Monument record 290 - Iron Age/Romano-British Settlement, north-west of Halse

Cropmarks of possible enclosures and boundary ditches identified on aerial photographs. Fieldwalking survey has identified a scatter of Roman pottery over a large area. Geophysical survey indicated it was a larger and more complex, multi-phase Iron Age/Roman settlement than that defined by the cropmarks.

[SMR Note 28/10/2008: this complex currently includes cropmark elements which have been interpreted by NMP as medieval, but do not appear to form part of Halse village.]

{1, 5} Roman pottery extends over about 6ha and a fragment of flint axe has been found on the south-east of the site. Info: D.J.Barrett at SP 560 406.

{2} Possible Iron Age sherd, dark with shallow grooving found by D.J. Barrett SP 560 407.

{3} Geophysical survey refined and expanded on the cropmark evidence, confirming that the features are part of a multi-phase Iron Age/Roman settlement rather than part of the deserted settlement of Halse. The settlement extends over an area of c7.5ha and appears to have been occupied for an extended period of time. The core of the settlement, located towards the northern part of the area, comprises complexes of rectilinear enclosures, boundary ditches and a possible double-ditched droveway. To the south, there are boundaries and enclosures forming a possible field system and to the south-east an area of quarrying that may be contemporary.

{4} Trial trench excavation was undertaken in fields to the north-west of the known area of the settlement. Roman features were identified in one trench in the south-eastern corner of the site, including a large pit which contained an articulated human burial aligned east-west. Only the patellas, the distal ends of both femurs and the proximal ends of both tibias were exposed; the remainder of the burial was undisturbed. The burial dates to, or pre-dates, the Roman period. Two ditches were dated to the Roman period and a number of other features, including two further ditches, remained undated.

<1> Royal Commission on The Historical Monuments of England, 1982, An Inventory of The Historical Monuments in The County of Northampton, p.65/Site 7 (checked) (Series). SNN77382.

<2> Dix B.(ed), 1985, Archaeology in Northamptonshire 1983-4, p.147 Greatworth (checked) (Report). SNN100404.

<3> Carli, I, Peel, S, & Armstrong, K, 2020, Geophysical survey report of Copse Lodge, Farthinghoe (Report). SNN112624.

<4> Child, H, 2021, Copse Lodge Solar Farm, Greatworth, Northamptonshire: Archaeological Evaluation (Report). SNN113244.

<5> ORAL REPORT, Inf D J Barrett (Oral Report). SNN53287.

Record last edited

Feb 3 2025 8:17PM