9} Oblique low level photographs held by R Hollowell, Cogenhoe, show co-joined triple enclosures and a linear enclosure ditch centred to SP 896571.

{10} Aerial photographs were taken of the area in June 2011 the course of English Heritage's annual reconnaissance programme. The cropmarks comprise a large irregularly-shaped enclosure defined by a broad ditch, its southernmost side obscured by modern field boundaries. Linear ditches project northward from both its eastern and western sides, but cannot clearly be traced beyond the field boundary to the north. The eastern half of this enclosure is visible as earthworks on the Google Earth '1945' layer. Attached to the outer side of the enclosure's northern side are a series of more oval and circular enclosures plu slinear features. Some of these also seem to have been extant as earthworks in '1945'.

{11} Mr D.N Hall confirms the site and retains the finds. The site is under pasture and crop; no surface finds made.

{13} (SP 895570). Enclosure located on AP in 1979.

<1> HOLLOWELL R., 1971, Aerial Photography and Fieldwork in the Upper Nene Valley, 6/9 (uncehcked) (Journal). SNN106546.

<2> Brown, A.E. (Ed.), 1967, Archaeology in Northamptonshire 1966/67 (Miscellaneous), p.40 (unchecked) (Article). SNN108660.

<3> 1961, H.M.S.O. List, (unchecked) (Uncertain). SNN8489.

<4> Hall D.N., 1966, Sites on the North Bedfordshire and South Northamptonshire border, 3/3 Site E10 (Article). SNN37934.

<5> Ordnance Survey, 1950s/1960s, Ordnance Survey Record Cards, SP95NW5 (unchecked) (Index). SNN443.

<6> Royal Commission on The Historical Monuments of England, 1979, An Inventory of The Historical Monuments in The County of Northampton, p. 43/site 2 (Series). SNN77380.

<7> Hall D.N., 1966, Sites on the North Bedfordshire and South Northamptonshire border, p.1-12 (unchecked) (Article). SNN37934.

<8> Hall D.N., 1971, Pre-Roman Iron Age Sites at Bozeat and Strixton, Northamptonshire, p.21 (unchecked) (Article). SNN75144.

<9> Unknown, 1969, Field investigators comments, R2 FDC 17-MAR-69 (Notes). SNN110367.

<10> Oblique Aerial Photograph, NMR 27050_001-008 29-JUN-2011 (Aerial Photograph(s)). SNN111738.

<11> Baird, J., 1970, Field investigators comments, F1 JB 8-SEP-70 (Notes). SNN110341.

<12> Aerial Photograph, A/P (CUAP BIY 98-9, BJL 88) (Photographs). SNN112974.

<13> Cowley, D E and Foard, G R, eds, 1980, Aerial photography in Northamptonshire 1979, p. 178 (Article). SNN112709.

Record last edited

May 2 2025 3:45PM