Monument record 3108 - Late Iron Age & Romano-British Settlement

Late Iron Age & Roman industrial site with Pottery Kilns dating from C1st to C2nd

{1} Excavation of Iron Age and Romano-British enclosures, with two parallel ditches, kilns and hut circles.

{4}Stripping revealed a complex of enclosures, pits and ditches, mostly dated to the 1st and 2nd c AD. The remains were found of several pottery kilns which produced late Belgic wares in the Claudian and Neronian periods.

{5} The only visible remains were a number of small circular depressions ranging from 0.8m to 1.1m in diameter containing a … deposit which was later identified as burnt turves and sand.

{6} Hand made and wheel thrown late Iron Age pottery was being made on the site up to the beginning of the Roman period… in above ground kilns with moveable fire bars and central pedestals.

{7} Reference to site in a review for " Rushden: The Early Fine Wares"

{10} Settlement began in 1st century BC. It grew from two small enclosures with field system to being much larger by 45AD. By this time it was still an agricultural base. The arrival of the intrusive group of potters marked the site from going from agricultural to much more industrial use. Allied to the decreasing number of hut circles,the evidence suggests that pottery-making was now a major concern with fewer people living-as opposed to working-on the site.

Swan, V G, 1984, The pottery kilns of Roman Britain (Book). SNN75255.

<1> 1971, LETTER FROM THE BRITISH MUSEUM, (checked) (Correspondence). SNN57434.

<2> 1972, Current Archaeology, p.204-5 (unchecked) (Journal). SNN58157.

<3> HALL D.N.; HUTCHINGS J.B., 1972, The Distribution of Archaeological Sites Between The Nene and The Ouse Valleys, p.14 (unchecked) (Article). SNN35780.

<4> 1972, Britannia, p.322 - 326 (checked) (Journal). SNN47361.

<5> 1974, Britannia, p.262-81 (checked) (Journal). SNN58444.

<6> Royal Commission on The Historical Monuments of England, 1979, An Inventory of The Historical Monuments in The County of Northampton, p.90/Site 4 (checked) (Series). SNN77380.

<7> 1986, Britannia, p.461-2 (checked) (Journal). SNN58685.

<8> 1985, Proceedings of The Society of Antiquaries, p.507-8 (checked) (Note). SNN58686.

<9> 1985, CORRESPONDENCE IN CERAMIC REVIEW 93, p.28-9 (checked) (Note). SNN55377.

<10> Woods P.J.; Hastings S., 1984, Rushden: The Early Fine Wares, (unchecked) (Report). SNN39980.

Record last edited

Feb 7 2025 1:51PM