SNN100281 - Archaeological Excavation At Sponne School, Towcester, Northamptonshire June-July 1997

An archaeological excavation prior to the erection of a radio mast in the grounds of Sponne School, Towcester revealed a stratified sequence of activity and occupational deposits from the latter first/earlier second century AD to the twelfth century. A recent pipe trench and telegraph pole had caused some damage to the site. The excavation lies immediately inside to the east of Towcester's defences. The first evidence of activity was a single pit cut by a curving gully (which may represent a ring gully of a large late Iron Age type house or workshop). Inside this gully were two postholes, a possible floor surface and a pit. The fills of these were dated to the later first century. These occupation deposits were later sealed by two layers which covered the trench after clearance of the site. There was then a phase of pitting on the site with at least six pits and a gully dating to the Hadrianic/earlier Antonine period. Associated structures were not within the excavation area. This activity was sealed by further layers which covered the trench. These layers were cut by two parallel building slots which probably represent a robbed stone main wall and a timber veranda. This occupation phase finished in the 160's/170's presumably when the town defences, a few metres to the west, were constructed. This seems to have involved the destruction of the building by fire. Ceramic, bone and glass finds indicate it had been a prosperous establishment. Seven postholes, one of which cut one of the slots, were in the mid-horizon 60% of the trench. This structure was built any time from just after the destruction of the wall/veranda building up to the fourth century. The occupation levels were sealed by a homogenous soil horizon containing pottery of third to fourth century date. A single fourth century pit signified activity was happening in this period, possibly related defences to the town. After a period of abandonment there was a single early medieval pit dated eleventh/twelfth century which cut through these deposits. There were no signs of the Anglo-Saxon and Civil War reworking of the adjacent defences. Upper soil levels were of post-medieval to recent date.