Monument record 3445 - Bronze Age and Iron Age settlement, Little Houghton

Cropmarks of probable ditched enclosure and trackway have been identified on aerial photographs. Multiple finds of worked flint have been found across a wider area of the village and a late Neolithic pit was found during construction of the Bypass. A geophysical survey and trial trench excavation undertaken in 2018 broadly confirmed the presence of the archaeological features identified as cropmarks. Pottery from the features dated to the middle to late Iron Age.

{1} Excavation was carried out during by-pass works in 1978, by D. Jackson at SP 8066 5926. A pear-shaped pit 2.8m long x 0.34m wide was cut into sandstone. There was a charcoal layer at the bottom and round the sides. It appeared to be domestic. Late Neolithic decorated beaker sherds from several different vessels were retrieved.

{3} SP 80665926. A pit containing Beaker sherds and charcoal found during road construction in 1978.

{8} Geophysical survey was undertaken on fields west of Bedford Road. The survey recorded twelve possible linear features, which could form evidence of a enclosure, a trackway and field boundaries.

{9} Archaeological trial trenching was undertaken on land west of Bedford Road. In the north-west of the site there was a pit containing 97 sherds of Late Bronze pottery, in the area not subject to geophysical survey. A very rich assemblage of charred cereals (Emmer wheat) was recovered from an environmental sample taken from the fill of the pit. Two further pits were also identified in the same trench, although one was undated and the other not excavated.
On the south side of the site evidence of Iron Age activity was recorded, with pottery and charred plant remains recovered from the ditches and pits in the area of the cropmarks and where anomalies consistent with archaeological features were recorded during the geophysical survey. Further undated ditches and pits were identified and may indicate further Iron Age settlement not identified by the geophysical survey.

<1> Hall, D (Ed), 1979, South Midlands Archaeology: CBA Group 9 Newsletter (9), p.52 (checked) (Journal). SNN28703.

<2> Brown A.E. (Editor), 1979, Archaeology in Northamptonshire 1978, p.103 (checked) (Article). SNN45225.

<3> Royal Commission on The Historical Monuments of England, 1982, An Inventory of The Historical Monuments in The County of Northampton, p.199 (unchecked) (Series). SNN77382.

<4> Map, (unchecked) (Map). SNN25424.

<5> JACKSON D., 1979, Site Plans, (checked) (Plan). SNN43932.

<6> 1977, Limit of Site and Site Clearance Plan, (checked) (Plan). SNN57318.

<7> Northamptonshire SMR Collection of Aerial Photographs (Aerial Photograph(s)). SNN104822.

<8> Jefferson, N, 2018, Land off Bedford Road, Little Houghton, Northamptonshire: Geophysical survey (Report). SNN112118.

<9> Walker, J, 2019, Land off Bedford Road, Little Houghton, Northamptonshire. Archaeological Trial Trench Evaluation (Report). SNN112385.

Record last edited

Feb 7 2025 2:38PM