Monument record 2126 - Iron Age & Romano-British Settlement West of Cogenhoe

Iron Age and Roman settlement. A corn drying oven of 3rd to 4th century date, a hut, ditches and human remains were found. Finds included a bracelet, finger ring, pottery and a coin. Iron Age and Saxon pottery was found. Summary from record 2126/0/2: Excavations in 1954 and 1962 revealed a 3rd-C4th century Romano-British E-shaped corn-drying oven. It was damaged and disturbed in 2000/2001 during groundworks.

{1} Iron Age and Roman Settlement (centred SP 826607), W. of Cogenhoe village, on Boulder Clay and sand at 76 m above OD. Various discoveries have been made in this area over many years. In 1951 three inhumation burials, two of them of children, were found. The adult had a bronze bracelet with snakeshead terminals. In 1962 excavations were carried out on an E-shaped corn-drying oven of the 3rd or 4th century. This was later preserved and incorporated into the front garden of a house in Corn Kiln Close. Subsequent finds include worked flints, Roman pottery, roof tiles, animal bones and antlers, querns, a bronze brooch and buckle and numerous coins of the 3rd and 4th centuries. In 1970 a crushed human skeleton, and Roman ditches, were noted during building work, while other ditches contained animal bones and black shelly pottery, perhaps of Iron Age date {2, 3, 5, 14}. Further N.W. (at SP 828609) air photographs (not seen by RCHM) are said to show a series of ditches. The Roman urn and coins discovered during the 18th century may be from this site.

{3} Roman coins of the third and fourth centuries were found at SP 826607 near Cogenhoe during 1967.
A corn drying kiln of the 'E' shaped type, excavated in 1954 by R Hollowell at SP 827607 survived to its' floor level. Grain and sherds were found stratified on its floor, indicating that it was in use in the 3rd-4th c AD.

{7} Excavation of a Romano-British decapitated burial, found in R. Hollowell's garden. It was the skeleton of a man aged over 45 years.

{10} A decapitated burial with the head placed between the legs, associated with an iron knife, has been found on the eastern side of the Iron Age/Romano-British settlement site. It has been identified as late Roman.

{12} Excavations in 1954 and 1962 revealed a C3rd-C4th Romano-British E-shaped corn-drying oven. An application was made by the Parish Council to protect the monument 11/12/1989.

{9}The kiln is sited in the front garden of No.5 Corn Kiln Way Cogenhoe c. SP 82656074. It was initially excavated in 1954 by R. Hollowell, with possible further excavations in 1972 (1962?). It remained buried in the garden. In 2000/2001 it was disturbed and damaged during laying of new gas pipes.

{13} An E-shaped corn drying kiln of Roman date. Stone lined trench with some herring-bone course-work in the shape of an E, with a hearth at the end of the middle arm. 3rd and 4th century pot sherds were found, along with 2 hemi-spherical pudding stone quern stones. The central hole for the spindle in one of the stones was incomplete, suggesting that it had never been used.

{15} (SP 82666068) Skull and other bones bound in November 1951, during erection of hut. RB bronze bracelet, a finger ring, fragments of coarse red pottery and sherds of fine grey ware were found. In April 1952, an small bronze coin of Teticus II was found on the same site.

{16} Roman remains found (TI)

{17} Three skeletons, coin of Constantine, a minimus and twenty Ro coins, R Hollowell Oct '61.

{18} All finds, both casual and from excavation were given to Northampton Museum. No finds were made during investigation.

<1> Royal Commission on The Historical Monuments of England, 1979, An Inventory of The Historical Monuments in The County of Northampton, p.19 (checked) (Series). SNN77380.

<2> Brown, A.E. (Ed.), 1967, Archaeology in Northamptonshire 1966/67 (Roman), p.9 (unchecked) (Article). SNN58197.

<3> Brown A.E. (Ed.), 1969, Archaeology in Northamptonshire 1967/68 (Roman), (unchecked) (Article). SNN58198.

<4> HOLLOWELL R., 1971, Aerial Photography and Fieldwork in the Upper Nene Valley, p.7 Site 5 (unchecked) (Journal). SNN106546.

<5> 1974, District Council Review, p.42 (unchecked) (Document). SNN59878.

<6> Brown A.E. (Editor), 1976, Archaeology in Northamptonshire 1975, p.191 (unchecked) (Journal). SNN169.

<7> Northampton Museum Topographical Index, (unchecked) (Index). SNN1470.

<8> 1971, Finds Report, (checked) (Report). SNN59877.

<9> Cadman G., 2001, SMR Report Form, (unchecked) (SMR Report Form). SNN101133.

<10> Royal Commission on The Historical Monuments of England, 1982, An Inventory of The Historical Monuments in The County of Northampton, p.196/Site 5 (checked) (Series). SNN77382.

<11> Cogenhoe and Whiston Heritage Society, 2006, Our Heritage Matters, (checked) (Newsletter). SNN107623.

<12> 1989, Supplementary File, (checked) (Document). SNN51610.

<13> Moore, R., 2017, A Roman corn-drying kiln at Cogenhoe, Northamptonshire, found in 1962 (Article). SNN110994.

<14> Ordnance Survey, 1950s/1960s, Ordnance Survey Record Cards, SP 86 SW 4 (Index). SNN443.

<15> Annotated Record Map, R W Brown Corr 6" 29.4.52 (Map). SNN112961.

<16> Ordnance Survey Map (Scale/date), OS 6" 1958 (Map). SNN112944.

<17> Northampton Museum 6 Inch Map (Map). SNN10162.

<18> Baird, J., 1970, Field investigators comments, F1 JB 07-SEP-70 (Notes). SNN110341.

Record last edited

Feb 26 2025 7:48PM