Monument record 2244 - Iron Age/Romano-British Settlement

An Iron Age and Roman settlement seen as cropmarks consisting of a trackway bounded by parallel ditches with pits and small enclosures and ten hut circles. The morphology of the settlement is rectangular. Roman and Iron Age pottery has been found. Scheduled.

{1} A Belgic farming settlement at Thorpe Achurch, TL 026 824, shows as extensive cropmarks. Here (TL 027 824) Roman and possibly Iron Age pottery - mainly coarse black or brown gritted wares with some grey ware - were found in January 1966.

{4} Aerial photography 1982, settlement complex noted.

{5} At Thorpe Achurch detailed examination of the ground has revealed Iron Age pottery and thus the pattern of cropmarks visible from the air probably represents the site of an Iron Age village. It consists of a series of enclosures lying on either side of a ditched trackway running north to south. Within some of the enclosures or closes are traces of circular huts and in others large pits, probably used for grain storage. On the other hand a few plots have no features within them. Only excavation could finally prove their purpose and certainly they may well be stockyards. On the other hand they could equally well be garden plots. Photo: Plate 15.

{6} Air photos have revealed a large and complex settlement site, arranged on either side of a well-marked trackway bounded by two parallel ditches. The settlement is markedly rectilinear and there are traces of numerous pits, small enclosures, and about ten circular hut sites. The Roman road from Water Newton to Irchester
(570) passes to the SE on the line of the modern road.

{7} A few fragments of RB grey and gritted wares found within the indicated area, which has been arable for many years. There is no surface evidence of the cropmarks.

{8} Fieldwalking in 1966 recovered Romano British and possibly Iron Age sherds. Grid ref: TL 027824

{3} Grid reference TL 026824

<1> 1961, The Journal of Roman Studies, 60/134 (unchecked) (Journal). SNN11345.

<2> St.Joseph J.K.S., 1966, Uses of Aerial Photography in Archaeological Evaluations, 120 (unchecked) (Report). SNN60108.

<3> HOLLOWELL R., 1971, Aerial Photography and Fieldwork in the Upper Nene Valley, 6/17 (unchecked) (Journal). SNN106546.

<4> Foard G.; Richardson D., 1983, Archaeology in Northamptonshire 1982 (Aerial Photography), p.181 Thorpe Achurch (checked) (Notes). SNN100412.

<5> Taylor C., 1983, The Archaeology of Gardens, p.27-29 (checked) (Series). SNN41440.

<6> Royal Commission on The Historical Monuments of England, 1975, An Inventory of The Historical Monuments in The County of Northampton, p.95 Site 2 (unchecked) (Series). SNN77379.

<7> Baird, J, 1969, Field Investigators Comments, F1 JB 30-SEP-69 (Note). SNN111452.

<8> Brown A.E. (Editor), 1966, Bulletin of the Northamptonshire Federation of Archaeological Societies (Roman), p.12 (unchecked) (Article). SNN107200.

<9> Ordnance Survey, 1950s/1960s, Ordnance Survey Record Cards, TL08SW26 (checked) (Index). SNN443.

<10> RCHME, Undated, RCHME Inventory: Northamptonshire I (North-East), 890467 (Archive). SNN113295.

Record last edited

Feb 7 2025 2:28PM