Monument record 3957 - Kettering Roman Town

Kettering is an example of a medium sized undefended small town within the county. Located on a road from Irchester to the Gartree Road, it is probably one of the less significant nucleated settlements nationally and is some 12-16ha in size. The early date, small size and poor quality of the excavations at Kettering limit the extent to which the town can be characterised. The excavated evidence, augmented by a small number of stray finds, suggest its overall extent to have been between 12 and 16ha (and probably around 15ha). The early date of most of the quarrying and housing development that covers the site means that there is no survey evidence to better elucidate the town’s overall morphology. In the absence of firm evidence to the contrary, it seems that the settlement developed at a strategic point on the regional road network during the course of the later first and second centuries AD around a possible junction between the route noted above and a side road towards Laxton and Great Casterton. The settlement was predominantly a ribbon development along the main south southeast to north northwest route that was possibly associated with a road station (a mansio or mutatio, now destroyed) towards its northern edge. Such that it is possible to judge, the town’s primary significance may lie in its role as one of several nucleated foci (along with Thistleton, Great Casterton, Laxton and Ashton) for the production and redistribution of ironwork within one of the province’s major industrial landscapes. It probably also owed its development to its location on the road network within this landscape. Given the limited amount of modern excavation and absence of survey, it is difficult to say much with certainty about the town’s historical development. It appears that occupation was largely focused along the main road frontage over a distance of perhaps 800m. There is little evidence to indicate secondary occupation away from this strip; though it is possible additional buildings were located along an as yet unidentified road running towards a probable cemetery 400m to the west. Any additional development along a possible road towards Laxton to the north east is likely to have already been destroyed by quarrying. The town continues as a focus of activity well into the late fourth century AD but does not seem to have survived into the Early-Middle Saxon period when the focus for settlement shifted some 2km south west.

{?} The unwalled Roman settlement in north Kettering may originally have covered some 22-25ha but has now been almost entirely destroyed by redevelopment. Whilst the density of its former occupation remains largely unknown, comparison of available information with evidence from related local settlements suggests that most buildings were probably confined to a main road possibly with others along lesser streets. Some structures had plastered walls and stone roofs and a hypocaust is reputed to have been found. The commonest features in the area however were quarry pits of a type excavated at Kipling Road where the local Northampton Sand Ironstone was used for smelting. Additional features from that site include a possible threshing floor, perhaps associated with an adjacent timber structure.

{1} There is no evidence that the town was ever enclosed within a defensive circuit.
Clear stone foundations were recorded in several places during the ironstone quarrying to the north (Bull 1911) but their character and critically, precise location, are unfortunately unknown. .
Neither the antiquarian records from the quarried areas nor recording during subsequent housing development has noted any significant evidence for a ritual focus within the settlement at Kettering. Given the early and incomplete nature of many of the records, however, such a possibility cannot be excluded.

{2} The most persuasive evidence for some link between Roman and Saxon activity at Kettering is the Saxon cemetery (Mon 3788/1), discovered in the 19th century immediately north of the Stamford Road, less than 1 km to the south of the Roman small town, and immediately adjacent to the putative Roman road where it would cross the medieval Stamford road. It is the only Saxon cemetery in the county so far demonstrated as including material of the early 5th century and it continued well into the 6th century.

{3} The Roman settlement appears to have been located on a junction between two roads: one a main road from Irchester to the Gartree Road, the other a minor route towards Laxton and Great Casterton.
The sheer amount of quarrying and ironworking evidence suggests that the metalworking industry was a large part of the economy of the town and its primary significance may well have been its role in the production and redistribution of ironwork. Evidence from the town suggests occupation continued into the 4th century.

{9} RB finds continue to be made in the area coming mainly from the foundations of new buildings and service trenches. Many of the finds are in Kettering Museum

<1> Taylor, J., 2000, Northamptonshire Extensive Urban Survey: Kettering (Roman), Section 3.2,3.5.1 (checked) (Digital archive). SNN100751.

<2> Foard G.F., 2000, Northamptonshire Extensive Urban Survey: Kettering (Medieval + Post Medieval), (checked) (Digital archive). SNN100747.

<3> Walker C., 2013, Archaeological Desk-Based Heritage Assessment of Land at the Former Maplefields School, Kettering, Northamptonshire, p.9 (checked) (Report). SNN108525.

<4> GOTCH J.A., 1903, Notes On Some Anglo-Saxon Antiquities Found At Kettering, (unchecked) (Article). SNN68780.

<5> Brindle, T., 2008, Northamptonshire (Draft) (Chapter). SNN106263.

<6> Taylor, J, 2000, Northamptonshire Extensive Urban Survey: Kettering (Roman), (unchecked) (Report). SNN106659.

<7> BULL F.W., 1911, Proceedings of The Society of Antiquities, p. 493-501 (Journal). SNN44311.

<8> Bull, F W, 1912, Proceedings of The Society of Antiquaries, p. 223-5 (Journal). SNN31282.

<9> Baird, J., 1967, Field investigators comments, F1 JB 04-AUG-1967 (Notes). SNN113111.

<10> Brown A.E. (Editor), 1974, Archaeology In Northamptonshire 1973, 9/p.90 (Article). SNN9109.

<11> 1971, Archaeological Excavations (Various Years), p. 21 (Series). SNN15160.

<12> Wright, R P, and Hassall, M V C, 1972, Roman Britain in 1971, p. 359 (Note). SNN113112.

<13> Ms Notes, Lyall, FV 1970-83 (Dated 21/05/1983) (Note). SNN113113.

<14> Swan, V G, 1984, The pottery kilns of Roman Britain, No 535 (Book). SNN75255.

<15> Brown A.E. (ed.), 1980, Archaeology in Northamptonshire 1979, p. 167-8 (Article). SNN56490.

Record last edited

Feb 7 2025 2:55PM