Monument record 2301 - Probable Iron Age/Roman Settlement (Harper's Brook Complex)

Extensive area of cropmarks of enclosures, ditches, hut circles and trackways, with many surface scatters of artefacts as well as casual finds.

{1} Harper's Brook complex, in the N.E. of the parish, on a flat-topped sandy ridge between Harper's Brook and the R. Nene, around 125 ft. above OD. It is a direct continuation S. of the Henslow Meadow complex in Aldwincle parish which lies N. of Harper's Brook. The identifiable sites are listed below, but in addition two barrows quoted as being 'in Islip Meadow' in the middle of the C18th, and a 'Tumulus near Islip Mill', noted in the early C20th, may have lain in the same area. A C3rd coin found at Mill Farm, together with other Roman coins now in Northampton Museum, and a quartzite hammerhead, may have come from here.

(1) Ring ditch (SP 98737980), diam. 18 m (BNFAS, 6 (1971), 14).

(2) Enclosure (SP 99347996) is of long narrow and rectangular form, and apparently incomplete on its west side. The N. half has now been destroyed by gravel-working but excavation of the surrounding ditch revealed it to be nearly 2 m deep. One sherd of Iron Age pottery, with curvilinear decoration of Hunsbury type, was found (CUAP, ZF4; BNFAS, 4 (1970), 41). Immediately to the south, air photographs show another sub-rectangular enclosure and a length of curving ditch.

(3) Enclosures (SP 99307990), south of (2). They comprise one small rectangular enclosure attached to a length of ditch with traces of what may be another larger enclosure to the north-east. Weathered Roman sherds and limestone rubble have been found (BNFAS, 4 (1970), 41; CUAP, ZF4).

(4) Trackway and Roman remains (SP 99308032– 99157978). The trackway is visible on air photographs as two parallel ditches running north-south, 10–16 m apart, and widening to form a funnel entrance at the south end. It probably ran north across Harper's Brook to meet the Roman road crossing Henslow Meadow in Aldwincle. There is an area of heavy stone slabs in and around the brook on the projected line of the trackway at SP 99308040 (CUAP, ZF4).

(5) Settlement (SP 987796) comprises a compact group of enclosures and linear ditches of generally rectangular plan. A circular feature on the N. side may be a hut circle. To the north-east is a short length of double ditch, possibly a trackway, and further east is another enclosure, very indistinctly shown on available air photographs (in NMR).

[Various elements are also separately recorded].

{4} A photograph by Dr St Joseph shows a straight sided enclosure which is cut by a hedge at this point. The field to the E of the hedge has now been destroyed by gravel digging and this gave an opportunity for the
ditch to be examined. It was 6 ft deep and the bottom 2 ft 6 in of this was excavated for a length of 50 ft. Only one sherd was found, a piece with curvilinear decoration of the Hunsbury type.

{6} Tumulus near Islip Mill (but listed under Thrapston Parish) (of SP 97 NE 30)

<1> Royal Commission on The Historical Monuments of England, 1975, An Inventory of The Historical Monuments in The County of Northampton, p. 58-59/Sites 1-5 & Fig 70 (Series). SNN77379.

<2> RCHME, Undated, RCHME Inventory: Northamptonshire I (North-East), 890500 (Archive). SNN113295.

<3> Aerial Photograph, A/P (CUAP ZF4) (Photographs). SNN112974.

<4> Jackson D., 1970, Fieldwork and Excavation in North Eastern Northamptonshire, p. 41 (Article). SNN4821.

<5> Baird, J., 1970, Field investigators comments, 30-OCT-69 (Notes). SNN110341.

<6> George T.J., 1904, An Archaeological Survey of Northamptonshire, P. 20 (Index). SNN10170.

<7> RCHME, Undated, RCHME Inventory: Northamptonshire I (North-East), 890500 (Archive). SNN113295.

Record last edited

Feb 7 2025 2:28PM