Monument record 8262/1 - Site of Middle Iron Age farmstead, east of Station Road

Archaeological observation of a gas pipeline identified a number of features interpreted as Iron Age and Roman in date in the 1960s. Trial trenching and excavation in the 1990s around Swans Way identified middle Iron Age enclosures flanking a trackway. The ditched enclosures may have defined fields flanking the north side of a track linking this area with the farmstead examined to the west. The associated pits and ring gully examined here perhaps reflect elements of dispersed settlement activity. Subsequent investigation to the north between 2010-4 identified further enclosures, roundhouses, pits and post-built structures. Later middle Iron Age activity included boundary ditches, adjacent to one of which was a human burial. No evidence that settlement continued into the late Iron Age or Roman periods was identified.

{1} Eighteen Iron Age and Romano-British features were found during archaeological observation of gas pipeline. Pits, ditches, burnt areas. Possible buildings and finds of Roman pottery and building stone, from 'well below the surface'.

{3} Various 'Iron Age features' were found in a gas pipeline trench at this point, associated with 'crude shell-tempered sherds'. One pit contained pottery, charcoal, burnt ironstone and slag. Roman pottery and building-stone were also found.

{5}Several pits and shallow linear ditches relating to the mid-late Iron Age, uncovered in 'Trench 5' of an evaluation trenching exercise. These probably represent occupation ephemeral to the main area of Iron Age enclosures and settlement that lie immediately to the west of Station Road.

{6} Archaeological excavation focussed on the area of Trench 5. The excavation lay on the edge of a middle to late Iron Age site whose main focus lay to the north or west. Features comprised ditched enclosures, part of a round house eaves drip gully, a hollow way with flanking ditches and a discrete group of pits. The ditched enclosures may have defined fields flanking the north side of a track linking this area with the farmstead examined to the west. The associated pits and ring gully examined here perhaps reflect elements of dispersed settlement activity. A small assemblage of late Iron Age pottery was recovered.

{7} Magnetometer survey was undertaken on 3.1ha of land adjacent to Station Road in 2010. The survey detected a set of ditched enclosures of probable Iron Age or Romano British date. They are partially disturbed by a gas pipe which bisects the survey area

{8} Trial trench excavation undertaken in 2010 confirmed the results of the earlier geophysical survey {3} of a middle Iron Age settlement in the south-west corner of the proposed development site. Pottery identified as late Iron Age 'Belgic' ware from the 1998 excavation {2} was re-examined and confirmed as unusually fine middle Iron Age scored ware indicating that the settlement was occupied solely within the middle Iron Age period. An infant burial was identified in the corner of one of the enclosure ditches but not removed.

{11} Excavation of two areas prior to residential development in 2014 to examine the northern extent of the middle Iron Age settlement. An enclosure system extended over the entire excavation area and continued to the south. Two enclosures contained domestic and/or storage activity with features that produced the majority of the finds assemblage from the investigations. Close to the southern edge of the excavation were two roundhouses (one defined by a drainage ditch and the other by post-holes), three possible four-post structures, 40 storage pits and a small number of other pits. Two further possible enclosures contained a small number of dispersed post-holes and storage pits. Several ‘unusual’ deposits were identified during fieldwork; they are interpreted as ‘structured’ deposits. They comprise the deliberate placement within pits of animal remains: e.g. partial animal skeletons (sheep); and two deposits with a large amount of pottery (over 1.5kg).

Two areas of unenclosed activity were identified comprising dispersed pits and postholes, the distribution of which did not form any obvious patterns or structures. A small assemblage of pottery and animal bone was recovered from a few of the pits. Later activity was represented by two broadly parallel ditches but as these converged towards the north they are not interpreted as part of a trackway. Based on stratigraphic evidence they were later than the ditches associated with enclosures L1 and L2 but they only contained middle Iron Age pottery. An inhumation was buried adjacent to and parallel to one of the boundaries, suggesting this location was chosen deliberately.

{13} The area was viewed on aerial photographs as part of the Bedford Borough NMP project but no features were visible. The area was part of an archaeological evaluation in 2010 (though the archaeological report was not available at the time of the project), which confirmed that features identified by geophysical survey in the south-western corner of the site relate to a Middle Iron Age settlement. It forms part of a larger area of contemporary settlement recorded to the south and west of Station Road (HER no 8262). A Medieval field boundary was also recorded.

{14} Mr Rollings said the finds, as listed above, were found well below the surface.

<1> Brown, A.E. (Ed.), 1967, Archaeology in Northamptonshire 1966/67 (Prehistoric), p.6 (unchecked) (Article). SNN20962.

<2> Ordnance Survey, 1950s/1960s, Ordnance Survey Record Cards, SP96NE14 (unchecked) (Index). SNN443.

<3> Royal Commission on The Historical Monuments of England, 1975, An Inventory of The Historical Monuments in The County of Northampton, p.54/Site 1 (unchecked) (Series). SNN77379.

<4> HALL D.N.; HUTCHINGS J.B., 1972, The Distribution of Archaeological Sites Between The Nene and The Ouse Valleys, p.14 (unchecked) (Article). SNN35780.

<5> Lawrence, S, 1997, Land between Station Road and Stanwick Road, Higham Ferrers, Northamptonshire: Archaeological Evalaution report (Report). SNN62118.

<6> Meadows I., 1998, Archaeological Recording Action At Stanwick Road, Higham Ferrers, Northamptonshire (Report). SNN100512.

<7> Fisher I.; Walford J., 2010, Archaeological geophysical survey on land at Station Road, Higham Ferrers, Northamptonshire (Report). SNN107961.

<8> Upson-Smith T., 2010, An archaeological evaluation of land off Station Road, Higham Ferrers, Northamptonshire October 2010, https://doi.org/10.5284/1104279 (Report). SNN107909.

<9> Horne B. (Editor), 2011, South Midlands Archaeology: CBA Group 9 Newsletter (41), p. 30 (Journal). SNN108274.

<10> Chapman P. (Ed.), 2012, Archaeology in Northamptonshire, 2010, p. 199 (Article). SNN108374.

<11> Barker, J and Luke, M, 2014, Land off Station Road, Higham Ferrers, Northamptonshire: Post-Excavation Assessment and Updated Project Design (Report). SNN112002.

<12> Luke, M & Barker, J, 2020, Bourton Way, Wellingborough and Station Road, Higham Ferrers: Two middle Iron Age settlements overlooking the River Nene in Northamptonshire (Monograph). SNN112152.

<13> RCHME/EH/HE Aerial Photographers comment, Amanda Adams 10-JAN-2019 Bedford Borough NMP (Note). SNN114522.

<14> Seaman, B H, 1970, Field Investigator's Comments, F1 BHS 26-JUL-70 (Notes). SNN111541.

Record last edited

Dec 3 2024 11:17AM