SNN103890 - Nunn Mills Site, Delapre, Northampton: Desktop Assessment

Oxford Archaeology has been commissioned by Terence O'Rourke to undertake a desk-based appraisal of the archaeological implications of the redevelopment of land at Nunn Mills Delapre. This appraisal incorporates summaries of a separate Deposit Model and Buildings Assessment. No Scheduled Ancient Monument or Conservation Areas will be affected directly or indiretly by the proposed development. The settings of a Grade II Listed Building and an English Heritage Registered Battlefield will be slightly indirectly affected by the proposed devlopement. These sites are assessed as of High Importance although the Significance of the Environmental affect has been assessed as Minor or None. The proposed development will have direct impacts on ten known structures, six of which may be assessed as of Low importance, with the significance of Environmental Effect assessed as moderate, and four of the structures may be assessed as Very Low Importance with the significance of Environmental Effect assessed as minor. Impacts to these structures may be mitigated by a program of recording subject to the approval of the County Council's Planning Archaeologist. The environs of the post-medieval Nunn Mill, and any features relating to the medieval mill, its facilities, or bridges of the medieval period are assessed as of Uncertain but potentially High Importance with the Significance of the Environmental Effect assessed as possibly Major. The results of the deposit model show that the combined depth of overburden above the natural gravel surface varies between c 1.0 m and 7.2 m, composed of c0.50m to 3.50m of made ground and c 0.50m to 3.70m of alluvium. The thickest combined overburden occurs in the western and north-east sectors of the site. The deposit model indicates the potential of the proposed development area to include features and deposits from the Palaeolithic to the medieval period buried below alluvium deposited in the medieval period. These may be assessed as of Uncertain but potentially High or Very High Importance, with the significance of Environmental Effect assessed as Major or possibly Severe. Also sealed below the alluvium may be palaeoenvironmental deposits, including preserved pollen, plant macro-remains and insects. Above the alluvium, the proposed devlopment area has the potential to contain deposits and features dating from the later medieval period to the modern period. There is a higher liklihood of later medieval features in the environs of Nunn Mill. The importance of such potential features or deposits may be regarded as ranging from the very low (eg modern building features) to high (eg substantial evidence for medieval bridges).